While checking the wraps for dry spots immediately after applying the finish, if there's a bit too much finish on a wrap I "wick it off" by holding the side of a dry brush below the wrap and barely touching the wet finish while the rod is turning. This will draw off the excess finish without disturbing/over-brushing the finish. The finish is there to protect the thread wraps - no
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Rod finish acts like a solvent on sharpie marks no matter how dry it is. As Roger suggested, masking tape or chalk are good choices. I mark the blank where the ring will be - which on single foot guides is usually clear of where the thread and finish with be. A fine tip water soluble maker is another option that can be easily removed after single foot guides are wrapped (without using sol
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I've done both "clean the brush" and "throw the brush" and I agree with Roger about avoiding the additional contact with solvents. I'm not sure from an environmental perspective what the trade-off is between using more solvents vs.disposable brushes, but from a health standpoint I'd much rather avoid the solvents.
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Alex - You say the guides have more paint , and that you grind the foot to a knife edge. I would think that the paint on the tip of the guide feet would have been removed when you grind them - are you grinding the bottom of the guide feet?
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A fairly coarse double-cut file also works for taking the high spots off a cork handle.
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Mel Shimizu Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Yeah, thanks but old habits and it is what works > for me. The heat gun blows too much dust. I need > to clean my work area...lol > Looks like white gas has been banned too. Back > packers are all looking for alternative fuel too. > I see 70% isopropyl has skyrocked in price locally > if
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That @#$%& to have access blocked to a product that you are used to using, but I'm not fond of the idea of using a "molatov cocktail" aka "alcohol lamp" for rod building - there have been serious issues... Some use mini torches or butane lighters for bubble busting, and I'd rather use 1 time use disposable brushes than have more exposure to solvents from cleaning brushes. Go
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Phil Erickson Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I am an advocate of collets to hold the mandrels! > A couple what I think are important! They hold the > mandrel more securely and they are truer. They > also allow you to pass the mandrel through the > head stock. In my experience, using a chuck often > ends up scarring if it slips at all. &g
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You can also estimate the spool dia. by using the data for line retrieved per handle revolution and reel gear ratio. Useful for comparing reels that you order (I hate small dia spools that coil the line) and for planning guide sizes when you don't have the reel in hand. Most retail sites and reel companies provide the info you need for almost any reel - if not, a couple minutes looking at diff
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How do plan to use this rod? Dipping, casting, drifting, spider-rig, etc?
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Enamel paint can be fairly brittle - maybe try picking it off with a thumbnail, etc. to avoid possible solvent issues. Plastic worms or grubs also melt enamel if it's used as a jig paint... I'm assuming that all rod finishes are "worm proof" so you could try laying a soft plastic bait on the enamel for a couple of days or so.
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Any rod that is well matched with the right size line and lure weight is going to be the EASIEST to cast accurately - a skilled angler can quickly adapt to less than ideal combinations if needed.
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I've used powdered jig paint mixed with LS Supreme to color the thread wraps on some ice rod tips. Have only done it on a couple of rods. It sets up fine and is hard, but flexible when cured. Just to be sure that I'm getting good thread penetration with the epoxy, I've been using it only as a second coat so far. The LS Supreme does seem to cure a bit faster with the powder mixed in it, but it
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What you describe sounds like a clear coat glossy finish over a plain carbon fiber blank. Blanks can be clear coated by body shops (best option) or some people have used Rustoleum 2X clear, etc. spray can clears as a do it yourself low-cost alternative. As Spencer said, graphite blanks don't need finish on them - in fact some people strip the finish off blanks that come coated/painted to reduce
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Levi, Before you trim the blanks tape some guides on them and place a grip and reel where they would potentially be located on the shortened blanks. Run the line through the guides and see if the blank still has the characteristics that you want. If you trim the tip on a noodle rod you will lose a lot of the "noodle" visual bite indicator flex unless you sand the blank to restore t
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I hate to say it, but I've gone to anything BUT 3M for regular masking tape. For tan colored masking tape that sticks well I've been happy with "Intertape" or "Duck" brands.
