Rod Build Thread

[JimNovo]

I inherited a old bamboo rod, that's quite frankly beat to hell.

Bad news: A few missing guides and the rod is painted. Guides held on by electrical tape. I assume the finish was failing and they just decided painting it was a good idea.
Good news: the actual rod, reel set and ferrules appear to be in good shape.

Not sure the story on it, but I assume one of my family members just wanted to go fishing and that's all they could do at the time to get on the water. It was buried in my families house of 80 years in the attic.

I didn't have the heart to throw it out.

So my question is, is it stupid to try to scrape away the paint, refinish, and wrap new guides on to the rod? I've never built a rod before, but I feel like the rod deserves a second chance.

Yes give it a shot!

Take some before and after photos for the thread please.

 

[tjsingle]

Here's the before pictures:

My plan is to get the paint scraped, rewrap the guides based on the old varnish marks, and keep the patina of the grip/rod seat I think

The make shift hook keep have been removed as well.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

Here's the before pictures:

View attachment 1641235834View attachment 1641235835View attachment 1641235836

My plan is to get the paint scraped, rewrap the guides based on the old varnish marks, and keep the patina of the grip/rod seat I think

The make shift hook keep have been removed as well.

View attachment 1641235837

Before scraping mechanically, try an organic paint remover like Fast Orange, which uses the oil from orange peels as the main ingredient.

 

[tjsingle]

Before scraping mechanically, try an organic paint remover like Fast Orange, which uses the oil from orange peels as the main ingredient.

I'll look into that. I was a little bit worried about using a paint remover on the rod in general. I wanted to try to preserve the varnish so I can see where the guides were

I did some scraping on the base section, but I probably will try the paint stripper on the tip and mid sections. The paint chipped off pretty easily.

We determined the rod was likely my great grandfathers. Under all the paint the original wraps were red with black trim. The reel seat was also gold at some point too, but the finish has worn off.

From what I can tell, someone along the way though it was a good idea to paint it and rewrap the ferrules and some guides and cover with tape. While not the right way to fix it by any means, it was likely just to get out on the local crick to catch some trout.

Once I get the paint off I am going to see what ghost wraps are there still and likely rewrap in the same way with new hardware.

 

[Bamboozle]

The tip looks to be an inch or two short which may or may not effect the action if you plan to fish with the rod. I also hoped you marked the guide locations. 😉

In addition, I can't tell from the photo how far up the blank that makeshift hook keeper was situated but it appears it penetrated pretty far into the blank. That may be an area of concern for possible breakage if you plan to fish with the rod.

Finally, IF you did mark the guide locations and plan to fish with the rod, you might want to reattach them with tape and see if you can dial in a line weight before going any further.

With the short tip I'd start with a 7wt line and go up or down from there.

Good luck!!

 

[tjsingle]

The tip looks to be an inch or two short which may or may not effect the action if you plan to fish with the rod. I also hoped you marked the guide locations. 😉

In addition, I can't tell from the photo how far up the blank that makeshift hook keeper was situated but it appears it penetrated pretty far into the blank. That may be an area of concern for possible breakage if you plan to fish with the rod.

Finally, IF you did mark the guide locations and plan to fish with the rod, you might want to reattach them with tape and see if you can dial in a line weight before going any further.

With the short tip I'd start with a 7wt line and go up or down from there.

Good luck!!

The make shift hook keep was closer to the ferrule than the grip, I'd have to measure to actually see how close it is. So that's definitely a concern, I'd imagine it compromises the durability a lot.

But I don't think I'll be fishing this rod regularly. It was pretty much going to be trashed if I didn't take it. There was another tip that broken, and stripped of any usable components.

My goal would be catch a couple trout with it, put it on the wall with one of the old school reels I inherited a while back.

I suspect it might be a Sears Rod based on some pictures I've seen online. The reel seat/grip is about the same. No idea on year Plus there's a Sears reel to go with it!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/256345255048

 

[Bamboozle]

The make shift hook keep was closer to the ferrule than the grip, I'd have to measure to actually see how close it is. So that's definitely a concern, I'd imagine it compromises the durability a lot....

