Josh- I used to build spinning rods with a guide train like 30, 35, 20, 16, 12, 8, 6. Today, if you come into my shop, you will see LOTS of 25, 12, and 6 guides, and very few of the intermediate sizes. A few weeks ago a local flats guide who uses Loomis Greenwater rods tried one of my 7 1/2' 4power spinning rods. The guide train is 25, 12, 6,6,6,6,6,6,6, and a 6 ring tip-top. (He uses 30 lb
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Were you using the water based or the solvent based CP? I use the solvent based on Madeira and Metro thread with no problems. A few people I know have had trouble with the water-based CP on these poly threads.
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I would likely use a 20, 10 and then all size 5 (or 6 max) running guides.
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Does anyone know where I can obtain a "Lightening McQueen" decal? I am building my son a rod for his birthday, and he eats, sleeps and breathes Lightening McQueen.
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Thank you gentlemen. These are perfect! (And on the way)
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Anyone know where I might locate some 10" self-adhesive sanding discs in a fine (150-220) grit? This is for a 10" bench disc sander. No luck at Lowes or Home Cheapo.
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The guide adhesive is a great tool for holding guides in place on the blank for wrapping, but if the guides move and pull out easily from the wraps, it sounds to me like the wraps are not tight enough. The guide adhesive isn't likely to make up for wrapping with too little thread tension.
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I was placing an order at Jann's Netcraft this past week, and while I was adding reel seats to my shopping cart I remembered I needed split rings and treble hooks (for fishing, not rod building). I went to the split ring info, and all it gave was size numbers, not actual dimensions. I used their live chat feature and was directed to their "Ask an Expert" section. I clicked on "s
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That would be a good choice. Also, check with Lance at Swampland about his Castaway BB1 Big Show blank. It was designed exactly for what you want to do. I believe it is the most popular blank he sells and the most popular rod he builds.
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I have switched to ALPS guides as my primary guide. You can't beat them for corrosion resistance. They are also strong and lightweight, and very cost effective. I have used them on saltwater boat rods, light saltwater popping rods, and casting rods. They are as good as (if not better than) any comparable guide out there.
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Larry- I would have requested that the company issue a UPS call tag for the defective blank. That way they would have paid for the return shipping. I would guess there would have been a 50/50 chance they would have just sent another one to you. I have suppliers who will take my word for it in situations like this. That might be different if THEY get compensated by the manufacturer. Many d
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All too much work. Just dip the feet in Rod Bond, position them on the blank, and you're ready to go. TRUE invisible wraps...
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I have seen low-end factory rods at the big box stores with guides secured by shrink tube. It wasn't pretty.
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"The board sponsors have all been very helpful. So helpful that I actually bought enough components to build 8 rods and spent way too much money." I got a good deep belly laugh from this line. Not laughing at you, but with you. I'm sure most of us can relate.
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I think that if you are caring for your equipment properly, there will be no problem. After EVERY saltwater outing, you should be washing down your rods and reels in fresh water. To eliminate any last vestiges of salt on guides, reels and reel seats, Cabelas sells a product that really gets the salt out. After that, consider spraying your reel and reel seat with INOX. It doesn't hurt line, is
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I agree that grinding the feet is the way to go. I have had to grind feet on the Pflueger Medalist fly reels in years past in order to get them to fit some of the better quality reel seats. It's a simple process that does no harm.
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My shop is, for all intents and purposes, outside. It's on a screened-in porch with clear plastic roof panels. It is unheated and not cooled, except by nature. Typically at this time of year, it's 75 degrees first thing in the morning and gets to the mid to high 90s during the day. Thunderstorms are the norm most afternoons. That said, I have to tell you that I do not experience the issues
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No way will I be able to sell an all-black rod, and I wouldn't make one for myself. Why? Given the situation developing down here, if I laid a black rod down on the beach, it would blend with the oil and be impossible to find.....
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You might also try a 25, 12, and then size 6 running guides. Works very well for me...
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My leaning toward the 3 power was based on two factors: 1. Throwing MirroLures and popping corks. To get good popping action, I like the slightly heavier tip. 2. I have built on the one-piece version of the SJ 843-MHX, and I find it to be a very versatile blank that will handle the lighter range weights, but also has the beef to throw the bigger stuff. I will gladly defer to Todd on this.
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Tom is right on the money. You might need to check some of the @#$%& sites...I bought some Mildrum carboloy boat guides there a year ago to repair an old boat rod. Be advised though, a good hard rap on the rocks can still break the frame.
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Have a look at the MHX 2pc blanks from Mudhole, specifically the SJ 843-2-MHX. The MB 844-2 MHX might also work (it gives you a beefier tip to throw 1 oz lures), but I would think the SJ 843-2 would be about perfect.
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I have an American Tackle lathe . I purchased it from Mudhole last year on their package deal with the rod dryer and the upgrade aluminum chuck. Because I don't use the lathe to turn cork, I have still not installed that expensive chuck. I suggest you take a look at this combination. It offered the best combination of features and price I could find. For me, upgrading to a power wrapper was
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Mr. Stevens: My boat is set up exactly that way. I was fishing, however, with an Islamorada flats guide. Quite frankly, neither of us expected to see a fish anywhere NEAR that size. Caught us napping, he did. That will NEVER happen again. My love for that Swampland blank, however, is something I expect will grow and blossom. I will be putting the rod into the hands of some Indian River fla
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Holy Moley! This is unreal! This past week I tested some new guide train setups on the SWA P-905 rod blank. (I believe the blank is erroneously classified as a 5 power...it is more likely a 4). Anyway, I had always used a traditional guide set-up, starting with a 30 or 25 ring, then progressively smaller guides out to the tip. This time, I wrapped a 25, 12, and then 7 # 6 Titan titanium
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Which of the Cason's are you using, the water based or the solvent based? I use the solvent-based on Madeira and Metro with absolutely no issues. I have yet to try the water-based product with those threads.
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Some of you may remember the project I undertook for a local flats guide. He was looking for a fly rod that could handle 9/10 wt. line and be no longer than 6'6" It would be used to fire a fly with no more than a single false cast 50 or so feet to snook and tarpon in the mangroves or close to a dock. Basically, he wanted an "extraction" tool: something he could use not only de
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That covers fly blanks, and there were already plenty of travel fly blanks on the market. But my spin and casting clients who travel are not finding what they want.
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Still hoping to see travel blanks in more than just fly models.
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Why don't you drop a note to Karry Batson. He'll send you a recipe.
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