Good day. I am thinking about trying some of the new K Series as stripper guides on a 7 weight fly rod and would love to hear from people who have used these guides on fly rods. Did they look weird? Did they function the same? better? One other question, would it be OK to switch to the traditional, perpendicular single foot Fuji guides for the running guides, or would that look weird?
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I have done the cardboard thing and that does work. Looking to buiild something with glass doors this time. Thanks, all!
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Thank you everyone for your recommendations on feline reduction and control and special thanks to Don Campbell for the plans he sent me. I agree with Tom's suggestion to start with an existing design and tailor to my purposes and I cna start with Don's plans.
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Does anyone have some good suggestions on a box I can use to contain a rod lathe or dryer so the epoxy is protected from dust, fibers, and cat hairs? It is becoming tiresome to create tin foil caves and last night, for the first time in years, I did not cover a butt section I was turning. When I came back to check on the epoxy and houe later, I found a beautiful white kitty cat hair laying ac
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"threads turn uniformly dark" and a "good, full wet coat" This I can understand. Thank You, Tom. Tony
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On occassion, I have wraps develop a shaded area where the thread meets the blank after coming over a larger guide foot like a 20mm stripper, at the ends of any guide feet, or on the underside of the blank (on the wrap) where I have single foot guides. I know the instructions say "do not allow to pool" etc. but I was not using so much I thought this would be an issue. On some guides
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Re-christen that SCV, man! If you switched to the "KT" guides what are you using for stripping guides? Thanks, Tony
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Drew - Now that you mention it, I have bent some of the titanium guides and I have no idea where or when. I do like tthe AT guides because I can build 20's down to 8's in the same frame style, but I also use their black nickel stainless guides in the same series. Of course, now you having me thinking too much! Have you used the black ones? I am thinking as they are stainless, they would
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I just have add that I also really recommend Decal Connection. I build 1-3 rods per year for myself only and she takes time to work with me - making sure I get what I want and that I know how to apply them. Besides the awesome customer service - their product is superior and I always have them make me decals even when the manufaturer has provided them.
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Bill - Are you saying I do less transition and configure more like Tom recommended - 20, 12, then 8's out the rest of the way? Thanks, Tony
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Hey, I just noticed this posting! Thanks for the PR, Ken. I am hoping to eventually get with Project Healing Waters and help with the instruction on fly casting. Ken told me there is a chapter in his backyard, Pasadena, MD. Tony
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I agree
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Sam - Your "conversion" formula is interesting to me. Are you literally converting ounces to grains in converting optimal lure weight to fly line weighting? When I first started fly casting and building, I remember reading one of Lefty Kreh's books and he mentioned that one of his favorite fly rods was built on a jigging rod blank. Tony
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Hi, Tom. I always appreciate your thoughts. I know you are a big fan of getting down to the running guides more quickly and you have given similar advice before. Maybe I am secretly trying to build a spinning rod, but I like transitioning the sizes. The double foot has slightly more height because the ring is perpendicular to the blank versus the single foot which is slightly angled. Jus
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Happy Monday! I am building out a 9 weight St. Croix SCV "saltwater" fly rod with all American Tackle's titanium ring pressed guides and have decided on all the guide placements. After the 20, 16, and 12mm strippping guides, the rest of the guides are single foot. I use (2) 10mm to transition to 8mm running guides which I use all the way out to the tip. I am not sure why I tried
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Once upon a time, when I did not know that bugs love to fly in to epoxy... I left a wooden kayak out on the porch to cure overnight after we coated the entire hull with epoxy. The next morning, required a lot of picking and no grinning.
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We will soon find out! ha ha
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Somewhere in between, actually. That could explain it as well. I have had it for a long time and I have to pour through a gelled mass at the mouth of the bottle. I just do not like the stuff! Too finicky, too temperamental and I never have good luck. Thanks to all who replied.
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JP - I talked to Ken. He is using a urethane that he discovered years ago. A small company in California. My only question now is whether I can apply this water based urethane over the sections now coated with (and soon to be sanded level) Perma Gloss. Cheers! Tony
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Is there an issue with applying a water based urethane over a solvent based urethane? I have PermaGloss on a blank and will be sanding it level before I need to put a shiny finish coat back on. I am not using Perma Gloss again. It always come out lumpy. Thanks, Tony
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He is in business. I just spoke with him yesterday. His email service @#$%& and I often have to call him and ask him why he did not reply to an email. I agree with Phil - pick up the phone.
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Thanks, all. I did confirm with Sage that they use rod building epoxy on the entire blank. Based on how the finish has worn off over the years, I agree it is not the most protective.
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I have an older Sage fly rod and asked the factory what coating they use on their blanks and they said Flex Coat High Build. I find it interesting they would not use something more like a Perma Gloss or Lumi Seal. Would high build epoxy be protective enough? I have two sections that are pretty scuffed up and I want to protect them. One related question - if I do decided to use Perma Gloss
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Thanks all who replied.
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Tom - You mean you have 8's on your 7 weights? Thanks, Tony
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I was just curious to see what size insert guides people use on 7 weight fly rods. I use 8mm on 8 weights but 7mm seem a little small to me, especially when I might overline the rod on occassion and use an 8 wt line. In addition, some of the fast loading tapers are 1/2 weight heavier and I do use them with a 7 weight - most notably SA's Redfish line. I am using either Fuji SIC guides or Am
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What were the reasons for coloring the ground portions of black guide feet? I have tried Sharpies (they rub off) and I have been using nail polish (too soft and takes a while to dry). It is really being a hassle and I am wondering if it is really worth the trouble. I never use light colored threads and always use CP, so if I pack the threads tightly and burnish real nice, do I even need to
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JP! I just left you a voice mail. Thanks, Tony
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Does anyone know where I can find some 8 weight Dan Craft FT blanks? Dan may not produce another batch for a while and I need to replace the tip on a rod I built myself. Thanks, Tony
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I just spoke to Dan this morning. Email has been iffy at times, so best to call him on the phone.
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