You might want to consider trying to force a bit of epoxy into the hole left by the hook keeper and wrapping over it with an inch or so long invisible wrap.

My goal would be catch a couple trout with it, put it on the wall with one of the old school reels I inherited a while back.

I suspect it might be a Sears Rod based on some pictures I've seen online. The reel seat/grip is about the same. No idea on year Plus there's a Sears reel to go with it!

A worthy goal!!

BTW - I'm no expert, but that could be a Horrocks & Ibbotson or Montague rod. BTW - Both companies built rods for Sears.

 

[tjsingle]

You might want to consider trying to force a bit of epoxy into the hole left by the hook keeper and wrapping over it with an inch or so long invisible wrap.



A worthy goal!!

BTW - I'm no expert, but that could be a Horrocks & Ibbotson or Montague rod. BTW - Both companies built rods for Sears.

That's a good idea, I'll look into it. I'll look into those rod manufacturers too

I appreciate the encouragement from everyone to take this project on

 

[JoeE]

You will have to revarnish that rod to protect the bamboo. I would tape some guides on it to see if it is even worth fixing up to fish but you could break it casting, i can't tell from the picture what shape the bamboo is in or if you have delamination at the seams where water may have penetrated. If you just want to put it up hanging somewhere that is different. Grandfather's rod I would fix it up. That hook keeper concerns me, If you have a dial caliper measure the depth of the hook keeper and the rod where it was in.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

The make shift hook keep was closer to the ferrule than the grip, I'd have to measure to actually see how close it is. So that's definitely a concern, I'd imagine it compromises the durability a lot.

But I don't think I'll be fishing this rod regularly. It was pretty much going to be trashed if I didn't take it. There was another tip that broken, and stripped of any usable components.

My goal would be catch a couple trout with it, put it on the wall with one of the old school reels I inherited a while back.

I suspect it might be a Sears Rod based on some pictures I've seen online. The reel seat/grip is about the same. No idea on year Plus there's a Sears reel to go with it!

https://www.ebay.com/itm/256345255048

If you fish with it, definitely sleeve the hole over epoxy (you may need to pull/install
a ferrule if possible) or fill the hole, wrap with thread and finish with epoxy.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

(Winter project time again.)
I'm building a rod for a non-family member, so I want it to be as close to perfect as possible (especially since he's paying for materials).
A few questions for the more experienced...
- Is cork finish on the handle a requirement? I know that such is available, but none of our rod handles are finished with more than our own sweat, home-water, and fish slime.
- If finish is required on the handle, does linseed oil do the job? Crude oil?
- When I clean off dust, masking tape residue, etc. from the thread wraps - prior to applying epoxy, is rubbing alcohol okay, or will it discolor the thread? Should I just dab with the sticky side of painter's tape to remove dust?
Thanks in advance...

 

[PennKev]

(Winter project time again.)
I'm building a rod for a non-family member, so I want it to be as close to perfect as possible (especially since he's paying for materials).
A few questions for the more experienced...
- Is cork finish on the handle a requirement? I know that such is available, but none of our rod handles are finished with more than our own sweat, home-water, and fish slime.

No it is not required and use of finish on cork is in the minority, Most people prefer bare cork. Finishes will change the appearance and feel of cork, but do offer some ease of cleaning on the future. Personally, I like the look and feel of bare cork and don't find it particularly hard to clean.

- If finish is required on the handle, does linseed oil do the job? Crude oil?

Yes, you could use linseed oil, Danish oil, etc. I believe u-40 still offers a fishing rod specific cork finish. There are probably others also.
The cork will absorb finishes so you might need multiple coats to achieve a desired affect. I don't know what you mean by "crude" oil, but you want to use a finish that dries completely otherwise it's going to leave residue and smell on the anglers hands, and also attract dirt and grime.

- When I clean off dust, masking tape residue, etc. from the thread wraps - prior to applying epoxy, is rubbing alcohol okay, or will it discolor the thread? Should I just dab with the sticky side of painter's tape to remove dust?
Thanks in advance...

