Thanks for all of your answers. I don't build spinning rods this long, so it is a new area for me. I was just looking for a starting point. I don't know if I was trying to make this more difficult that it should be, or just forgot it over the years. Thanks for reminding me Bill.
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I am doing a split grip, and using the Fuji VSS16 reel seat. I was talking total length from butt to fore grip. Just looking for a ball park figure so I can start adjusting from there.
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I know I have seen it somewhere, but now that I need it, I can't find it. What is the rule of thumb for figuring out grip length? I am building spinning rods on a Batson 7'6" 3 weight fly rod blank.
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Bill, I might not have posted, but I read often. I don't want this to go into the full blown "to spine, or not to spine" deal. Bill asked a simple question about how to spine a multi-piece rod blank. My answer was how I learned to do it. Now Explain how to pick out the "straightest axis" to this new rod builder, and let him choose his method. I mean no disrespect, in this
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I spine each section, and then put them together lining up the marks and spine the whole blank. I know you don't have to spine the new blanks, but this is the way I was taught and it works for me.
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Birchwood @#$%& Stock Sheen. Ultra fine rubbing compound for wood stock finish. Use an old soft t-shirt, and very light pressure. A little of this will go a long way.
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Birchwood @#$%& Stock Sheen. Ultra fine rubbing compound for wood stock finish. Use an old soft t-shirt, and very light pressure. A little of this will go a long way.
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Phil: I am happy to say that you might be wrong. I love building fly rods, tying flies, and fishing them. I like catching fish more, and am not ashamed to say that I have drowned my fair share of worms. I am just trying to figure how light I need to go with the fly blanks to cast these jigs and lures.
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Phil: Thanks for the numbers. I did a quick search and came up with the AFTMA numbers for the 2 Wt. blank. They are: 2WT.-.169-.196 oz. I know I am not the smartest, and am sure I am simply looking at things the wrong way. I mostly use small tube skirt jigs in the 1/32 to 1/8 oz. area the lighter the better. I also know that this is the lead head and hook weight. The tube will add t
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Thanks Tom.
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Thanks Tom. I was looking at the 6'6" 2 WT. and 7'6" 3-5 WT. Batson Forecast 6 blanks.
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Don: Thanks for the info. Is this sort of the Maximum they will handle? I am looking for something that will cast 1/32 oz. on the low side. 2 to 4 pound test line. I am looking more for the low side to high side thing.
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I have been thinking about this for awhile, and am ready to give it a try. These will be pan fish and smaller trout rods. Small Jigs, and Mepp's size O to 1. Can anyone that has done this give me some idea about how to figure out the fly line weight to jig weight thing? The Batson blanks I am looking at go down to 2 weight, and up to 5 weight. I am sort of thinking 2 weight might be too ligh
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I am self taught, and just found it easier To do the trim band first, and then finish the wrap with the main thread color. I start the trim wrap like normal, and count the number of wraps I want. I start the main thread color over the top of both the start end, and tag end of the trim band, and continue the wrap with the main color thread. When I have several wraps of this down, I cut the star
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I am self taught, and just found it easier To do the trim band first, and then finish the wrap with the main thread color. I start the trim wrap like normal, and count the number of wraps I want. I start the main thread color over the top of both the start end, and tag end of the trim band, and continue the wrap with the main color thread. When I have several wraps of this down, I cut the star
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Bill: The way you worded this is a little confusing. Did you put epoxy on and then wrap over this, or did you wrap and cover with epoxy? I think you will be alright if it was wrap and then epoxy. I know that some of the companies are saying that you don't need to wrap the Ferrule, but I go with the side of caution and wrap them anyway.
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I think they have combined both the Minima 4 SV and Ceramic ring SV guides into one size chart. The chart is at the top of page 13 in their 2012 catalog. It is on the ceramic ring side of the page.
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I use U-40 cork seal, and then run a couple of coats of paste wax like Johnson's floor wax on them. Brings out the grain and still feels like cork even when wet.
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Steve: Is this a one piece rod, or two piece? You might want to contact St. Croix if it is a two piece. They will fit a new top section to the rod, and then all you have to do is wrap it.
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Gary: I may take some old cork, and sand it down then mix this with some glue and use that as the filler. Thanks for the idea. I don't know if the thread is nylon or silk. I know the rod is new enough that it is marked as a 7 weight instead of a C or HCH. Let me know if you have any of this thread.
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A friend's wife bought him an old South Bend bamboo fly rod. I got to look at it today, and it is a model 58 9' 7wt. It is in fairly good condition. No splits in the joints , no knicks in the finish. There were actually only 2 problems I saw with the rod. one thread wrap needs to be redone on a ferrule, and the first 2 cork rings are rough and their is a fairly deep chunk missing. I don't k
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I have built a number of these blanks using Goudbrod Dark Green and either gold, silver or lime green metalic all without CP. They turned out very nice.
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I know that wraping a guide on the rod as a tip top is something that some of the rod builders do. I only see one problem with this practice. replacing the tip top is not something you can do out on the lake, stream, or sea. Pull outs might be rare, but they can happen. Losing a tube type tip top is also rare, and I know this happens. Fixing this problem in the field is a totally different m
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I have been talking to Pac Bay, and they are going to have this tip top in larger ring sizes in about 6 months.
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Look at the model FM in the Pac Bay catalog. Minima 4 in ring size 3 and 4.
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The very first thing I would do is contact St. Croix. They may replace it, repair it, or have the parts to do it.
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I haven't done Tru-oil on cork, but have done it on gun stocks. Fine steelwool, and then polish with Birchwood Casey Stock Sheen will give you a finish look from a satin finish to a high gloss finish.
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Maryann: I use an immitation Ott light. They sell them in sewing stores. I have the "Day Light" bulbs which are very bright, and color correct. The light is on a long goose neck, and can be moved and adjusted to fit your needs. I wear bi-focals, and have the plastic lenses in these. When I wrap, I use a set of flip up magnifiers. These are also plastic lenses and don't weigh much
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Harry: My Dad was a watercolor artist. I think the technique you are looking for is called "wet on wet". I know this is how my Dad did rainy skies and clouds. Basically he wet the watercolor paper, and then used a wet brush to apply the colors. He then tilted the board the paper was on, and let gravity blend the colors. Are you using water color pencils for this, or paint and a
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Bobby: These things come in a short drop down and a long drop down. I wear the glasses with a big lens, and need the long drop down. Most people have gone to the smaller lens in their regular glasses. Needless to say, it is hard to find the flip ups with the long drop down. I suspect that the short drop down flip ups will work the same way for people that wear glasses with the smaller lenses
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