miles Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 okay, so i am getting into the whole lure making thing and i want to try rod building. it seems like i can cut a good amount of money and make just the right type of rod i want, exactly how i want it. one question i have it the rod dryer, the thing with the motor that dries the epoxy, they are really expensive! i saw one on ebay for like 30 bucks brand new(the guy made them and guarenteed that it would work great) but they arent on there anymore. i want to know where i can get one for cheap. the other question is, is it worth it? i can see myself taking orders from guys at work(seeing that i work at bass pro) for custom rods. but is the profit good enough to do it? please tell me yalls opinion and anything else that you might think will help. THANKS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattman Posted April 4, 2007 Report Share Posted April 4, 2007 My two cents... If you're looking to save money, walk away right now. You will be dissapointed. Even when buying components wholesale you really are only saving money on the high dollar rods. If you're looking to get the exact rods you want, then you have a legit reason to start. Cabela's has a motor, motor only, for around $20. You could scavenge an old rotisserie motor too. Quite honestly, "get one for cheap" is the wrong attitude. Why would you skimp on one of the most important tools you could buy at this stage? That's what gives your rod a good finish. I do it because I really enjoy doing it. The money is secondary. I took part in the RodMaker survey on building and found I was at about the national average for what I charge. It certainly isn't a money maker for me and I make a whole lot more at my real job. If I were trying to make a living at this, I'd have to be charging more. And actively chasing custom rod work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles Posted April 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2007 right, i have heard that quite a bit. you may turn 20 bucks out from one rod, but thats not going to even cover your labor. so im mainly doing it to make rods for a hobby/getting just the right rod i want. im 17, and im really getting into lure making. i am attempting to make soft plastics, pours jigs, and make spinnerbaits, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattman Posted April 5, 2007 Report Share Posted April 5, 2007 It takes a while to get good at it. There is a big learning curve between your first rod and you fifth rod. Then there is another point after twenty five or so rods. I started out having absolutely no intention of starting a business. I built for family and close friends for the cost of parts. A good trade for the experience and education as far as I was concerned. After a couple of years I started getting contacted by people I didn't know to build them rods. It was at that point that I felt my skills were high enough to actually start charging for. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles Posted April 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2007 yeah, thats what im kinda thinking. just play around with it and start by making some cheaper rods for practice. it will be fun, and im looking forward to it. im will be taking a class at cabelas, its 60 bucks, they supply everything(and pay for the rod, too) and they show me all the way through. oh, and get this-i work at bass pro so i will get pro staff deals. and thats on rod blanks, too. so i will be saving even more money there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattman Posted April 5, 2007 Report Share Posted April 5, 2007 Getting to do that at Cabela's will be great. You won't have to invest in any tools or anything. Great way to get your feet wet. You'll get to find out for sure if its for you and see what tools you'll really need to get started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrazyFish Posted April 25, 2007 Report Share Posted April 25, 2007 Matt is dead on about not doing it to build a rod for less of a cost. Just not the case and certainly not when you consider the amount of time you spend building a rod. Once you pick a quality blank, reel seat, guides, thread, clear coat, grips, etc, etc........you've got a lot of money into a rod. But, it is a great hobby and, if you get good and rather fast at turnign rods, you can build for a few bucks on the side. I do it so I can build technique specific rods......really, technique specific, not just because a rod says it's a spinnerbait rod or a crankbait rod. The rods I build are for specific types of cranks or weights of spinnerbaits or worm rods, etc. It is truly amazing what you can do when you know what you want and the hours on the water to be very creative about what makes a better fit.......good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