Isopropyl in 70% or higher concentration will work. The stronger 90% is noticeably better and can be found alongside the weaker stuff in the pharmacy or supermarket. Denatured alcohol also works, but I prefer Isopropyl.
Alcohols will not discolor nylon or poly rod wrapping thread, but will darken it while wet, mimicking what happens when finish is applied to bare thread (no color preserver). This is useful for testing the appearance of threads prior to finishing. The thread returns to normal after the alcohol evaporates.
You shouldn't have much, if any, tape residue left on your rod or wraps to worry anout. In fact. As you have guessed, a strip of tape can be used to lift dust off of finished wraps by dabbing the thread with the sticky side. However, alcohol will work if you do encounter residue.

 

[jeffroey]

@PennKev 's answer. Exactly.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

I don't know what you mean by "crude" oil...

The oil that bubbled up when "Jed was a shootin' at some food."
I have a small amount in a metal can labeled "crude oil" in black marker. One of my dad's hunting buddies gave it to us, saying it's good for rubbing down gun stocks. I have no idea where he got it, nor do I remember his name. It must be at least 40 years since we wound up with it.
I plan on following all your advice, PennKev.
Thank you.

 

[Bamboozle]

I don't know diddly about rod building except I wish I had the talent & patience like the folks who build rods. 👍

However I do have a little experience with U-40 cork seal... 🙂

First off I have only used it on new cork and only on some of my Tenkara rods that have shi++y cork grips with a lot of filler. When applied (one coat ONLY) it darkens new the cork SLIGHTLY giving it the look of a lightly used cork grip. However, it looks nothing like some old dark varnished cork grips I've seen on vintage rods.

In use it may darken further but to be honest, to me my Tenkara rod grips look the same and I really don't care. I don't know if treated cork will clean any easier or better than untreated cork as I don't clean my cork grips any longer because I believe cleaning promotes ridging and can cause chips or loss of filler.

In my case, I only used the U-40 because I figured it MIGHT help preserve crappy cork from the get-go. Whether I live long enough to find out remains to be seen. However despite not minding the look of a treated grip, I don't bother with U-40 on any other rods with nice cork.

One other thing about U-40, it is supposed to be the consistency of water to penetrate the cork. However ONCE you open that little jar, the solvent will start to evaporate making it too thick to penetrate properly.

So IF you can't figure out what thinning agent they use, if you got 'em, treat a LOT of cork grips or anticipate that you will only get to treat one. 😉

 

[Vtsalmon]

I use u-40 cork seal on all the rods I build and use it on older rods I have . On new cork grips I apply it without any prep on older rods I will either clean the cork with a magic eraser or sand the grip lightly with 600grit sand paper then apply cork seal . It doesn’t change the color of the cork or the feel . As far wrap prep I use a tack cloth on my wraps to get dust off before the finish is applied.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

I finally repurposed lumber from the boys' bunk bed frame. It's been stacked in the cellar for about 20 years. I think this 2-part garnishing and drying bench will take up more space than I thought it would, while dreaming it up.

 

[Vtsalmon]

Another winter project completed. Wanted to share some pics of my new brookie rod I finished up over the weekend.
It is a yomogi 7’ 3wt . Really excited about this rod, I have wanted to build one for three years . It has a Rl blued hardware ebony insert reel seat , cork grip turned in house , black nickel snake guides , black onyx stripping guide , with black silk wraps with 6 coats of varnish.

 

[DGC]

I have used U40 Cork Seal in the distant past and it had a definite feel that I didn't like and later sanded down. I would do a test on something before applying to a finished grip on a new project.

 

[JimNovo]

Another winter project completed. Wanted to share some pics of my new brookie rod I finished up over the weekend.
It is a yomogi 7’ 3wt . Really excited about this rod, I have wanted to build one for three years . It has a Rl blued hardware ebony insert reel seat , cork grip turned in house , black nickel snake guides , black onyx stripping guide , with black silk wraps with 6 coats of varnish.

That’s a gorgeous rod. Congratulations on completing another project!