Thanks Bill for the Flex Coat video - I had not seen that before, and thanks again Baz.
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Update: Well I bought a small file today, got home and gave it a go, and realised after about 10 seconds that its not all that suitable for hand reaming - except for maybe the method that Roger W has described above. I guess sometimes you just have to try things to satisfy your curiosity! However, I have found two old scrap rods which are just perfect for the taper and diameter that I currentl
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Well I don't burnish if I don't need to. After starting the wrap I make sure its even and square to the blank, then I just keep on wrapping. If the thread goes on evenly, I will finish off the wrap without any burnshing. Sometimes it might go a little bit wonky, particularly as you step up off the blank onto the guide foot, in which case I try and close up the thread gaps there and then, be
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Thanks very much for your replies - They are all really helpful. I will purchase a small file and give it a go, but I also think that making some new reamers, using old sections of blank, is going to be extremely worthwhile too
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Hi all, I have just purchased a couple of Batson SP720-4 blanks. These are quite a slow tapered blank. I feel that the small size Batson Dream Reamer I have is a much faster taper than the blank and probably won't give a great result when reaming the cork grips. (2 inch fore and 4 inch rear grips) I would like to purchase a small tapered file - 8mm diameter seems to be a standard size - and
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Batson do several different UL spin blanks in 5'0", 5'6" and 6'0" lengths around 2-4lb in their RX6 and RX7 series, Very reasonably priced too. Here:
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Hi all, What is the best way of making a clear coat over a decal? - Epoxy finish or something else? In my case it is a Sage fly rod blank - The brand name decal is already on the blank. I will have the thread wraps on the hook keeper, plus some small trim wraps either side of the decal, so I would like to coat over this all in one go if possible. On another rod previously, I had coated
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J Stockard has the Sage One blanks listed on their website - they're a sponsor too, over on the left of the page.
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Thanks for the replies Roger, that is a great idea about using the threaded shaft and the drill. Its simple and I can see that it will work perfectly. Dale
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Hi all, I have recently purchased one of these spinning handles from Janns Netcraft: I would like to shorten the rear grip section by about 2.5 inches before I fix it onto the blank. I have only used pre-formed cork grips so far and have never done anything involving cutting and gluing cork. I don't have a lathe - just basic hand tools. I would like some advice and tips on the follow
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I am only really a beginner myself having built 4 rods so far. Before I started my first rod I watched the online video clips on the Mudhole website (also available on Youtube under "mudhole rod building") These were excellent and really showed me all the basic skills to get started. I've since picked up lots of tips from this forum to refine my skills. I have not spoken to or met a
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I am only really a beginner myself having built 4 rods so far. Before I started my first rod I watched the online video clips on the Mudhole website (also available on Youtube under "mudhole rod building") These were excellent and really showed me all the basic skills to get started. I've since picked up lots of tips from this forum to refine my skills. I have not spoken to or met a
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Thanks very much for the replies. Particularly Roger, George and Jeremy, you've explained it well to me.
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Hi all, I am keen to try one of the AERO spinning reel seats, but I am wondering if you need a particular type of rear cork grip to to fit this or can you use any rear grip? Does the rear grip butt up against the reel seat or is it supposed to slip inside it? It is a bit unclear from the pictures / info on the Am-Tack website. Thanks Dale Hobart, Tasmania, AUS
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Yes, the fibre's of the blank have definitely been cut, in some places deeper than others', and the cut extends around the full circumference of the blank. Its definitely not a mark in the rod finish. Tom K - I am interested in your comment that: "Wrapping over a crack isn't going to reinforce anything - thread has no strength in that regard." I understand that we make a ferrule wra
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Hi all, I am making a small repair to a rod of my dad's - an ultra-light 4pc Daiwa Heartland spinning rod. The first guide on the rod (up from the handle) had a large crack/fracture in the epoxy, so I decided to strip the guide off and replace the binding and epoxy. Underneath the old binding, I have found that there is a crack, or more correctly a cut, horizontally around the entire ci
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Phil, Thanks very much for the reply
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Hi all, I would like to get a comparison between these two 4pc 6'0" spin blanks from Batson - SP720-4 (multi-purpose spin) and SB720-4 (spin bass). I have built an SB720-4 and although its an excellent rod, I would also like something a little lighter and a slower action, capable of casting lighter lures. The SP720-4 has a butt of 0.285 compared to 0.435 of the SB, so I am thinking
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Hi all, I am looking to build a 6wt Sage Z-Axis in the near future, to be used for trout fishing in freshwater. I am a little unsure as to which guides to use. The Sage factory rods use H&H 'thin wire' snake guides for the first six guides on this blank. I am unsure whether to use 'normal' or 'thin wire' snake guides - is there any difference in real terms between the weight of thes
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Eddie, When I am going to apply epoxy to the ferrule wrap on the female section, I insert the male section into the ferrule and then wrap a piece of masking tape around the blank at this point. If any epoxy was to run off, it would only run onto the tape, although this has never really happened. With a little practice it is quite easy to apply the epoxy right up to the edge of the ferrule with
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Hi all, I would just like to know if the mudhole MHX blanks are a matte or gloss finish - it is bit hard to tell from the photos on their website. It only mentions that the colour is slate grey. Thanks Dale Hobart, Tasmania, AUS
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Hi all, I would like to build a fairly fast action 6wt fly rod for myself - for trout fishing on larger rivers and lakes - and I am considering trying an RX8 from Batson. I have had great success with several Batson spinning blanks and also an RX7 5wt fly blank. Does anyone have any experience with the RX8 fly range and how do you think the performance compares to any other "premium
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U-40 Quik Bond. I've used this on the 3 rods I've built so far and the tips haven't fallen off yet, so I figure its OK!
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Hi all, I would like to get some feedback as to what are the differences and similarities between the 4pc Batson RX8 and MHX fly blanks. Is one significantly faster than the other. Does one feel lighter in the hand than the other etc?? All I know is that they are both supposed to be quite a fast action and they are also a similar price at $120-130. I am keen to build a 5wt rod for trou
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I have used a couple of the poly arbors recently that came as part of a spinning handle kit from Batsons. They work really well and are simple to install. On one occasion I reamed the abor out to a wall thickness of only about 2mm - I was worried it was going to break in my hand, but it didn't.
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Thanks again everyone for all the replies Hi Woody, its a nice surprise to hear from you. Do you live in Hobart, or somewhere else in Tassie?
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Thanks everyone. Not sure if it is butane or lighter fluid - it is just a standard Bic lighter, but it does have quite a yellow flame. I'll definitely never use a lighter again. I have been extremely happy with the epoxy finish I have achieved and I haven't really had any problem with bubbles, that would require the use of heat anyway. Using the lighter was just a bit of a silly spur of
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Hi all, I am only a relative beginner, have just finished my third rod, a Batson RX6 3pc spinning rod After applying the epoxy finish to the last few guide wraps, I had a cigarette lighter lying on the bench and decided to apply some heat from underneath by sweeping it from side to side, about 4-5 inches below. After the epoxy had dried on those few guides, it had a slightly cloudy appea
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I am just a beginner and I can only do one type of trim wrap at present. The two photo's here show a style which I used on two rods recently and I'm really happy with the results. I have used normal black thread for the guide wrap and PacBay 'Chrome' (silver) metallic thread for the trip wraps. I just do the guide wrap first as normal, then the trim wrap using the 'nail knot' method and slid
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I have purchased several Batson blanks from Utmost Enterprises. They carry the entire Batson catalogue and give a 25% discount off RRP on all Batson blanks, even to the general public.
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