We all have our favorite finishes and processes. You should find one that fits your style and methods. Just to share, I use threadmaster lite and and usually have to put 2 coats on the butt wrap area, with the occasional 2nd coat on the thread wraps. The process where you put a thin 1st coat on, then another coat to create the final finish is a good one. I can get away with one coat on most
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Yes, for downrigger fishing, definitely a strong consideration to glass or composite blanks with moderate or slow action. These bend well down the blank which is needed for cushioning against the downrigger load. Something in 8-10 feet long would be a good choice. Check out the Batsons RDR or BP series. Not sure what the fish size you are seeking but if they are medium trout size fish, check
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Sounds like you are trying to apply bass tactics to ultralight rods Russ. Maybe not the best idea. St. Croix and others have a number of blanks in the 2-8 lb or 4-10 lb line range, which load well with 1/8 oz lures and while technically, you should be able to lift a 4 lb weight on a dead lift and have the line break before the rod. However, it's a different story with a fish near that size, fl
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Citri strip works on most finishes and won't harm the blank. Some may require multiple applications or longer dwell time. Terry
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Yes, Decal Connection. Excellent service, professionally delivered. Their labels are peel n stick and for best application, put down a coat of finish, apply the label, then either CP or workable fixative over the label to ensure none of the adhesive around the edges creates fish eyes on your final finish coats. Terry
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John I was curious if you've used any silk threads for almost clear wraps? I used silk 50 weight white and achieved a similar result you describe but maybe more transparent than your end product. I would think any of the lighter silk colors in the same color range as the blank color (light gray for a black blank, etc) would give a good result. Terry
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Good to know Brian. Rustoleum isn't one of the materials I had tried. Getting the right viscosity and the right tip makes a big difference. Looks like you've hit on a good combination. I'll have to try it out. Terry
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You might try the same drill, except use 5 min epoxy instead of CP. Clean the lifted area as much as you can, apply the epoxy, then wrap with thread to secure. Watch the kick point and remove the thread before it cures fully. I assume that the lifted portion has graphics you want to save. If it doesn't, just cut it off and proceed with finish. If it does, try the process above. Terr
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Yes, you can and there is a tutorial that explains how to achieve this with an ink jet printer. Keep in mind that ink jets and lasers will not print silver or gold colors like a more expensive label printer can print. You get these results on an ink jet by creating a label with a black background (or one that matches your blank color) and a clear text font. Underwrap the label area with silver
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Hey Brian, I think Tremclad is the Canadian version of Rustoleum for us in the states. I'm interested to know what lead you to use this as your "ink" of choice. I follow Brian's process but have best luck with silver ink, then white ink as most of the blanks are dark gray or black. When the other builders refer to a quill pen, I believe it's really a calligraphy pen that you can
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I cover all the areas with CP. I do take some care to not leave large globs of CP on the open spaces. I pick up the excess with a dry brush on both the threads and the open spots. Terry
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Most of my spinning rod customers prefer to have the seat mounted in the uplocking position, with the threads at the butt end of the rod. This way they don't feel the threads when casting or retrieving. Terry
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Josh you could be thinking of the blue inserts that were very popular when they first came out but the frames were all black or chrome color. Mud hole is the only distributor offering different frame colors that I know of. Terry
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For a blank consideration, you might try the Rainshadow IST1141F. 9'6" rated for 4-8lb line. If you are throwing light lines and small baits, you might consider a longer length as well. The center pin float guys have this down to an art and Batsons has longer lengths available in this model line. I would second the recommendation for rear grip length. A 9" grip is way too short f
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For salmon and steelhead spinning rods, it's ideal if you can get the end of the rear grip to land just in front of the elbow when held in the normal fishing position. This is usually means a rear grip around 12" to 13" for most folks. It's a problem if the grip is too long and always seems to hang up in your shirt or coat when casting and retrieving so watch your length on the grip.
