I've read so many times of the disadvantage of the weight of masking tape arbors, but never weighed them. Until today. Two 3/4 inch arbors with wall thickness of .140 inch weight a total of .062 ounces. Yes, I know rigid polyurethane is better. Didn't have any and wanted to get on with the build. No, I've never had a failure of a masking tape arbor. I totally encapsulate mine and with my
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New to the rod building world. I’ve always thought about building for myself and getting exactly what I want. I’ve bought and sold or traded more sticks than I even want to think about so I decided to go for it! I didn’t want to completely suck going into it, so I bought a few inexpensive rod kits and gave them as gifts to friends and family. I have two builds narrowed down already… possibly a th
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Like the title says, I am starting to sell some rods. I know of the FET that I should take into consideration. I also know there is alot of discussion around how much you should charge. Since Im new, Im thinking like $15 an hour for the labor. Do you guys start with a standard 'build fee' or 'materials fee' on top of the hourly and the necessary components for the build? I got taken advantag
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I am starting another build, and realizing that keeping track of what components I've used before and my likes and dislikes will be useful. I'm just starting with a simple excel workbook, listing components, clipping and pasting images of components I've ordered, etc. It'll likely do it for me, but I'm thinking with this group, there are some interesting and efficient systems out there.
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Quick question. Is there a technique or a way to ensure that your guide tunnels are filled correctly?
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We all pretty much know that there is a shift in color from thread on the spool, to thread on the rod when you put finish on, without using CP or NCP thread. Personally, I like the looks of regular nylon thread with just finish on it, versus with CP, and finish on it. I just think it has a different luster. Myself and others have said how we plan on that color shift and translucency that stra
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Greetings, I'm about to lay out my first rod. Building on a NFC blank, model FW 662-1(IM). After researching I bought guides according to the Fuji Guide Positioning Software and the recommendations of wise contributors to this forum. I've got: - KR 16H, 8H, 5.5M - KB 4.5 belly guide - 4x KT 4.5 running guides - LG 4.5 tip top I'll be using a Diawa Fuego LT 1000 and 5 lb braid.
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Hello, guys! I'm thinking about starting to build my own custum rods (for carp, spinn and fly fishing). Can you please tell me where and how to start? What is the easiest way? What do I need? Do I have to start with reading books about building rods? Which books? Magazines? Online courses? Or where to learn from? I'm from Europe. Where to buy all the gear for building? Where to buy bl
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Newer builder and looking for options of inexpensive walleye jigging blanks,both vertical and casting them.Only true blanks I see labeled walleye really are the rain shadow immortal,and we’ll that’s a bit pricey for my first attempts.Thank you
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I am looking at building the new Sage R8 Salt rod. But after tallying up the cost of components etc. I would only save maybe $200. So , what to do...pay full retail and get the rod built by Sage or build it myself.
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How many guys still roll by hand. Once you learn , you can roll pretty fast. I’ve had my set up for years. My rollers are steel roller skate wheels, that can be moved to fit the wrapping pattern. What’s your setup.
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I'm about to re-wrap single leg guides on my lovely 45yo Fenwick SP-783 light spinning blank. I'll be using an A weight under-thread to protect this delicate blank, and an A weight top thread. I'm after inspiration for a colour scheme to go well with this old yellow fibreglass. Anyone care to share some examples?
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I have been searching relentlessly all over the internet lately trying to find an orange aluminum winding check -- to no avail. Upon searching this forum, I discovered that at least one other person had the same problems some years back (2010), so I thought I would share a little something that I discovered today. A lot of the "dimpled" aluminum winding checks that you see on rod buil
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Friend saw some of my builds and has asked me to make a fly rod for his son. They have a vacation house in north Georgia and do a lot of fly fishing. He's asked me to do a 3 or 4wt rod. Beyond that, we haven't met to get any of the specifics. I've never done a fly rod and know little about fly fishing. What should I ask him? How much decoration (wraps, weaves, etc) can I put on it? Any o
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Wrapping up a couple rods this weekend and am finding still have some trouble once I get out toward the tip of the rod. Any tips/tricks to make this easier? Some of my issues include: - climbing up the guide foot seems a bit harder (thread wants to double up more and with the micro guides they want to move a bit when holding with surgical tubing) - sometimes my thread comes loose - getting t
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I’m wanting to build a nice redfish spinning rod for the brother-in-law’s retirement from the Navy. From what I’ve gathered online about redfish rods they use 7 to 7’6” medium/fast action rods. He fishes the Charleston SC and plans to stay in that area after retiring. I know he fishes from a pedal kayak and mainly uses artificial lures (I think he uses casting spoons). Anyone who has a favorite r
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Here is the result. Frankly, I figured it would darken more than it did. The thread is Fuji Ultra Poly in Goldenrod and the metallic is ProWrap in Gold Leaf, IIRC (had it for awhile). You can see the original color on the spool for comparison. I'm not crazy in love with the final color, but I'm glad I conducted the experiment. Besides, if I decide I don't care for it, I can always re-do them.
