Rod Building Part I........Building your Handle

screamendrag · Post by **screamendrag** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:24 pm

Ok well i finally received the part i was waiting for, the reel seat. Though you will see that the reel seat is suitable for a tuna rod, i will be using it for my snook/king/whatever rod.....mostly because i leave in a week for school, and because it looks so damn cool

ok here we go......

Sorry i didnt start the pics sooner but the top half of the handle is done the same way as the bottom.
1.Start off fitting the buttcap or gimble. Using 1/2 masking tape, wrap around the blank until u acheive a diameter that fits the cap. Make sure its loose enough for epoxy to fit between the two but not too loose that it wobbles.
2. After the butt is installed, coat the blank with epoxy far enough up that the lower handle will slide down to the butt. Be careful because if there is no hole in the buttcap or in the tip of the rod, the backpressure will push the butt off. In this case you simply tape the butt on till it dries.
3.No heres where i started the pics. After the handle and the butt are installed, wipe the blank clean with isopropyl alcohol, and start the masking tape arbors. You can see in this picture that i made three wraps to the diameter of the tuna size reel seat

.

4.Now in the picture below u can see how the reel seat fits nice and smoothly over the masking tape.

5.Now take the reel off and epoxy over the tape arbors. Make sure to push the epoxy in and all around them as you can see below.

6. You can see that i taped off some areas, this is just so taking off the excess epoxy is easier. Dont worry if you get alittle epoxy on the handle just wipe it off with some alcohol while its still wet.
7. Now once the seat is on rub the excess apoxy above it and up the blank enough to cover the area where the forgrip will be.

8. Now slide the grip down on till it hits the reelseat nice and snug. Then clean it all up while the epoxy is still wet with alcohol.

After the handle is complete make sure you both line the gimble(if your using one) and the reel seat up with the spine of the blank. I will explain spining the blank later tonight, because im late for something right now

more to come....

-Jeff

screamendrag · Post by **screamendrag** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:30 pm

and heres the finished handle.....

more to come...

-Jeff

screamendrag · Post by **screamendrag** » Sat Aug 11, 2007 8:03 pm

thanks bro...haha looks funny i put my avet lx on it and the reel is about as big as the seat....i like it though

hey BridgeRat do you mate??

screamendrag · Post by **screamendrag** » Sun Aug 26, 2007 10:47 pm

sweet i didnt notice how far miami is from the school....was gunna see about a job on that fleet.....cool to meet u the other day bro

screamendrag · Post by **screamendrag** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 2:28 pm

yea all purple probably only gunna use it out on boats it kinda flimsy...haha it took me awhile to get that nest outta it......that was an interesting experience....its weird though my lx is alot bigger and it casts way easier??i guess im just used to it

maddawgandcrew · Post by **maddawgandcrew** » Fri Sep 14, 2007 3:44 pm

had bud rapped a couple rods but kind of basic but i need to shorten two rods that i have but i dont want to cut the tip can i or how can i remove the reel seat and shorten the rod from the but end

CubanExpress · Post by **CubanExpress** » Sat Sep 15, 2007 1:05 pm

maddawgandcrew wrote:had bud rapped a couple rods but kind of basic but i need to shorten two rods that i have but i dont want to cut the tip can i or how can i remove the reel seat and shorten the rod from the but end

To shorten a rod from the butt section there is no need to remove the reel seat..

Just Mark desired legnth of butt to remove .. Using a miter box/saw or chop saw make a perfect cut on the butt section.

Next trim away foam/cork with razor blade so that the blank is exposed
enough to epoxy & flush fit a gimbal/or butt cap to complete the rod shortening..

screamendrag · Post by **screamendrag** » Mon Sep 17, 2007 12:11 pm

yea removing a reel seat is a pain in the A$$ big time....plus the only way you can really get it off is to cut it off...

what cubanexpress said is right on........unless you want more off than you can take without the handle bein to short....also one you cut in you can shape the foam or cork with some fine sandpaper to make it look like it was never cut..

-Jeff

EHC342 · Post by **EHC342** » Sun Sep 23, 2007 3:57 pm

screamandrag: i got a question, how much did it cost you to build that rod? im planing to do something somewhat similar,but in blue and different guides.

screamendrag · Post by **screamendrag** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:24 am

bout 80$......guides and blank are whats really gunna determine the cost....

screamendrag · Post by **screamendrag** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 11:24 am

bout 80$......guides and blank are whats really gunna determine the cost....

EHC342 · Post by **EHC342** » Tue Sep 25, 2007 2:04 pm

really!! where did you buy the parts? i was looking online and i saw that the reel seat alone was about $25, the blank E-glass (8ft) for $30 and the guides were about $4-8 a piece, plus the epoxy and all the other stuff!!! please let me know where you got them.

