Rod Building

[TimRobinsin]

Mods, move this if I should have put this in gear, its more of a solicitation for help than advice though.

I have rod building gear/tools and a blank I would like to build, but no knowledge of how the tools work or what components I still need.

Anyone able to stop down here and check out the project, maybe impart some knowledge?

 

[Chaz]

Cork for the hanlde, a reel seat, and guides. Best bet is to take the blank to a builder and have him set you up, maybe he'll even show you the process.

 

[TimRobinsin]

Thanks Chaz!

Any builders you can suggest? I live in lancaster.

 

[klingy]

Tim,
Check out the Golden Witch site. They are out of Stevens, which is in Lancaster County. Seems to have a lot of good resources for rod building.

 

[Lonewolve]

Golden Witch......
Ill second what Klingy said,Russ Gooding and his wife Erica are great folks and Russ is at the top of the heap where it concerns rod building especially bamboo, but he started out doing graphite.
I have a Winston LT 9' 6 wt 5pc that he built when the Lt was first introduced.He is also a innovator in Feather Inlay.
They have a DVD out that will guide you from start to finish also.
Tight Wraps & Tight Lines
Rick Wallace
BTW ..Goldenwitch was started out in Washington state.then he bought an built his current digs in Stevens. From what i have heard his shop is very nice.

 

[caveman]

Tim,
There is a guy up in Elizabethtown, I think his name is Barry Weaver, has a rod shop setup near the barbershop North of Groffs meats, Dream Weaver Custom rods. 717 215-6945

http://www.dreamweaverrods.com/custom_fishing_rods.htm

 

[bigslackwater]

You can do it yourself and it's not that hard. Go this rod building forum and print the pinned topics in the "beginners corner". Put them in order and follow the steps.

http://www.rodbuildingforum.com/index.php?showforum=31

You'll need a rod wrapping jig (if you dont already have one). You can buy one or build one.
I built one using this website:

http://www.steelheader.net/Rodbuilding/build_your_own_rod_jig.htm

All the supplies you need will be listed in the pinned topics on the rod building forum. If you dont have the supplies already, you can order everything you need from a website store, like mudhole or janns netcraft. I jumped in to this hobby less than a year ago and its actually easier than it looks. It just takes a little patience and a steady hand... This is what I tell other fly fisherman that ask about rod building: If you can tie a fly, you can build a rod!

 

[TimB]

I've done about a dozen or so rods and if you can tie a fly, you can easily build a rod. You'll need a reel seat, cork grip, guide set, tip top, wrapping thread, epoxy & rod finish for covering the wraps. Sounds like you may already have some of what you'll need. You can usually finish a rod easily in a weekend. I typically wait for cooler weather with low humidity which helps the finish cure faster, but you'll be okay if you're able to kkep the rod in an air-conditioned environment until the finish cures.

It sounds like we're neighbors (I'm in Lancaster), so if you need some advice/tips, just let me know and I'd be happy to help. PM sent...

 

[gfen]

Its easy, any idiot can do it.

http://www.amazon.com/Handcrafting-Graphite-Fly-Rod-Garcia/dp/1878175580

Buy a used copy for $3, and just do it.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

Tim there's a guy in Rothsville who builds too. Near the White Swan.

 

[afishinado]

gfen wrote:
Its easy, any idiot can do it.

http://www.amazon.com/Handcrafting-Graphite-Fly-Rod-Garcia/dp/1878175580

Buy a used copy for $3, and just do it.

I have that book - good one with A to Z on how to build a fly rod.

 

[DGC]

I built a 10 footer in 2001. It came out fine based on the Flex coat rod building book and tips from the catalog from Hook and Hackle, which is where I bought the blank and most of the components.

I am going to build another rod soon, and have looked at some videos online to brush up. While I am obviously no expert, this series is the best I have come across:


How to Make a Fly Fishing Rod at 5 Minute Video

TimB offering on site guidance is outstanding. There are always questions coming up even though at first blush what is in the texts and on video seems quite simple. An example would be thread tension.

BTW, if you know of a few rods that you really like the feel of, you might check how they placed guides in relation to the spine. Some rods are dead on the spine, others are 180 degrees from it, others are neither.

I am sure you are already aware that a rod building forum is an outstanding resource as well

 

[Chaz]

Sorry I don't know much about Lancaster Cty.

 

[hack]

gfen wrote:
Its easy, any idiot can do it.

http://www.amazon.com/Handcrafting-Graphite-Fly-Rod-Garcia/dp/1878175580

Buy a used copy for $3, and just do it.

So you've done it?




p.s. Ben says hi!

 

[gfen]

I speak from a position of the authority of idiocy.