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Michael Danek Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I respectfully submit that if one buys the right > guides, Fuji in particular, the need for something > like this is negligible. I sometimes will run a > piece of 150 grit across the tip of the foot to > help the thread climb, but that surely doesn't > require a motorized "tool."
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I've been looking for a belt sander. Sharp looking unit. One concern is that there are no safety shrouds/guards on it compared to most belt sanders. The unit in the video seems to "walk" on the table - though comparable tools probably do the same? What advantages are there to this unit vs. this from Harbor Freight for $53?
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Long hair is another hazard to mindful of near rotating equipment.
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Good points Phil. Collets, besides holding items more securely, are also safer to work near than are the "meat grinder-like" 3 and 4 jaw chucks.
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A question for those who used to (and I hope no longer do) wear gloves while using a lathe/drill press/grinder, etc: What was the reason for doing so? If it's to be able to handle work parts that get hot, spraying an item with water, or stopping the lathe and wrapping the work piece with a wet rag are better alternatives. If it's to save time washing your hands during a project, or to be
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Scary stuff Roger, glad that you're alright! I was a tool & die maker for over 12 years. NEVER wear gloves (even fingerless gloves) long sleeves, etc. around a lathe!!!!!!!!!! NEVER use a rag (or especially your shirt tail...) to wipe off a rotating part. A lathe/drill press/mill/grinder can grab cloth and suck it and you into it WAY faster than you can react. Same with using sandpape
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Roger helped me with the guide setup for my first ice rods, and as he said with a little searching there are many good suppliers of ice rod guide sets and tube style tip tops that fit small ice blank tips. Most of my panfishing ice rods are built with a Pac Bay Minima 10 Match spinning guide, a #8 SV guide, and the rest #4 wire fly guides including wrapping one on as the tip guide. Wire fly g
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Dennis - Do you mean "sand a blank" as in preparing it to be painted, or sanding a non-tubular ice fishing blank to tune the action? I haven't used it a lot, but the Rustoleum 2X spray paint series has worked well for painting blanks. If possible, I prefer to stay with the same primer/paint/clear series to avoid potential compatibility issues caused by using multiple brands of produc
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Anthony - try wearing latex gloves while handling the blank and wrapping it to keep things clean. Added bonus is they are very grippy - probably grippier than your skin would be by the time you scrub your hands enough to totally degrease them.
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Ed Welch Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Thanks Dan. > > On most ice rods I would agree with using a fly > type guide, but with using braid and the ability > of lake trout to go on some impressive runs, I > definitely want to stick with a ceramic insert for > this build. I do fish inside a popup shelter with > a heater, so icing
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For ice rods I prefer wrapping a fly guide on for the tip guide instead of using a tip top with a tube, but both work fine and it's personal preference. If the tube is too big, use thread and a coat of thread finish to build up the tip to fit the tube. A tip with a ceramic insert is going to be more prone to icing than a plain "wire type" guide so if you fish outside in very cold c
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Thanks for the heads up Roger. This really brings up the question: What does UPS do to compensate customers for THEIR errors with misdirected packages, etc? It can be quite amazing to watch the unintended trail that items take using the package tracking features from various shippers. I've had packages sent around the country - sometimes back to the same sorting center for a second time b
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1/2" shank bits. Not sure how big you need to go. Large drill bits "don't play nice" like small bits. They can be a whole different world for being grabby and doing bad things to what you're working on. Maybe buy an individual bit at a home improvement store, etc. to test how it works with your lathe, with the material you're working with, and for what you want to make with
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Steve, Old Cabela's catalogs, etc. from the period that Fenwick sold blanks would also be a good info source. 7 power was "heavy" and 6 power "med-heavy" so a 3 would probably be a "light."
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