questions about parts of the rod

[miles]

okay, I got a couple of questions that I want to know so I can Build rods well.

1-what is a popping rod blank? i have no clue what popping means

2-does module rating matter? i know that the higher the rating the more sensitive, is that true or just a sale gimmick?

3-does a gloss finish on a rod damper sensitivity and add weight? or is it just buffed to get the gloss on it?

4-do split grip handles help with weight and sensitivity? if they do, then do you have to buy a kit to make it, or can you make it yourself?

5-what are the best type of guides?

6-can someone tell me more about the flexilite guides? are they the same thing as the recoil guides on some rods? and are they really as light as they claim?

7-i want to make rods with blanks exposed on the reel seat. how to you make sure you get the right seat for the rod? do you try and match the i. d. or what?

8-i know rainshadow makes a 'textured finish' reel seat. its sounds nice. fugi makes a 'soft nonslip seat'. are they the same and are they worth it?

9-what about rosewood reel seats? are they just for looks?

10-waht the hell is I.D. and O.D.?

thanks for your help. hopefully these are the only stupid questions i have to ask.

[rodtrader]

Well, that's a pretty impressive list. I'd suggest you go to this site and use the search function.

http://www.rodbuilding.org

[Mattman]

1 - Popping is a saltwater techinque. A popping cork a foot or so above a hook and a shrimp. Making the cork "pop" in the water attracts fish. They have a slower taper than a Spin Jig or Mag Bass taper.

2 - Modulus matters. But the highest modulus isn't always the best for the intended application. Some lesser companies that really tout their modulus rating are just using it as hype. There is no industry standard for modulus so company A can build a blank using 57MM graphite and add fiberglass and a ton of resin and still call their blank a 57MM blank. Company B can take 45MM graphite and not add fiberglass and only minimal amounts of resin. Company B's 45MM blank is going to be nicer than Company A's 57MM as it is "polluted" less.

3 - Anything added to a rod blank decreases its ability to transmit vibration. Would you notice the difference between a finished and unfinished blank? I highly doubt it.

4 - Split grip handles cut handle weight in half. Reducing overall weight aids in sensitivity. I'm not aware of any premade split grips.

5 - Best is subjective. It depends on what you're looking for. As far as I'm concerned, Fuji's titanium framed SiC guides are the best out there. Cheaper and lighter and outperfom in a few areas the Gold Cermets. Are 30% lighter than Alconites and 15% lighter than standard SiC's. Nearly twice as hard as Alconite. Very corrosion resistant. Top shelf guide in my opinion.

6 - ??? Never heard of them. If they're like Recoils, then I don't need to hear about them. Wire guides are poor excuses for guides in my opinion. I had a customer that after only 6 months of his new rod put a groove in his Recoils with average weekend Bass fishing. You can take a file and easily put a nick in a wire guide. You can saw away at a good ceramic and not even mar the gloss.

7 - You need to measure the blank where the reel seat will be.

8 - The soft seats are really nice. A step up from textured in my opinion.

9 - Pretty much.

10 - ID = inside diameter. OD = outside diameter.

[rodtrader]

6. Flexilite guides are wire guides marketed by Janns netcraft. I have a set but haven't put them on a rod yet. Seem like good quality but how they perform on a rod is yet to be determined.

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/single-foot-guides/284350.aspx

[Mr B]

Matt gave some very good explainations.

As rodtrader said do as much searching/studying on rodbuilding.org as possible. Also get Tom Kirkmans book "Rodbuilding Guide".

[miles]

okay thanks for all the help! janns netcraft actually makes a split grip handle for 25 bucks, so its kinda pricey. if i have any other questions i know where to go, thanks!