For anyone who would like to use a drill press to speed up the reaming of cork rings, but doesn't feel the need for a regular size drill press, consider the Dremel Motor Tool and their Drill Press attachment. Most of us have a Dremel or similar brand rotory tool for all sorts of work. It can be an inexpensive option when purchased used or on an @#$%& site such as @#$%&. At full retail one woul
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The weather has been good here and the fishing awesome. Been away from the board a few days and have a story I would like to tell. I am building 11 rods from siblings and friends for Christmas and one of my many sons does not want a rod for a gift. I had a old Joss West Pool Cue in the closet that he has had his eye on for years. I decided I would have the thing redone for him this year. I fo
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does anybody know of a good wood lathe for turning wood handles cork eva etc. thanks
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This is a follow-up to the post below regarding the little hobby lathe Grizzly is selling for $39.95. Excuse me for going on about it too long here, but I can't help it. If you don't have room for an extra grip lathe at home, there's no need to read it. I ordered one of these "lathes" the day I saw the post on this board about them. They supposedly adapt a hand-held drill into a fun
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Following is the RodMaker Magazine Index for the first 5 volumes (years). I did not include rod building news items nor the Q&A columns that ran in each issue. Everything else should be there. For a list of topics in an issue by issue format, see the back issue page at www.rodmakermagazine.com I have tried to break the topics down into specific categories where possible. ................
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Since there has been a lot of talk about low cost lathes lately, I will pass on a spam add that came on my email last week. Grizzly industrial makes a small lathe that is designed to work with an electric drill. It has a aluminum bed, a tailstock, moveable tool holder just like a larger lathe and a place to mount the drill. $40, but it was on sale for less last week. I checked the grizzly sit
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Hello to all, Well,after much debate and flopping back and forth,I finally went with a Forcast power Wrapper and a Grizzly G8690 Mini Wood Lathe. And I saved enough over the price of the Renzetti to buy an Old Florida LA55 and the 9wt blank and some restock of building supplies. I am a serious Hobbist,who also builds a few for friends . Maybe I'll expand,maybe not. But I really do appriceate the
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I am also in the market for a lathe/rod wrapper this year. I'm not a wood worker and am pretty ignorant in the use of mandrels for turning cork handles. I searched the site and found several related articles, but nothing specific in how to use mandrels to turn cork. How is a mandrel used for cork grips? How is the cork attached and how do you get the cork to release once the grip is formed. Wh
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I'm looking a building a St. Croix LE 5S70LF rod this winter for deep, drop-shot applications. I'm planning on using Fuji New Concept SiC Titanium single foot guides / J-Frame. I'll use a split rear grip with a 2.5" rear section and 2.5" on either side of the reel seat. I was looking for a reel seat that would be light and compliment the look of the rod. I typically use the Fuji gra
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I like the idea that Patric has on using Balsa wood for handles. Any one out there have any ideas of where to get some? Any where on the internet? Thanks guys
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I have been looking to purchase a wood lathe soon, and have only been able to see one that Sears has ($400) But was not to impressed with it. Maybe one of you fellas might steer me in the right direction. I would like to turn my own inserts and reel seats,and be able to bore a hole close to the ID of some reel seats. Thanks so much for all your info you have put on this fine internet. Stan
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What glues to you guys recommend for glueing different species of wood together, prior to turning, to get a multi-wood or color effect for wooden reel seat inserts? Thanks in advance, Phil Ptak Float Fishing Specialties
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O.K. guys I am wanting to build my own rod lathe using a drill and all that good stuff, can anyone give me any tips or does anyone have plans or anything would be appreciated. I am expanding my knowledge of this hobby and am prepared to do my own handles and get away from the handle kits and maybe do some simple inlays. Thanks in advance!! Noel
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After looking at the beautiful work Mark Janeck has on the site he posted below, I'm prompted to ask something I've wondered since the first time I saw a full wooden handle on a fly rod: is a shear point created where the blank enters the non-flexible wooden handle, especially with the more moderate flexing blanks? Obviously some talented builders do this, and I think the handles offer a lot of
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My wife bought me a large wood lathe (unmarked accept for the letters UL) and I was wondering how to best convert it to turning cork. It didn't come with a chuck so I've been turning cork like wood without a chuck or dowell. Works great with short grips but I obviously need internal support such as a dowell to do anything longer than about 8 inches. The headstock doesn't look removable but is hex
