I am looking for a rod blank. I wrapped a trout rod a while ago the blank I bought at Fred hall for two bucks, then I went over too Rod crafters and thirty dollars later I had some Fuji guides and reel seat.
I gave it to my son age five, it was the only way I could get him to give up his Snoopy rod, he was pretty stoked to use it, and caught many Mackerel and Ronkie’s (SP) Sunday on the way to the beach, the dog stepped on it. There is nothing sadder than watching a kid try to fix a fishing rod with Duct tape…. I have cut off the guides and I think I can salvage the reel seat. So I am looking for a cork handle and some epoxy.
Could some one recommend a place to buy another blank CHEAP? You can’t imagine what a kid and dog can do to a nice rod.

Matt W

Don't know where you live, with that in mind... Tackle Town in Oceanside, and Squid Co. both have some cheap blanks.

Amish Ed

Thanks Ed,

I live in SB. But I have changed my mind about making the rod for him. He really is tuff on things, so I am planning on finding something at Big Five or Sport mart for him.
But I would like to build another rod for myself. Can anyone recommend an online store I could buy blanks from?


Matt W

Try Badfish.com. Louis is a great guy and very helpful. You can find his posts about rodbuilding on Allcoast's Rodbuilding Board.Or Mudhole, or Dale Clemens site, or Cabelas,or Barlows...
Amish Ed

Thanks, Ed

So many cool sites. now I'm thinking about a bait casting rod also. I will post a report on begining rod building later in the year. I should know a lotabout what not to do.


Matt W

It's a great hobby, but very dangerous to start doing. I've spent way too much money on rodbuilding stuff. I've done 12 rods now, I've got huge list of what-not-to's. The list grows after every rod. But things get better also. Good luck

Amish Ed

share your list. We need a good laugh and we might learn something.

Tight lines,
Wade

Here's my list:

Rule #1- Do not add melted plastic to flexcoat.

Rule #2- Do not spill flexcoat on yourself.

Rule #3- Do not tip over alcohol lamp, letting alcohol spill all over the table.

Rule #4- If you do spill alcohol all over, don't wait until the next day to notice.

Rule #5- When mixing flexcoat, do not vigorously swirl, as in egg beating. This results in many many bubbles.

Rule #6- Don't use Classic Coat.

Rule #7- Have hair dryer, or other heating device ready BEFORE you apply flexcoat.

Rule #8- Portable foot heaters do not work for heating flexcoat.

Rule #9- ALWAYS listen to Red Hot Chili Peppers while wrapping rods. This is the most important rule...

Rule #10- Use a smaller sized thread for the underwrap. It's WAY easier.

Rule #11- Immediately strip any rod you've had wrapped by Ed and re-wrap it... (not amishEd, a different one)

Rule #12- Rod wrapping machines are very useful for stripping line off of reels.

Rule #13- Do not set up your table outside, in the dark with a single light overhead. This immediately attracts all mosquitos and bugs to land on drying flexcoat.

Rule #14- Keep your table as messy and unorganized as possible.

Rule #15- Do not put masking tape between a gimbal and the rod butt, and then try to adhere the gimbal to the masking tape. It doesn't work...

There it is. Follow these easy 15 rules, and you're on your way to building a successful rod.
-Brian

Good thing you figured all that stuff out before you wrap my new Rainshadow SW967! Do you need any Chili Pepper albums, I can download and burn you whatever before I come down.

Sure, if you wanna compile me a cd that'd be super. I don't care what album. Did you see the SW1207??? I WANT IT!!! 10', 15-20, .800 butt, 6.5 tip, Mod-Med. Is that the 6" swimbait calico kelpin rod or what? To give perspective, the 900XL is a butt of .880 and a 6 tip. Sounds like a sweet light jig/heavy plastics rod. This may be the one for those A1's. Go back to that shop and pull on one for me...
-Brian

ahhhhh, that sounds nice. No 10 footers there unfortunately. Too much of a pain to get them shipped. Where are you seeing the available blanks at?

Ah I found it
http://www.slayerrods.com/Rainshadow.htm
sounds like 42 bucks was a good deal on the SW967. They have a pretty cool selection blanks, sizes, etc.

Another rule: Don't get too drunk while wrapping, sure all the guides line up but not with the reel seat. DOH.

Oh, let the ink dry completely before applying the finish.

Why don't you like classic coat? That's all I use and it works great for me. Just curious.

TL,
Adam

Every time I've used it I've gotten a bunch of tiny bubbles that don't come out when you heat it. I think I'm probably used to the way flexcoat acts and classic coat is different so I have trouble with it.
-Brian

Have you ever used 2-ton epoxy from Devcon. My buddy Mike has used 2-ton on a few rods for me and it's good and a lot cheaper than Flexcoat. The only drawback I've seen is that it yellows in about 2 months. Of course the brown rod he wrapped for me, a 8'6" Pflueger Medalist 8wt remade as a spinning rod, looked pretty cool like it had amber jewels for wraps. Then some @$$hole had to steal it. Anyways, you might try it but, don't use 5-min. Mike said that stuff is to stiff and causes rods to snap at the wrappings.

Tight lines,
Wade

I wouldn't use any non-rodbuilding types of epoxies, because I definitely don't want yellow. Then again, there's always that emergency...

Here's some of what I've learned in no particular order...
1) If you try to force it, you will break it.
2) Cork is a pain in the arse no matter what, so don't try to rush reaming it, something bad WILL happen.
3) Don't mix 5min epoxy for 3+mins. You just can't work that fast, no matter what you might think.
4) Epoxy when overheated will foam up like toothpaste. You might get lucky and have it turn out o.k., but probably not.
5) Faster isn't always better.
6) Keep the alcohol torch out from under you arm.
7) It's 50 times harder to fix something once the epoxy goes on. Fix it before that point..
8) Read the labels.
9) The finish is what seperates the great from the bad.
10) Epoxy glues don't know the difference between where you want them to go and where you don't want them to.
11) there's a reason my mentor charges $5 a wrap, but $15 to remove them. Strip one 9' jigstick and you too will know why.

The biggest blemish I've heard of was something a friend had found on a rod he built. He walked into the garage to check out the rod that had been rolling all night. Stuck to the butt wrap was a rat.

Another friend has had at least 6 fires in his wrapping room. All were from either using rotisserie motors for drying, or from alcohol lamps and rags.

Amish Ed

OMG, a rat?! That's a BIG blemish. LOL!!

I haven't had a lot of time for wrapping, due to work & school. John's actually been doing more than I have. His poor trolling rod is still at the point it was -- diamond wrap started, guides marked. I really will finish it though. I have to before he'll let me work on anything else. :D

Becky