Dude gotta tell ya, one thing is too look at pics and another is to see the actual rod. You did an excellent job on your first rod, thread packed nicely, not a single bubble as far as I could tell, and it matches that Avet nicely.

That rod is a certified stingray killer

Thanks guys
Yep it held up good. I mean thinking of the Avet on full lock and also my thumb on it and the ray still pulling drag. That ray did have some size to it.

It sure had size, any fish caught from land that can pull more than 15 pounds of drag and you have to use your thumbs and or thumbs and part of t-shirt to stop it, is pretty big or powerful.

Sweet looking rod there buddy

Thx Alex

Already mapping the next one.

That is gonna be a special and take me some time but if all works out it will be killer.

Simultaneously gonna go with another rod for the 3/0. Gonna be beefy for a 3/0 and straight forward simple design but should come out nicely.

Well the winter months are covered.

Looks great for your first.
A quick question
Did you coat the entire rod with epoxy and, if so, how apparent are the bands from the gator blank. I want to build on this blank, but do not want the bands on the final product.

you will see the bands when the sun hits.. but there almost un seen

if you paint the blank before, then they will never be seen

Well as reelemin already said. Painting the blank takes care of the bands but then again they are hard to see anyway.

Also depends on how many coats you put on the blank and what type of blank.

I just recently got another 4 blanks delivered and will get a couple more soon.
2 types of manufacturing.

1. Gloss Black = no ribs right from the start

2. regular ribbed blanks = needs either more coats or painting the blank.

Going south on Saturday to craft store called Perl on US1 and getting either "plasti kote" or "krylon" spray paint. There is a type from "Krylon" that gives a holographic color change effect for example from black to purple. It is cheaper there then from Mudhole or several other sites that I have researched.

The actual benefit of these 2 brands is that the paint reacts with the blanks and bonds entirely with it. Also it levels out so if you are careful and give it a thin coat and then sand with very fine sand paper and then another coat it absolutely levels the blank.

The depth of the color is amazing once the epoxy goes on.

Okay thanks guys.

yes that rod will need it to be completely coated with epoxy if you dont sand it paint it with something that will hold up..

i sand and paint all my rods and then completely coat them..

you dont have to completely coat it but it will look unfinished

reelemin,

Have you seen those rods that have only the guides with epoxy and the rest with a special Polyurethane spray?

Heard of it but am not sure what to think about it. I assume the coat with polyurethane spray would be to thin and not scratch resistant at all.

Could be something for fly rods though

Did you get get the black to purple krylon, I have a purple MXL, and was going to go with a plain black blank, but this sounds like it could be pretty cool.

How did it turn out?

I did get the color but have not used it yet.

Until now I only used Silver Texture and Blue