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Hi again everyone, I have a cork grip glued up with some high quality cork, burl rings and a checker board pattern at each end. When turning the grip, what is the preferred method to remove material quickly to get down to the shape where final shaping and sanding can be done with sandpaper? I think a fine file should work, but I do not want to chip any of the inlays... maybe a coarse sanding
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I have seen many of you ask about inexpensive lathes for cork or reel seat work. It would seem that a nice market might exist for one of the sponsors to acquire or introduce a small wood working type lathe made specially for this type of work. Something small but suitable for grips and seats only. On that note, I have some old literature from a fellow in TN called "the Rod Builder"
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I would like to start turning my own cork handles, but want to find the most inexpensive way to start. So far, it looks like a mini-lathe is the best way to go such as the 13" between centers one from Harbor Freight for $130 or the www.grizzly.com G9247 mini wood lathe for $140. Does anyone have any advice concerning these two? I also though about rigging a drill or drill press, but si
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The subject has come up pretty often and I wanted to pass along a new mini-lathe I saw today that is very inexpensive. Sears Craftsman has out a new 8 inch swing mini-lathe for just $149. The motor is built in and has 3 speeds. There is an eye shield protector and the machine looks well made. It's small but should be find for turning fly rod grips or seat inserts. Not very heavy. I'd guess
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I've been looking at a variety of powerwrappers and I am quite shocked at the prices! It almost makes me want to build my own. I was just wondering how many of you make them versus buying a commercial one? It doesn't look like a complicated tool? Am I just being naive or is there more to this? Your input is greatly appreciated.
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I make up my cork handle parts on a 1/4" stainless steel mandrel and turn them before removing the part for reaming and fitting to the blank. I have all kinds of problems getting the bore to stay perfectly central as I remove quite a bit of material to get some of the parts to fit my blanks. I am tempted to think the residual epoxy in the 1/4" bore is deflecting the reamers &/or d
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Ok, I went out and bought a lathe from Harbor Freight, now how do I turn round stock? I'm trying to turn a cork grip but have no way of attaching the rod to the lathe? I've read the lathe threads and there doesn't seem to be anything that address' this topic? There must be accessories that I can purchase to attach round stock to the lathe? Anybody have any ideas? Your help is greatly appreci
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Last night while I was preparing to make my second fly rod I over reamed my cork for the reel seat (to wide). While I could still use it and fudge it a little I decided to get another one today and start again. This prompted me to wonder: What is the method you use to ream cork to fit your reel seats or do you just buy pre-reamed cork? Is it possible to fix it would I be better off in the long ru
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I did a search and read several discussions on what stabilizing does, what impregnated does etc. My only question is, if I use dry wood, and I am making reel seats, butt caps and hosels, and I apply finish on the exterior of of the wood parts, does it h-a-v-e to be stablized? We are talking freshwater rods now. What are the pros and cons of stabilizing? What will happen if I don't? Man I love t
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I have seen many of you discuss small wood lathes on this site. The October issue of Taunton's Fine Woodworking has a complete test and review on the following midi-lathes: Delta Jet Frisch Nova General It is a very good review with plenty of information on the pros and cons of each unit. For the record, they liked the Nova the best and the General was next in line. But they gave all the uni
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Help!!! Need to remove work from a 7' live bait rod. The cork on the butt is about 1 1/4 inch diameter. Does this require brute force, such as hacking with sharp knives, files, sandpaper, hot water, etc.? Look for to suggestions. Anthony Rossillo
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I've been thinking of dressing up a Fuji graphite reel seat by giving the middle portion a fancy diamond-weave wrap. Has anyone done this? Anyone have any advice or suggestions?
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I just experienced my first rod failure this weekend. It was the sixth rod I've built and one of a matched pair. The rod snapped in two near midpoint, about 3/4 inch past the first guide wrap, when I was set the hook while fluke fishing. I'm not overly aggressive with my hooksets. The break is pretty clean and runs straight around the circumference of the blank. The rod is only four months o
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Does anybody out there have a used lathe available at a resonable price? Needs to have 15" between centers, chuck, tailstock, motor is not important. I've been using a friends and he is moving. I don't know who i'll miss more, his lathe or him. Just joking, its hard to find a good fishing partner and I will miss him too.
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To turn cork rings, shape them and have a "custom" flyrod grip...according to your experience, what should i buy? Just for turning cork in blanks or mandrels...i do not need anything else right now. Thanks for any advice!
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