Elias

screamendrag · Post by **screamendrag** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 10:47 am

well im only talking bout the components....i have all the other stuff

set of 8 guides-20
tip-6
blank-30
seat-20
foam-4
gimble-7

so it was like 87$ gve or take......but to tell you the truth if i had to go back i woulda spent more....i had wrapped rods in the past but this was my first complete rod from ground up so i was kinda shy when i bought all the sht.....i woulda spent alot more on the blank and all fujis instead of just the tip....i beleive the ones i have are SiC though so its all good

im builden two more that i no of right now....one medium heavy 8' st.croix spinner.....and a heavy 7' calstar conventional fish distroyer stand up

-Jeff

EHC342 · Post by **EHC342** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 2:45 pm

thats pretty much what im going to spend exept that im going to get the fuji guides. im a bit nervous about getting the guides wraped strait , so is there any tackle shop that can do it for me?

screamendrag · Post by **screamendrag** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 4:42 pm

yea but its gunna cost u ALOT of money.......do it yourself trust me its way easier than you think....you live in boca, im at the FAU campus in boca if you want you can swing by an ill help u get started.....or get a quote from a shop an i could prolly do it for you for alot cheaper

EHC342 · Post by **EHC342** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 5:05 pm

alright man, im getting the stuff in like 2 weeks because they didnt have the reel seat that i wanted (i told them to ship it at the same time) so ill pm you one i get started in the guides. thanx.

screamendrag · Post by **screamendrag** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 5:29 pm

sounds good

EHC342 · Post by **EHC342** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 6:24 pm

yea thats where i ordered it. im going to call them to see if they have it.
thanx

screamendrag · Post by **screamendrag** » Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:32 pm

no prob

mantequiya · Post by **mantequiya** » Mon Oct 22, 2007 10:19 pm

I must be paranoid but I would never use masking tape on anything kind of saltwater rod. It's more work but some 1/2" strips of fiberglass cloth soaked with epoxy wraped around the blank are never going to break. I'm not a pro just have made about a dozen or so rods. It's one of those things that is better to do it for life the first time.
Cheers,
Stan

Greensn95 · Post by **Greensn95** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 9:18 pm

Awesome post! Holidays are right around the corner!

SnookWizzard · Post by **SnookWizzard** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 1:18 am

EHC342 wrote:thats pretty much what im going to spend exept that im going to get the fuji guides. im a bit nervous about getting the guides wraped strait...

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .There's a lot of price spread on fuji guides from the single foot to the silicone carbides....spend your money wisely before, rather than regret being cheap later....once you find the spine of the rod, place all your guides with rubber bands & line 'em up by a thread from tip to the butt end guide, which I always wrap first,then the tip.....once they are all perfectly lined up, you can spot tack with superglue or a tiny spot of epoxy under the foot,....If you are doing an underwrap, mark the guides positions, place the underwrap & reset the guides before tacking....then wrap away at your convenience...SW

SnookWizzard · Post by **SnookWizzard** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 1:33 am

bridgefisher wrote:I have always been skeptical about using tape as arbors for reel seats. There is to much space in between the arbors. I have heard of a few reel seats that have spun as a result of this. I feel the easiest and most effective way is to build the blank up below the real seat is using some heavy dacron covered with epoxy. It really works out well and ya get a very snug fit with no possible gaps in the bond.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A cork buildup under the reel seat was very common years ago...along with epoxy, it works very well....I've never used tape in my life, & have never had a reel seat loosen either....when building calcutta poles, old timers used burlap twine after filing the joints smooth enough to slip the seat over them...soaked in epoxy pretty much anything is solid as a rock....the key to tape is epoxying all the edges of the tape to the blank.....Nowdays the rod is usually stolen before the seat loosens..

. .SW

njp32 · Post by **njp32** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 9:45 pm

found this site while surfing the web. has some cool rod building videos check it out:

http://shop.mudhole.com/Rod-Building-101#

SnookWizzard · Post by **SnookWizzard** » Sat Dec 29, 2007 9:58 pm

as long as you're at it...check out http://Billystix.com . . . Mudhole will refer you to him for custom rods... http://Merricktackle.com (wholesale only) supplies http://Mudhole.com, who supplies Billystix...You will like the site for sure, & not just for the rods . .

. .SW

SnookWizzard · Post by **SnookWizzard** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 1:11 pm

Living near BP is bad enough....near Ocala, there is also A BP & now a Gander Mountain too...

. You are right, the people at Mudhole are very helpful & will go out of their way a lot...SW

screamendrag · Post by **screamendrag** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 2:21 pm

about the tape arbors......if you do them right and make sure all the edges are even before you put the epoxy on you should have no problem with loosening......the only time you really would have to worry about it is if you do a shitty job and dont get the epoxy between the blank an the tape, each layer of tape, and the tape an the reel seat.....they build some surfboards outta epoxy if you fully seal the tape theres no worrys about it loosening....

mudhole is a great site and ive been using them for awhile......they give fast shipping and in the event of a return theyre realy cool about it....im thinking about makin a trip up there to pick up some blanks(mostly cause i hate ordering it off the internet an it being way different then discribed)....and some othr crap.....if any body wants to meet up there talk fishin...gimme a pm

-Jeff

SnookWizzard · Post by **SnookWizzard** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 3:44 pm

If you've noticed any of the fish Bridgefisher has posted, & the type of fishing he does, you'll know why he's just a litle paranoid about using tape. . .

.....SW

screamendrag · Post by **screamendrag** » Sun Dec 30, 2007 4:22 pm

hahaha true that....bridgefisher just say screw tape an just weld his reels an guides onto a peice of rebar

Rod Building Part I........Building your Handle

Rod Building Part I........Building your Handle

help

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Billystix custom rods