Rod Building

[wild_instigator]

Any of you guys ever try making your own casting/spinning rods before? I've found plenty of places that sell the supplies, but I have no idea what it would take to accomplish and whether or not the end result would be lake worthy. I was thinking it would be a great winter project to undertake, but I want to find out if I'm just dreaming or if I actually have a chance.

Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

[CrappieJohn]

Go to your local library and look up some books on the subject....there are quite a few around. You can do a web search too. If you can find materials locally you will likely be able to find someone locally who can help with the wrapping and guide placement. If you are from the Twins, check Thorne Bros, I think they have some instruction in-store. Really, it is not near so hard as one might think.

[CodyDawg]

I did it at Thorne Bros and they were excellent. They have the tools and the expertise to help you through the process. A great experience.

[upnorth]

rod-building is one of my hobbies. It is not exceedingly difficult, but it is tedious and picky work. If you are thinking about giving it a shot poke around on rod-building.org there is a ton of information on it out there. Or just keep asking questions and I can answer them for you.

[SteveWilson]

I get some supplies from Thorne Brothers but mostly from the Internet. I use rod-building.org and a couple of books as primary resources and basically taught myself. I find that spin/cast rods work out to be roughly the same price as commercial rods but I have total control over materials and can spine and pick guide spacings that suit the particular blank. If I can find a blank on sale (for example St. Croix model change overs results in blanks available for a decent price) then I can usually save money over the commercial rod.

Now fly rods are a different story. A Sage XP rod is $600 or so and the blanks are $230. Guides, grip material, and real seat is another $100 (or much less) so I can make a great fly rod for about half as much as it would cost from a store.

I also make my own spinning lures, buzz baits, and Mepp style lures. They're really simple (just put on skirts and bend a wire) and my kids have fun making them. This summer I started tying flies. I still buy many but I try to tie the easy ones that I use (loose) most often.

It's a real kick catching a fish with a lure (or fly) and rod that you made. Besides, my daughter loves her medium light spinning rod with rainbow guides, hot pink guide wraps, gold trim, and a gold label with her name and rod information on it. She's pretty hot with her pink hat and pink clothes fishing with pink bait; she outfishes her mom and brother and sometimes me (BTW pink rules).

[Hap Shaughnessy]

Rod building isn't the black art that some would make you believe.

It's fairly easy, if you have some patience. Cabela's sells complete kits,(good instructions included) and individual components in it's custom tackle catalog. There are other resources to be found on the net. After you build a couple, you should be able to match or exceed the quality of some very expensive locally made rods.

Anybody remember Rodcraft on Lyndale in Richfield? What happened to them and old Ralph?

[upnorth]

One of the things I like about building my own rods is that I can make exactly what I want. Try finding a quality 9 ft spinning rod at a reasonable price. Or if you want a little different handle/grip you just make it the way you want. Fish in real cold weather? Just do a straight cork grip and tape the reel on, much more comfortable to hang onto when it is 35 degrees than graphite and metal. The list goes on. Most comercial rods don't put on enough guides, they ain't on straight, they don't stress test for guide placement, you are usually stuck with some pretty bland colors and little in the way of decoration.

Here is a handle assembly and butt wrap that I did for a friend of a relative. http://www.rod-building.org/photopost/showphoto.php/photo/1366/cat/507/page/2

You ain't gonna buy something like that at Gander MT, Bass Pro Shops or Cabelas.

[FOOT]

OK all you rod builders out there I have a question maybe you can answer.

I'm a big fan of the cork grip. I've used them all my life and like them.

Last spring I was having a rod built for my son's birthday and the builder talked me into a wooden grip, due to a wooden grip being more sensitive to a bite. Looked real pretty too.

The thing of it was is that it really didn't fit the blank very snuggly. The rod builder starting wrapping masking tape around the blank at several points. This seems like a very strange way to snug up a grip with a blank.

NOW HERE'S THE QUESTION:

Won't the masking tape deaden/cushion the feel of the bite to the grip??

I was not real happy with the masking tape being used and told him I wanted a wooden grip drilled specifically to the blank. The builder was not in favor of this since he purchases his grip pre-drilled and didn't really have the tools to drill a grip correctly.

I went ahead and let him use the masking tape but I'm still not happy about it.

