I am interested in hearing any feedback about the newly re-introduced Loomis IMX fly blanks. I have gotten conflicting reports, everything from forget about them all together to they are exactly the same as the original IMX's but even better. Currently toying with the idea of wrapping up a 9'9''-8wt. & a 9'-5wt. but would like to hear some positives first. Cabela's will be getting my business
Forum: rodboard

I'm looking for suggestions on where to find the bearings (with race) to build a spine (spline) finder. Anyone ever build one that works? Thanks!!!
Forum: rodboard

I just recieved a 4 piece Rainshadow fly blank to build. I sat down last night and started checking for the spline location. The tip and following two pieces were easy, but the butt barely flexes. My gut tells me there is no effect at this point. Am I correct or am I not? Since this is my first hand made rod I don't want to assume anything. When locating the spline the pieces flex and roll to wha
Forum: rodboard

Hi all, We have recently started up a saltwater flyfishing club in my area and I was asked if I could give a presentation to the club on rod building. I said sure, but then later a million things started going through my head about how I'm going to do this and what I want to tell them. I was wondering if you folks that have done something like this could give me some pointers. I think my m
Forum: rodboard

". . .Therefore, to achieve maximum efficiency and power in your cast the spine should be on the bottom of the rod regardless if it’s set up for spinning or conventional." - Al Goldberg I copied this from another website. I want to build a 6'6" - 7' Light - Med Light spinning rod (III,V - Croix or IMX,GLX - Loomis blank) to fish for shallow,swift river smallmouth bass. Please
Forum: rodboard

Hello and sorry for those who have already seen that post on that board (I did not enter my real name and I got slammed). I will build 2 rods using CD blanks 3 pieces 9wt and 8wt. They are xfast blanks (57 Msi). Normally, I use titanium frame sic ring fuji guides as strippers and Titanium single food snakes. I use the guide spacing/sizing chart provided by Sage for their RPLXi rods. This time,
Forum: rodboard

The 'new' equal angle guide system looks very familar to older systems which also used drawn lines to intersect a blank for guide location. Where does it differ from what has already come before?
Forum: rodboard

Have just finnished makeing a spline finder. On a 4 pcs. blank is it alright to prebend the bottom section, then let go,to find the spline(do to the stiffness of thr butt sections) In the past have used a crystal wine glass, making sure it is level,placing the butt sections on top, and they will role to the spline. the spline being heavy will roll to the bottom. Its realy hard to compr
Forum: rodboard

the equal angle guide set-up makes perfect sense to me. i'd like to try it. are there some detailed instrucitons on how to build one somewhere? i read through the article a couple of times, but couldn't figure out exactly where the part of the spine finder went that holds the tip of the blank, in relation to the point that your angles start from. also how do you make the part of the verticle
Forum: rodboard

This is an update for the Jan. 26th 2002 (Saturday) rod builders’ information exchange to be held at Bob’s Bait and Tackle, Velp Avenue in Green Bay Wisconsin. To date we have the following demonstrations scheduled; Feather inlays “blind” trim wraps building/using spine finding tool repairing broken blanks building/turning cork handles building your own rod turning station making g
Forum: rodboard

I missed some of the discussions over Christmas. Regarding CF rods and spiral wraps ... a resounding YES is the answer to the question of wether it can be done efficiently. I have built several of these rods in a spiral wrap configuration and they perform flawlessly. With the combination of the engineered spine and the spiral wrap, these rods are very, very stable and powerful. The rods I
Forum: rodboard

Happy Holidays to all. I'm in the process of setting up my first spiral wrap rod and have several questions about positioning both the stripper guide and the first guide that is 180 degrees from the stripper. I'm building a GUSA B65H. I've completed the handle assembly and am now doing final guide layout before wrapping. I've initially positioned the stripper guide 17.5" from the top of
Forum: rodboard

Without going into a static stress dist. test or building a spine finder, is there an easier way (chart?) to come up with adequate guide placement on a 6'6" 2 piece 2 weight, medium-fast action?
Forum: rodboard

I can't think of blank that has a more defined spine, so defined that they tell you where it is! Would you spiral wrap one or not? Aloha, Jim
Forum: rodboard

are there any of you out there who are machinists who would like to make up just the cone+bearing to be used in the equal angle spacing set up?
Forum: rodboard

