Sounds weird and looks funny but if you mount that 40 backwards it will make it easier to pass line.
Forum: rodboard

I dont think there is a difference. I believe the nano plasma is just a treatment or method if making the silicon carbide particles smaller. But it does sound better than just saying silicon carbide.
Forum: rodboard

I guess I'll jump in with the stupid question. Why don't the prints come off with sanding? If you have your make shift lathe ( a neat idea and works well) and use a good grit paper, or better yet, sanding screens, those prints should just go away. Hypalon us tough....sand it like you mean it, you can't hurt it. Shrink is ok, but you'll have the raw ends ro deal with. I'd say sand it clean.
Forum: rodboard

I do tons of repairs. Ralph O'Quinns article, in the library section if this site, is, as far as I'm concerned, the Bible of rod repair. I once told him that article had made me a lot of money. He was quietly replied" That's wonderful, are you going to give me some?"
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Don't know anything about CRB but can vouch for either of the Rainshadow crankbait series. Both the REVCB and JDGCB series are crank bait specific with plenty of options in power and length.............and price.
Forum: rodboard

I think you may have missed something on the start of your second letter. Looks like 8(?) turns back. If the second letter is purple, then those yelliows should all be still on the right. Carefully back up those last turns.
Forum: rodboard

Some of us have actually done a bit of "performance testing". 2 identical blanks, components and assembly. One with a tasty butt and guide wraps and one "minimal, performance" build. Go fish all day, make hundreds of casts, catch lots of fish. Could I tell the difference? Nope, but I sure like the look of my thread work so I'll keep on doing it. Folks I build for like it to...
Forum: rodboard

You may have to change out your roller top. Depending on age, a lot of rollers were not designed for thin braid. We switch them to Alps and end the problem. Not sure about spiral tips. I'd check with All American first
Forum: rodboard

If you use too much pressure to lay the decal, some adhesive may be squeezed out from under the edges. You won't see it but it will repel the finish.
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Four pages on a topic that will never end and Mike comes up with the only answer that matters!!
Forum: rodboard

Don't know if you use something different on the east coast, but on the west coast we build a good number of stand up rods on the Batson RSU series.
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The pigment will sink to the bottom of the bottle over time. Thats why you stir or mix before painting. You don't want to paint. Let the pigment settle, stick a toothpick in and you'll see a thick gob of pigment on the end of the pick. Gently pour off the stuff (solvent) on top of that pigment layer and marble.
Forum: rodboard

Color choice is why we use a lot of the embroidery threads. Some makers offer over 250 colors. There is a learning curve for some of them. The key is test wrap. It's also perfectly ok to use the same thread for both guide wraps and decorative wraps. Did I mention doing test wraps?
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And I still show off your hummingbird weave. Thanks for that pattern!.
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Utmost has a huge box of chucks from the pacbay dryers. Might go as high as 3 bucks. Lots of other wrapper parts and pieces as well.
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Give the 3M stuff a try. Aerosol spray. It goes under all my shrink wrap, and yeah, that's what I call it as well. Use it on my fishing "poles".
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Don't know anything about "pulling live bait" but I have 4 RCKJB's, different weights and use them for throwing jigs, slow jigging, flat fall jigging, tossing live bait and the heavy one for trolling. Great blanks, skinny and brutally strong.
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Yes
Forum: rodboard

I use 4 rods. One with guides on the side for more accurate side casting, one with the guides on top for overhand casting, one with the guides on the bottom for underhanded casting........wait.......maybe I only use 3 rods.
Forum: rodboard

16 for me as well. What's fun is to see those early posts. I recall several from a kid called himself Billy40!!!
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Just for fun, take a look at a catalogue for pool and billiard supplies. Lots of stuff to use in rodbuilding.
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I finish them ,just because I don't know if the manufacturer has incorporated an adequate UV protectant in the formula. I'll trust my finish provider with that. Don't ask how many checks I've seen degraded . Installation method should ensure that there is no water intrusion.
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Batson offers some13' center pin blanks and blueprints. Not hard to use the blueprint and adapt for a spiral build.
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Pretty sure Doc uses big thread. Huge difference in appearance between decorative highlights between A and D size thread.
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Rodmaker magazine had a pretty good article on making your own foam cores. Easy to do and you can have what ever size you need. 1 smaller tube and can make enough arbors to do a ton of rods.
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Batson has a line of 2 piece surf rod blanks with a 70-30 split design.
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You can also use an old Rooster tip. After several passes, make a pass with a larger size thread. It gives you more heft to push and pack against. Remove the large thread after packing.
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Utmost has a few nice tubes at a very good price.
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Unhide your email Brandon, I think we may be neighbors.
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The 140 is not a big reel. On a 12' rod you will use more than 9 guides. Stick the reel on, tape the guides on and static test it. The 20 should be fine.
Forum: rodboard