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A good friend of mine has asked me to build a spinning rod as a gift for his son who is graduating high school. He has seen the rods I have build and I keep my builds pretty basic. At most I may add a trim band but I am more about function over flash. He asked me to do something a little more decorative for his son since it is his graduation gift. The blank is natural with clear coat and he decid
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since starting rod building a few months ago. I’m doing a guide repair. The main wrap is red. However, it has three single metallic gold bands. I know how to do trim bands and I know how to do inlays. Here’s the rub for me. It starts out with one single red turn, one single gold, one single red, one single gold, one red, one gold, and then continue the wrap in red. I’ve racked my brain trying to
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I have been fully retired and out of the game for a few years now and just started to build some rods for sons- in-laws and grand kids. I notice a large number of poly threads in lieu of nylon. Is the strength of the poly today as good as the nylon thread? Use to be nylon was stronger. Also I see a lot of builders building with straight metallic thread. Same questions as above. Is
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1. What's the best way to clean winn grips? Soap and water? 2. What do you guys charge for replacing a guide? The one in question is a size 5 single foot. I'm thinking $15 is reasonable for a single foot, one thread color with 3 single trim bands. Thank you!
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Been building 5 or 6 years. Attended the icrbe this year and it was excellent. Up to this point I’ve recorded the build info for components, blank, spacing, guide sizes etc in a notebook. Been looking online for a recording form or an order form to record everything for my builds with no luck. Not a big tech guy to create one. Anyone able to direct me to something like this or have a sample
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Wanted to say thanks to those that had posted or provided input in the past on silk ghost wraps. My first time doing them and they came out great Hitena AAA “natural” color silk and I thinned my first coat of a Gen4 finish 1 part resin / 1 part hardener / 1 part acetone. Also flooded the wraps with acetone before applying finish which helped with bubbles in the tunnels. Follow on coats were
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I ordered a blank this weekend to build a rod for a specific salmon fishing spot, spinner, and the center of a small boat position. It will work well for other situations, but it got me thinking about how custom building allows for tailoring to a set of variables unique to a single location. What builds have you all done to address site specific challenges? This one is throwing a 1/2 ounce spinne
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When I was into bike building and metal fabrication I spent so much time cruising forums and blogs of various builders and fabricators and I always fell hardest down the rabbit hole for chronicles of builds. To watch the build progress and read the conversations that happened along the way was amazing. To watch someone's vision unfold over time was a great experience and basically represented fue
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This may be a dumb question, but I'll ask it anyway. So far I have built on two NFC X-ray blanks, but I have completely finished only one of them. Because of a little controversy related to the ribs on the X-rays in a discussion here in the past, I opted to run thread the length of the decal, apply epoxy to that and let it cure, and then apply the decal and epoxy over the decal. It turned out
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Sorry if this is a duplicate. Bought a spool of this in a royal blue color. Looks cool on the blank. Anyone try this ? Thoughts or tips are appreciated. Sam
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One of the rod building outlets I buy from on line carries Hitena elasticized wrapping thread. My curiosity has kicked in, and I'm wondering if any of you have tried elasticized thread, or use it regularly. If so, please comment pro or con. Thanks, Jack
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I’m about to start my second rod build. I have some gold wrapping thread, but it’s the metallic variety. I’ve read the metallic variety can be a little tricky to work with. Would it be advisable to avoid using it until I have a bit more experience? I’m just wrapping guides, no trim bands or fancy stuff. Thanks!
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I am sure folks have asked before, but I am terrible at choosing these. I have a pair of "Urban Green" glossy CTS Nymph rods to build, and am wondering what would be a good color choice. (Blank, think kind of forest green). I have some green jasper-type thread, but perhaps just a nice black. Any ideas welcome, sorry if has been covered a dozen times before. I did pull up some similar t
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