What holds a guide on to a blank, the thread or the finish? Or Both?
Forum: rodboard

I have a heat gun where you can adjust the temperature in F or C. I used to know this, but what is the best temperature for softening the epoxy on guide wraps so that I can remove them? This is of course means hot enough to do the job but not so hot that it cooks the crap out of everything? Thanks
Forum: rodboard

Newbie here again. I have built maybe 10 or 15 fly rods and have been thinking of getting a power wrapper. How many of you guys use one? How long does it take to get the hang of? Was looking at the Alps Forecast model to be specific. Thanks again.
Forum: rodboard

Ok, so im doing a restoration on a cabelas rod.. Now before you guys start going off about just buying a new blank and skipping all this work, epecially since its not a very expensive rod, (atleast i assume it isnt, there isnt a model number) im doing it. It was my grandfathers... (for all who know my posts, its a diffrent rod then discussed in previous post) It is a Cabelas Fish Eagle Graphi
Forum: rodboard

Just as title says, how do you hold these little Mico, single foot guides in place to wrap? They are too small for tape, to unstable for hairbands. I am at wits end trying to wrap these little suckers. Thanks in advance.
Forum: rodboard

Why guys, so.., i found my poor tica with a bent tip top.. As in the tip top was on about a 45° angle.. This is what i get for letting soneone borrow a rod.. Its a tica ultralight rod.. 5'6" i removed the tip top and the entire tip was completly shattered and splintered inside the pipe, to the point it next to fell off... I (as cleanly as possible) used my hacksaw to remove the top 1 1/2..
Forum: rodboard

Hey guys, just started cleaning my rods.. (Starting to feel lost without a rod to build, hoping this will help give me a fix with the new "addiction" lol) I noticed i have some cracking starting on one of my fenwick spinning rod.. The large guide has more of a seperation issue then a cracking i guess.. Looks like due to stress.. That rods been used verry hard.. It looks like on th
Forum: rodboard

Greetings everyone. I am just getting into rod building, or assembly that is. I have found some interesting information here. I hope that a novice floating around doesn't bother y'all. I found this site searching online for info regarding custom rods because there are certain builds I like but aren't sold anywhere. I know you all probably get lots of new comers asking all sorts of questions
Forum: rodboard

Hello everyone! I am new to rodbuilding, but excited to get started. My first and simple project, is a 10' Ultralight Riversider. It is ABSOLUTELY my favorite freshwater "tool around and fish" pole ever. I first used it for Salmon fishing when I lived in Watertown, New York, and would go up to Dexter Bay or the Black River to fish. Good times! Now I live in Florida and use it to cat
Forum: rodboard

I finished a rod pry 4 months ago and took it fishing maybe 5 times. It's a spiral wrapped rod with a simple spiral. My first 180* guide has the epoxy peeling and cracking and the first three guides all have crackes where the feet come up to the guide. I was curious what you guys think would cause and how I can prevent it from happening again because I'll probably end rewrapping them again.
Forum: rodboard

Ok, I just unpacked a shipment from mudhole for a new casting rod for my son. I'm holding a size 4.5 running guide in my hand and wondering: How in the world do you temporarily fasten these tiny things to the blank so you can wrap them!? In all the videos online that demonstrate guide wrapping, the guy is using a surf rod with guides that are gigantic by comparison and he just tapes it on near th
Forum: rodboard

I'm not happy with the alignment of one eye. The finish is totally cured. Can I use a heat gun to soften it up and move it or do I need to just totally remove it and rewrap ?
Forum: rodboard

See accompanying photos under, “Grips, Handles and Reel Seats”, “CARL Ferrules”. A number of months ago, I mentioned developing a composite (FG)ferrule system and was disappointed with the lack of interest, if not simply, “Why?”, so I just let it go. After re-mentioning the concept on Doug Moore’s post, “Ferrules” a few days ago, a few showed interest, so I have prepared a build procedure for th
Forum: rodboard

So I have been reading up on using fly guides on a fiberglass blank and since fly guides and regular guides are not the same size as far as ID. My question is that a fiberglass blank is going to be heavier than a carbon blank as well as less backbone then the carbon blank. Would I be better off with fly guides of a say a 4 or 5 size rather than a 6 or 8 also should I go with a low profile guide r
Forum: rodboard