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I always let the customer know what my "normal" inscription" is, typically "Crafted for Angie Angler", then my business name on the next line with a serial number. I've had a few people that also want my name on the rod as the maker, but never anyone that didn't want my business name on the rod. Wes, it looks like your case is a little unusual. Terry
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For me, the goal was to provide a little extra income in retirement. I'm growing my client base, slowly and mostly through exposure in fly fishing shows in the Pacific NW. I'm considering getting a booth or 2 at a gun show but would probably show mostly gear rods at those venues. I've also paid some folks to help amp up my presence on Facebook, my website and god forbid, Twitter. So, we'll se
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A little more info would help. Many bamboo rods come with a need to strip the old finish, and refinish as well as replace the guides. For finish stripping I use a cabinet scraper, or an exacto knife held at 90 degrees to the surface for scraping off the old finish. Hopefully the blank doesn't show any signs of delamination which would require an entire redo, including gluing, binding and san
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Interesting. I always put the blank mfg. and model on the blank. Curious as to why you would leave it off. Terry
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Many of the CP's are the white acrylic with solids in suspension. With these compounds, there is dry and then there is cured. Paint can be dry to the touch in a few hours, but not cured for awhile after that, just as a comparison. I've had best luck when waiting at least overnight before applying finish and have never had a problem. I haven't pushed it sooner, just because I don't want to g
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Being an ex-printer industry guy, I can tell you that Brother has a bad rep for any image or text quality requirements. They are cheap but you get what you pay for. Go to a review site to see the best PQ rated desktop printers and it's likely to be an HP, Canon or Epson model. If you want to go to the next step, some of the small desktop lasers are excellent for this application and will gener
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The laser is definitely better, but you can produce good results with an ink jet and the Papilo paper. Be sure to let it dry, then coat with krylon workable fixative before applying to the rod. Terry
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I've moved to using threaded mandrels with a stop collar for reel seats. This eliminates any movement. Available from Mudhole and other suppliers. Terry
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Tyler, some of us use heat guns for this work, but take care around the tip section, it doesn't take much to overheat the blank and ruin the whole thing. I will use an alcohol flame briefly around the thin sections of the blank to soften the old finish. The pliers act as a heat sink to help prevent the whole guide from over heating. You could also use a small pair of locking forceps as well
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A couple of other choices are Permagloss or Lumaseal. These are clear urethane finishes that are very hard. I also sometimes use a version of wood turners finish that is a combination of shellac, linseed and walnut oil. This finish is less durable but easy to apply on the lathe when the piece is turning. Terry
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Hi Steve, Restorations are fun. Most guys would use this particular rod as stock for spigot ferrules but good for you to restore it. It's a solid fiberglass casting rod. The guides used were common in the day as none of them had inserts. You can still find these guides today from any number of the suppliers on the left, Jann's, Anglers Workshop, Angler's Roost and Mudhole, etc. They are
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If you are using for trolling primarily, then 24" is a good spot. You can easily measure line out in 2' "pulls" from the reel to the butt guide. For casting, you'll need to test cast and play with the position. LIkely closer to the reel will yield better results. Terry
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He's been running a special of free shipping if you meet the minimum order. Without that, expect to pay around $55 for shipment to the US. If you can make an investment and order several hundred rings, the shipping cost adds around .20 per ring. It's pretty good stuff as others have mentioned. Terry
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St Croix has both 9'6 and 10' rod lengths available in 6 or 7wt models. If you go to a switch rod (which would be a good choice) Batson's RX7 switch rods in 6 or 7 wt are well under $200. The 10'8"length would be good for stripping streamers that large. I've not used the MHX blanks as was suggested but many have with good success. Terry
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Thanks Ray, appreciate the response. I have a 2500 but a different model and it too measured 47mm so I was going to use this in a pinch. Thanks for confirming. I was also able to locate one at a sporting goods store and take some measurements as well. Terry
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