What does everyone think ??

[upnorth]

The masking tape build up is not going to dampen the feel from the blank much if any at all. I would be concerned if there is too high a build up with the tape failing.

Masking tape is use as arbors for reel seats all the time and there is very few problems with them. It think you will be fine with the way it is done.

I turn all my own handles so I use very little if any tape to make up the difference in fit. The handle that is shown on the link I posted earlier uses a small amount of tape on the rear grip and no tape at all on the reel seat and the fore grip.

[SteveWilson]

Masking tape is used a lot. I turn my cork handles on a lathe and then ream them out to fit the blank. There will usually be one or two spots where a tape shim is needed to get a nice snug fit. Using tape is a very accepted procedure.

[Big Ick]

I would NOT be satisfied with masking tape. In my opinion, it's the lazy way to shim a handle. If a handle needs to be shimmed, a graphite arbor is the way to go. It's lighter and will provide a better bond when the handle is glued. If the arbor need to be large, cork is another good alternative.

Also, I wouldn't say a wooden grip is more sensitive than a cork grip or an EVA one for that matter. Sensitivity is mainly a function of stiffness and weight. That's why those $300 Loomis and St. Croix jigging sticks are so nice and sensitive. The graphite is light (weight) and the action is fast (stiffness).

Also, whenever I build with a wooden handle, I'll take the time to bore out the handle (leaving a little over a 1/8th inch shell) and use cork as an insert (essentially removing wood and replacing it with cork). This makes the handle lighter (cork is generally lighter than any wood I use) and also I can ream the cork out for an exact fit. I’ve done this using graphite arbors too.

Many years ago I was fishing with a cheap musky rod and the reel seat came loose. When I took it apart guess what the bushings were made of...yup, masking tape.

[Hap Shaughnessy]

(Contact US Regarding This Word) knows. For spin rods it's straight cork with no reel seat. The reel is afixed with 3M Scotch Electrical tape, not the cheap stuff. Strongest reel seat available, and you can move the reel around to find what's best for you, unlike a fixed seat. And not worries about masking tape!

[augernaut]

Any good rodbuilder can/will ream a cork handle to fit the blank snugly at all points - shims should NEVER be needed on a cork handle. To put a fine point on it - somebody who does not take the time to very carefully ream that cork to precisely match the blank, well, they shouldn't be building rods.... On reelseats, masking tape or cardboard arbors are what you will find on 99.9% of factory rods - even the big names. Is it an acceptable practice? Well, it's the industry standard - but there are MUCH better methods, graphite arbors, or brick foam arbors that are lighter and stronger and more sensitive. Most good rodbuilders have recognized that masking tape is a poor option when compared to other available options. Why not build the absolute best rod you can??

[upnorth]

Be aware that some very fine rod builders building some high dollare rods use tape as arbors for reel seats and to possible take up slack on handles that are bigger than the blanks. Some of these rods have been in service for many years. I personally have a fly rod that has cork arbors for the reel seat that I have been using for over 20 years with no failure.

Thin diameter blanks may be smaller than the standard size drilled in cork.

No matter the products used, sloppy/poor work will result in poor results. In other words if someone does crappy work with good components you will still wind up with crappy product.

[augernaut]

(Contact US Regarding This Word) - don't worry about the cork arbors on that rod - cork makes a very good reelseat arbor.....

IMHO a good rodbuilder will glue up and turn his own handle if the blank diameter is smaller than a standard cork ring bore....

[wild_instigator]

Thanks for all the info guys. I never even thought of making a rod for my kids or gifts for family/friends, more or less something to keep me busy when my ice fishing buddy doesn’t get clearance from his tower.

My 8 year old daughter still uses her Zebco Mickey Mouse rod, which I have vigilantly been marketing an upgrade for with my CIO. I think I haven't had much success because I keep missing the board meetings. But in my defense, my Administrative Assistant (11 month old son) hasn't been keeping me up-to-date with scheduling conflicts or updates. I'm contributing it to a loss in language translation and his inability to focus on things that matter (i.e. fishing) instead of toys that light up and make noise.

Again, thanks for all the info. Hopefully some day I’ve gained the ability to discuss and debate the level of detail you guys have here on how to build a rod.