I have a 7 foot 3 weight St Croix blank that is light green in finish which i want to turn into an extra ultra light spinning rod for 2 lb. I will use the lightest possible guides [6] and skeleton cork handle to tape a reel too. The blank is a little on the slow or weak side and i am wondering if i remove the finish if it will make the blank a little faster, at least so it's noticible. I know w
Forum: rodboard

So I invested quite a bit of money in an XST1264 build and after finishing it with epoxy it came out looking hazy. Not as clear as whats on my other rods so I know I must have messed up when mixing it. I put a lot of work into this rod and I'd like to re-wrap it. Is this a reasonable solution? Wondering if this is possible without messing up the condition of the blank. I've tried in the past with
Forum: rodboard

Hey guys what are some of the best ways you have found to remove finish from the blank once it has dried? Like when doing a guide replacement. Thanks!
Forum: rodboard

Being a first time rodbuilder there was some anxiety and intimidation with the process and end result. I've purchased Toms book subscribe to rodbuilder mag and have watched some youtube. my first challenge is getting the initial wrap on to lock the thread in place, I have a power wrapper but hand wrap where I feel I need more control but still haven't mastered the cross locking setup. Is my rotat
Forum: rodboard

So I have a rod that I would like to remove the guides and rewrap with new ones. How do I strip off the old guides and what has worked for you?
Forum: rodboard

Good evening all, I seem to be suffering the same 'thin' coverage in the same area on all guides I coat, be it large or small guides. The area is on the slope up of the guide foot. I'm building surf rods. I'm using Prokote regular. Temperature is approx 72f. My technique is to apply resin with brush, allow to sag, wick off, if necessary wick off again, long strokes with brush if large guide o
Forum: rodboard

I coated my guide wrappings with a clear uv set material( loon knot sense). How do I get rid of the stickiness And keep the high gloss??
Forum: rodboard

Simple question but for a new builder and finding all the great info on the net on adding and removing thread into a wrap I thought it might be usefull to understand what the old salty dogs do. Here is the question. Your about to make a guide wrap. your gunna run 10 wraps of black followed by 2 wraps of metallic then 4 wraps of a accent color then 2 wraps of metallic again followed by black to
Forum: rodboard

Here is a picture of an upgraded Alps headstock where the stock motor had been replaced with a DC motor and XL cogged belts and pulleys. The small motor is in the base below the headstock shaft. Be safe
Forum: rodboard

I installed a Mud Hole custom decal (peel & stick type) for the first time. I followed the correct procedure, using Scotch tape to handle the decal and avoiding contact with my fingers. I applied it directly to the blank and put a coat of Pro Kote finish over it. After some minutes of drying the decal bottom edge started to lift and peel away from the blank :( I think I will leave it to dr
Forum: rodboard

I did a slight oops while pier fishing a couple years ago and pulled out several rings. I know this is a very basic question but I looked around for quite a bit (on google) and could not find the answers I happened to be looking for, I appreciate everyones time / input even though its a pretty basic question. I know the tip size is a 7.5 since thats on the specs for batson/rainshadows sit
Forum: rodboard

From what i have read i see split grips are popular with the bass fisherman. What bass fishing technique, if any that you might prefer no split grip and why? Thanks, Roger
Forum: rodboard

Well, after ironing out some rod blank issues with a supplier, I was able to start my first complete build this past week. I wish I was able to say I was able to complete the entire build, but I'm waiting on 2 running guides, one of which I'll need to complete the rod, that were back ordered from my initial components order. Happily, they were shipped late this past week, and I should have them i
Forum: rodboard

Hello, what is the best/easy way to remove cured flex-coat from the guide wrappings and rod ? getting ready to strip and re-wrap, and would like some advice from the board on how to proceed. Thanks!
Forum: rodboard

Thank you for your sensible answers/comments/suggestions; straightforward; direct; no nonsense. L. A. Garcia, author, "Handcrafting a Graphite Fly Rod".
Forum: rodboard

I am pretty new to rod building. Working on my third rod. First turned out pretty good, for my first two, but I have ran into a problem on the third. I am using Flex Coat high build thread finisher. The first coat didn't cure. Was tacky after a day. I put a layer of lite build, then another. Well now, I have too much epoxy and would like to try to take some off or re-do. I do not want to
Forum: rodboard