Rod Build Thread
- Thread starter JimNovo
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jeffroey
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Here's a few pix from the rod currently on the bench. Each of the guides has 3 locking wraps (2 if I'm wrapping a 1/0).
Unfinished guide is the tip section that I'm currently working on. Finished guide is from the middle section which is finished.
Unfinished guide is the tip section that I'm currently working on. Finished guide is from the middle section which is finished.
JeffP
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I always like that matte blank with the red. What kind of blank is that? I need a 9' 5 weight 2 piece moderately fast blank for my next build. It's been a while, so I've been dragging my feet on this.
jeffroey
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It's a Trout Smiths Blank I picked up off of Steve Van Winkle, one of the current owners of the Struble brand.
Steve and his business partner purchased the T/S brand off of Shane Gray (Graywolf Fly Rods and Steffen). Steve is planning to release new products under the T/S brand and has a couple of original T/S blanks available thru the Struble site at a good price.
I'm extremely impressed by this blank - exceptional quality. This is an 8' 3PC 3WT I'm building out as a bit of a sniper rod: I'm getting to 1/0 single foot guides quickly after the stripping guide and carrying them all along the top of the rod. Rod blank is 1 oz.
Steve is a great guy to deal with and if you're looking for a high quality blank at a reasonable price point, I'd give him a look.
Steve and his business partner purchased the T/S brand off of Shane Gray (Graywolf Fly Rods and Steffen). Steve is planning to release new products under the T/S brand and has a couple of original T/S blanks available thru the Struble site at a good price.
I'm extremely impressed by this blank - exceptional quality. This is an 8' 3PC 3WT I'm building out as a bit of a sniper rod: I'm getting to 1/0 single foot guides quickly after the stripping guide and carrying them all along the top of the rod. Rod blank is 1 oz.
Steve is a great guy to deal with and if you're looking for a high quality blank at a reasonable price point, I'd give him a look.
6xAdams(Jones)
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I saw the flex coat guy pack the locked wraps with the end of a split pen cap. I'll give it another try at least for rods heavier than 6 wt.
Solitariolupo
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Done with another Muskie rod.
JimNovo
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Tell us about it. Blank? Thread? Etc…
Solitariolupo
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15’ Spey a NFC blank. Thread is size D metallic starts with a steel grey on top rod guides and transfers to a goldenrod top to a bluefin blue on the rest of the guides. I modified a carbon 13” rear grip to a foregrip. Also took another rear grip and cut it down to finish 6” rear grip and added an Eva foam butt. Reel seat nothing special.
JimNovo
Well-known member
Time for my next question…
I just started epoxying the wraps and I am seeing some small bumps from where I tie off the wrap. How can these be reduced between coats of epoxy? I have seen a video using a razor blade and read about using super fine sandpaper. Thoughts?
Thanks.
I just started epoxying the wraps and I am seeing some small bumps from where I tie off the wrap. How can these be reduced between coats of epoxy? I have seen a video using a razor blade and read about using super fine sandpaper. Thoughts?
Thanks.
Try cutting them off with a razor blade parallel to the surface. Sanding will just fuzz up the thread and if you sand through the coating and scuff the wraps it is a mess. Can sand drips and sags in coating, but use very fine sandpaper (1000 - 1600) and go slow. Roughing up the threads is bad.
PennKev
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Use a razor. Don't worry about sculpting down the bumps unless they are really egregious, just shave them flat.
Sand paper has the potential to make a mess out of freshly cured epoxy and should only be used if the epoxy is rock hard. In other words, cured for several days.
jeffroey
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What JeffK and PennKev says: razor blade the bumps flat and cover with your second coat of youre putting one on.
If my first coat of epoxy is a complete coat, Ive razored off bumps and given the wrap a finger rub of spar just to gloss up what the razor took off.
Goes without saying that the wrap needs to be set before you go monkeying with a razor blade. Give it 24 hours.
If my first coat of epoxy is a complete coat, Ive razored off bumps and given the wrap a finger rub of spar just to gloss up what the razor took off.
Goes without saying that the wrap needs to be set before you go monkeying with a razor blade. Give it 24 hours.
6xAdams(Jones)
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My recommendations involve starting over with wrapping... sorry.
What works for me (your results may vary):
- After pulling the loop through, Move the tag end to where you want it to be left. I leave mine as close to the guide as possible, without leaving any part of it adjacent to the guide where the wrap is the loosest.
- Before clipping the tag, pull in the opposite direction from pulling it through to leave a slight gap.
