redg8r Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 Ok I'm gettin interested Id love to be able to make my own rods. I have a newB question, what brand of blanks would you recommend for starters, noting that I'll probably screw it up, but I'll keep it forever, being its my first handmade rod. I was thinkin of goin with an Ugly Stick one peice, EVA handles on a spinner outfit, probably medium/fast action & nickel titanium eyes, since they dont last long around here Anyone wanna relate on thier choice for making thier first pole? Oh also, any tips on how to make my own decal to put on the blank, thats a must have Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delw Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 red I built many many rods mainly for steelhead and salmon... Both fly and bait/spinning... the one thing is you wont screw up if you dont epoxy your wraps until your sure its like you want... My first blank was a $400 2 piece grafite blank when they first came out in 1977.... it was a 9.5 foot flyrod... I personally would go with the gloomis rods they run around 150-190... when I get time I am going to build me a set of bass rods all out of glommis blanks........ I havent built one in over 20 years now, but i still have the first lamaglass(it was a browish red) steelhead blank they came out with and a fer fenwick blanks... The lamaglass was an awsum rod for steelies and very sensitive... dont do a 2 piece for your first one cause ferrules are a pain in the butt , do a one piece rod..... Delw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassReeper Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 You can go to www.mudhole.com and look on the specials. You can get a decent rod blank for about $10 to start out with. You can't go wrong for you first one with that. They are blemish blanks and I have yet to find anything wrong as far as I'm concerned. I've got some on the way my self. I love the St. Croix blanks. Get ready, your about to enter a hobby that is addicting....hahahahah IF you want, email me anytime and I will help you out as much as I can. I am just starting out my self. BassReeper@hotmail.com. There is a book out by Tom Kirkman that is awsome on Rodbuilding that would be money well spent.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redg8r Posted May 13, 2003 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 Thanks fellas, Believe it or not you Both said just what I wanted to hear. Del, glad you told me that the wraps dont have to be permanent, that gives me some chance to test without having to start over with a new blank......Sweet, I agree,I want a few High quality rod blanks for myself. Thanks Bassreaper, I'll go have a look on mudhole, If its nearly as addicting as my tackle, I'll need Alot of bargain blanks also, besides the kids go thru about 3 poles a year I'll have to go with the one piece blanks for sure, I got a good sidearm cast & I seem to occasionally cast the top half of my rod along with my bait :oops: :oops: dont ya just love it when that happens? Besides I have about a 20 foot walk to the water so the poles dont need to be broke down & travel alot. I ordered a cabelas (tacklemaking) catalog & on the fist page they had a poor mans setup for wrapping rods, I thought it pretty nifty so I'll pass it along: It had a long cardboard box with a V groove cut in 2 opposing sides, to hold the blank. Then they laid a spool of wrap in a drinking glass & passed the thread through the pages of a thick closed book, for keeping tension on the thread. I thought that was pretty ingenious myself. Thanks Celticav for suggesting this rod forum, are you happy now, im hooked Thanks all of you, Jerry "redg8r" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassReeper Posted May 29, 2003 Report Share Posted May 29, 2003 I have almost completed a pretty neat wrapper/dryer system. I got some plans from a buddy I met and changed them a little for my needs. I'll post a pic. when I have completed it in a few days. Its pretty easy to make and want cost a arm and a leg to make. I'm also working on finishing the drawings for them so I will have plans for those of you interested. Free of coarse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beentheredonethat Posted July 2, 2003 Report Share Posted July 2, 2003 Red - Bet you won't build just one! Try these links: http://www.rodbuilding.org/list.php?f=2 http://www.rodguild.com/bbs/list.php?f=1&collapse=1 Lots of info on those sites. Good members very willing to answer questions. FAQ pages, etc etc. Also the sponsors on those sites are very helpful and informative. I won't get into specific brands....turns into a Chevy vs. Ford type argument. But I will say that the quality gap that was present 10+ years ago has narrowed quite a bit. If you want an offline opinion, shoot me a PM. If you want to get some scrap blanks to test your hone your skills at wrapping guides and applying finish or even making your own reamers, contact Sharon Johnson at AllStar Rods. She will probably ship some freebies to you. btdt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
