shfishinsticks

Exactly what thedude said. The bumper system just adds a guide half way between the bottom 2 guides to keep the line from touching the blank.

I think the solvent was the issue. Plastic knife and a hair dryer will remove it just fine, especially if it's still soft.

I've never used AmTak finish, so I'm not farmiliar with the cure time. If your workspace is less than 70*, it will take longer than normal to cure. Did you pour all the solvent off the Testors before you mixed it in? That could be the reason for the slow cure. Possibly, you used too much pigment, also adding to the cure time. For epoxy, application thickness has no effect on cure. As for the fingerpring, we've all done it at one time or another! Next time, stick your thumb on the leftover stuff to see if it's cured, not the rod.

Detailed instructions for this wrap are in Rod Maker 10-2 http://rodmakermagazine.com/cgi-bin/shop/index.cgi?page=backissues.html

the quick version: base wrap 2 colors of thread at the same time, side by side. burnish, apply CP and a coat of finish. wrap 2 different colors over the cured finish in opposite direction of base wrap. (1 color will be removed, it's just a spacer). Remove spacer thread. Apply cp and coat of finish.

I haven't tried the marble yet either, but the holo/tiger wrap is pretty easy. Here's my first one. I wish they showed up better in pictures.

Good job ! You gotta build them to be comfortable for you. I use the Am Tak Aero seats backwards on my personal rods. The way I hold the reel (pinkie behind reel foot, 3 fingers in front), it's the most comfortable. backwards puts all the threads behind my grip.

Actually, I think it would look sharp in metallic silver or metallic gold, depending on the blank color and how you are trimming your rod. There woud be no background. It would be floating on the blank

Casting rod with trigger reel seat? Drill a 3/32" hole through the the trigger near the tip. nothing to buy....nothing to wrap....nothing to coat.

Using USPS: 2 weeks ago, I sent 2-7' finished rods to a customer in NY. 3" cardboard tube, $300 insurance and no tracking #....cost me $18.95?!?! Last week, I sent 2-7' blanks back to AmTak in Florida. 1" PVC tube, $150 insurance, and tracking #....cost me $8.90 I'm still trying to figure out the difference. I think it was a combination of the heavy cardboard and the extra insurance. I'll NEVER ship in cardboard again. Customer said the tube was twisted and unwrapping when he got it. No damage to the rods though. Why is it when I receive blanks in cardboard, there's never an issue, but when I ship in cardboard, it gets destroyed?

I like the rubberized cork too. but have used the aluminum/rubber butt caps too. They are made by Pac Bay. I get mine from Merrick, but I think Mudhole carries them too.

Great tubes for the big pond. Some really nice colors. My favorites are emerald shiner and St. Clair Goby. Check out his ebay store. There's more colors listed there. http://www.combat-bassfishing.com/tubebaits.php more big tubes. These ones are pretty FAT. http://www.ohioprolure.com/c-7-super-tubes.aspx

When I'm fishin nothing but bridge piers on a particular river....It's a pretty BIG reason to go with a spinning rod.

I fish DS on a slack line. Typically I see my line twitch or when I pick up the slack, there's the weight of the fish. The only hits I feel are when the fish pulls up the slack. As for the spinning rod, the structure I fish would be impossible to do with a casting rod. There's no way to cast to a bridge pier and get a true vertical drop (20'+) all the way to the bottom with a casting setup. I have plans to build my next tube rod with a Tenn. grip.

I charge $5 + cost of tip to replace them. cost of tips can range from $1 to $10 and up.