Hi i just built a spine finder similiar to the one in Tom Kirkmans book only mine sits in a metal housing. My bearings are six in. apart .When i bend the tip am i supposed to rotate the blank at the same time?? or do ijust kind of throw in the finder then bend the tip? And call that the spine? And also does the butt end have to be in al the way to the stop at the end of the second bearing ? th
Forum: rodboard

I wonder how many of you have read the article in the recent issue of American Angler on rod building? I guess it's simple enough and really aimed at the guy who is just getting started. But I found some things in there that are just not right. I could overlook it except that the guy who wrote it has a new rod building book coming out in the Spring according to the footnote on the end of the a
Forum: rodboard

OK, this may be a stupid question, but is there a natural spine on a cane rod, obviously other than the opposite side of a natural curve or un-removeable set? I'm getting ready to place guides and I'm just looking for advice on which facet to go with. Does it matter? Sean
Forum: rodboard

From now till the end of the year, purchase a Rainshadow blank that is here in stock and take 40% off the prices on our web-site. Quantities are limited to stock on hand and no back orders accepted. Give yourself a Christmas present!! Call or e-mail for blank availability. Web-site -- www.customtackle.com E-mail -- customtackle@

Forum: rodboard

Just wondering if anyone out there made there own vertical spine finder. I like the one in Clemens catalog, but would like to see if I can do it for less than $40. I have heard the marble in divot method,but would prefer something similar to the productions ones. Thanks in advance. Elrod (Jon)
Forum: rodboard

I built the spine finder as described in the back issue of RodMaker. I can not make it work. I have new brgs 8" apart in pvc pipe. I have a 6'6" MH blank that I have spined by other methods and when I put it in the spine finder and apply pressure it does not roll anywhere. Roll blank -same thing no matter where you spin it and then apply pressure. Are my brgs too far apart? Any sugges
Forum: rodboard

I've only made 5 or 6 rods to date and admittedly am using cheaper rods and the "specials" from mudhole. So far the action on the rods has been good but I've noticed that all but one of these rods is a little crooked mostly toward the tip. If I ignored the back bone I could easily hide it but don't want to do that. Do most rods have this or is it just the cheaper one's I've been buying?
Forum: rodboard

OK...my first project. 4 pc, 7'6 4 wt. I've read that you should find the spine of each section separately...and that you should do it together . It seems like the first should be right...but which one is? Keith
Forum: rodboard

On the Sage guide spacing chart they have guide sizes 1/0t, 1t, 12t and so forth. What does the 't' stand for?? ok, I thought, just ignore the 't', but then I saw they also have size 1, without the t. Can anyone help me on this? Best, Tore
Forum: rodboard

I'm building a 9' surf rod for a customer who wishes to use it for jack crevalle on the Mexican Gulf coast. I'm using a casting set up for a Shimano Speedmaster on a moderate action E-Glass blank . The customer insists that he needs the spine side up which I am afraid will cause this softer tipped rod to twist under the strain of an oversized jack. I brought up the idea of a spiral wrap and w
Forum: rodboard

I just purchased a kit from Cabela's which had "complete rod building instructions" with it, they leave a lot of holes for a beginner, any ideas where I can get some really good printed instructions? Thanks, Fred
Forum: rodboard

Hello i was thinking about Tom Kirkman's book . In that book he Tom talks about a spine finder do they really work good. If so how can build oneany plans would be help full p.s. great book Tom thanks and thank you for any feed back .Marcel
Forum: rodboard

How would you determine if a repair to a rod is worth it. Where I live we see freshwater blanks that sensitivity is almost always an issue. If a person were to break his/her graphite rod in the middle somewhere and ask if it can be repaired would it make more sense to sell a new rod. I can see tip top or broken guides or real seats but I have had request to literally make a two piece rod out o
Forum: rodboard

This has probably been discussed here before, but I just discovered this site, so you'll have to excuse me. I'm about to build a Sage XP 590-3. I sent an email to Sage asking abuot the positioning of the guides, and if they spine their rods. As you probably know, they do not. But I'm wondering what's common among other rod builders. Where do you all position the guides when building a flyrod and
Forum: rodboard

So I just got back from my in-laws for Thanksgiving, and several of my "fisherman in-laws" asked if I could build them an inexpensive (cheap) rod for Christmas. Given how much time there is to get this done, and how much (little) they are willing to reimburse me for the components, I thought that "rod blanks with pre-installed grips and reel seats" might be the solution. I
Forum: rodboard