- Lay the edge of the cutter parallel to the blank and pull the tag against to edge to cut it. Be sure to get any fibers that the cutter didn't. I use a very good and sharp nail clipper that has never been used on anything except wrapping thread.
- There is usually nothing sticking out, so I pack the wraps to close the gap (and any other gaps. If there's anything sticking out that the cutter can't reach, I'll flash it with a butane mini-torch from Ace (just a cigar lighter, nothing fancy like a chef would use) and then pack it all closed.
ALWAYS CUT THE TAG PARALLEL TO THE BLANK, so you don't nick the blank.
- Burnish the whole wrap and pack any gaps.
- If all that doesn't work... I just start it all over.
If you still get bumps and they really bother you, use a drugstore nail file and not sandpaper. Sandpaper and emery boards are impossible to control enough to prevent removing finish and making the threads fuzzy. The only time that bumps bother me after varnishing is if they feel like the varnish leaves a sharp point or edge that could scratch the fly line.
6xAdams(Jones)
Well-known member
Piling onto the three previous recommendations...
Bumps that appear in places other than the pull through tags are usually the result of a more-than-thin coat.
Try to keep coats as thin as possible, even if you have to squeeze the brush dry and squeegee off the excess. Even rolling on a drier won't smooth out a thick finish. I find this to be harder to do with epoxy than with varnish, since epoxy gets tacky so fast, and is supposed to provide a complete job in one to two coats. I try to use 5-6 super-thin coats of varnish.
Prior to allowing finish to start drying, flash any bubbles with a butane mini-torch or lighter, or quickly wave it over an alcohol burner.
Dust can be razored off with the tip of an X-Acto knife - but like others have said, it needs to be completely dried and cured.
6xAdams(Jones)
Well-known member
Here's a plug for customer service at Batson (Rainshadow blanks). In the early stages of my most recent project, I was "somehow able" to break off the depth of the tiptop tube from the tip section of an RS7 blank. When I explained everything and how it happened, they decided to ship me a new tip section! They're shipping it tomorrow after having decided to replace it only this evening. It's not a really expensive blank and I was willing to build an 8' and 5-1/4" rod out of it - which Batson said would be just as good as an 8' 6" rod. I like how they work on the few rods I've built with them.
6xAdams(Jones)
Well-known member
Okay, so now I have a question...
I'm putting a 4.0 (64ths of an inch) tiptop on a blank advertised as having a 4.0 64ths of an inch tip diameter. The 4.0 tiptop is loose, and a 3.5 tiptop doesn't fit. Is there a good method to build out the tip of the blank to accept and align a loose tiptop? I've successfully used a short wrap near the end of the tube, but I don't know if that allows enough tip cement (the heat and melt kind) contact between the tube and the blank. (I say "successfully" because I can't pull it off or twist it after the cement cools and hardens.) Should I paint a couple coats of varnish or epoxy around the tip of the blank instead?
I'm putting a 4.0 (64ths of an inch) tiptop on a blank advertised as having a 4.0 64ths of an inch tip diameter. The 4.0 tiptop is loose, and a 3.5 tiptop doesn't fit. Is there a good method to build out the tip of the blank to accept and align a loose tiptop? I've successfully used a short wrap near the end of the tube, but I don't know if that allows enough tip cement (the heat and melt kind) contact between the tube and the blank. (I say "successfully" because I can't pull it off or twist it after the cement cools and hardens.) Should I paint a couple coats of varnish or epoxy around the tip of the blank instead?
Is the blank painted ? Or unsanded finish? I have in the past had to sand down some of the blank finish to get my tip top on . Seems that some makers tip top size my be off some due to the finish on the blank . I would rather sand the blank some than try and build it up for the tip top . Hope this helps .
John
If 3.5 doesn't fit then 4 is the right size. There is no in between tip size. The difference in ID is only 0.008" - it can't be too loose. Hot melt adhesive should fill the gap. I always use hot melt because you can heat up the tip and adjust it and in the worst-case scenario remove it and start over.
Solitariolupo
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The 4 is fine just add more glue or you can take your masking tape and cut a very fine strip to build up but don’t cover the hole tip as glue should stick to the blank. Might work.
Solitariolupo
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I’m guessing your end tags of where you cut them are creating the bumps. When I was using the metallic thread and cutting the cotton inside was fraying causing my bumps. First I took a lighter to it and burned them off then I used a thread sealer anything else sticking up I cut with a fingernail clipper.
