Rod "crafting"

[so haaad]

Ok, since this is a new forum and many of you are probably new to rod/lure building, I'll start with some pictures. Feel free to add your own...

Here's a 7-weight Rainshadow flyrod that I built with a Batson woven graphite reelseat and single-foot guides instead of the standard snake-foot guides. It shoots line like a champ.

[rodmaker]

Very nice.

[upnorth]

Here are pics of some of the stuff I have done. All the handles are hand turned by myself and all the wood was either picked from dead fall or given to me for building a rod for someone else.

Handle and wraps on 7' St Croix md light

Walnut handle on 7' St Croix MH spining

Star pattern on 6' St. Croix UL spinning

St. John Cross Butt Wrap 7' St Croix md light

Spider Butt Wrap

Scales Butt Wrap on a 9' 5 wt RainShadow Fly Rod

Red Ceder Handle 7' St. Croix md light spinning

Split Grips and Butt Wraps on a 7' HVY Musky Rod

Some Ice Rods

Flag Wraps that go with the Red Ceder Handle on 7' St Croix md Light

Dime inlay in Box Elder Handle St Croix 9' 8 wt wrapped as a spinning rod

Butterfly Butt Wrap

Box Elder Handle

Cedar Fly Rod Handle for 9' 5 wt RainShadow

Birch Handle Spinning rod

Apple wood cast rod Handle 7' St Croix MH casting rod

[harvey lee]

Very impressive work.

[upnorth]

Thanks Harvey!! It keeps me out of trouble

[YUM]

wow, those rods are beautiful upnorth, the dime in the butt is sooo cool.

[upnorth]

Thanks Yum! The inlay is a little time consuming, but the looks of the end result is nice.

[Northlander]

WOW Upnorth those are some very impressive examples of your work. We have to hook up and you can show me some basics. I like a pretty plain rod but being able to do a flag or walleye would be cool.

[upnorth]

Thanks Northlander!! A walleye would need to be done in a weave and I have yet to get into weaving, but the flags or something on that order would be doable. we can see if we can work something out to show you a few things.

The decorative wraps, etc are just like pin striping a truck or decals on a boat, doesn't enhance the performance, but it really gives a personalized/custom look.

[rodmaker]

Thats what makes rod building fun. You can keep them simple, or do all the fancy stuff.

[so haaad]

This one's a Thorne Bros Walleye Sweetheart.

Here's my trademark stamp that I put on the cork end of my ice rods:

Here's a diamond wrap on the same rod with micro glitter added to the epoxy to make it sparkle (hard to see in the picture).

[upnorth]

Nice stuff. I like the fish skeleton butt cap.

[Dark Cloud]

Very nice builds guys!

Upnorth - your at that next level with some of those wraps! Awesome!

Heres some picts of some builds of mine...

Heres a 12 ft float/centerpin rod im just finishing up. Forecast blank. I just got my first lathe and this was my firat lathe turned handle. A combo of wood, cork, rubber composit cork, and craft foam...

Here is a "switch" fly rod on a Talon blank 11ft 6wt with an amburla burl butt...

The butt comes off and this goes on to use the rod as a centerpin...

Made this butt cap out of a cheap cabnet knob. Lots of options there...

Heres my baby I made last year. A 7ft jigging stick, cabelas blank. The rod is balanced to the weight of the stradic so when I hold the rod with the reel seat between my pinkie and ring finger the rod sits perfectly balanced. And I shortened up the fore grip so I can touch the blank with my pointer finger. The rod with fireline in amazing. I also used recoil type guides and she is lite...

Diamond wrap on the baby...

Another diamond wrap on a diff jigging stick...

An ice rod I made my dad for christmas. I also made one for CNY Timmy that I believe he sleeps with under his pillow.

Built this spring right into the tip with a a single foor fly guide right before it to eliminate the line wrapping on it...

Inlaid an empty 35 rem into the handle. Thats was my dads first deer rifle when he was a kid...

Just built this and love it. A St'croix avid blank I "gently" sanded the last few inches on to soften the tip, then painted the blank a matte grey...

Single foot tich fly quides...

[upnorth]

Dark Cloud, Nice work..

Is that a washer for a sink that you have for a winding check on those ice rods? I have struggled looking for something small for those blanks.

Nice reel seat on that float/centerpin, I am guessing you did some carving/sanding on that one?

[Cooter]

Awesome stuff guys, most of it too beautiful to fish with if you ask me! Just couldn't see diggin in a crawler container and then touching one of those sweeties!

[upnorth]

I build em to fish with. Although I do wipe my hands off after handling a snot rocket

[CNY Tim]

I have had the privelege of running Dark Cloud's glass rods for quite a while and I can attest they are definitely very durable. Jay's glass rods are the finest finesse rods I have owned and the spring bobber rod pictured above is balanced for "pounding". Dark Cloud's building on that Avid for a couple of us right now thanks to Ray he had the blanks! I am sure it will be another must have ice rod just like the other 3 he has made for me. Nice pictures...

[Dark Cloud]

UpNorth - those are sink washers for winding checks. They work almost perfect. Some blanks need a layer or two of wraps to fit snug. I always struggled for something as a check on small diameter blanks and stumbled on that one while digging through dads plumbing box looking for flux...

[upnorth]

That's what I figured...good idea, I may have to steal that one

[broodwich]

Here's my Minnesota Wild Musky rod

some better pics of my walleye rod....it's an eye catcher...all holographic.

[upnorth]

Nicely done!!

[Scott M]

Wow, those are some nice rods. I'm just amazed at the craftsmanship. Some of this stuff should be on the wall, not in the boat!

[Northlander]

Very very nicely done.

[upnorth]

Here is something you won't see at the local sporting goods store.

That is make from discs of Birch Bark glued together and then turned and sanded. The Red Cedar accents are not there just for looks, the Birch Bark will chip/flake off if left on the ends without some protection.

I threw a few of the discs there just to show what they look like.

[so haaad]

Very nice! Are those homemade "discs"?