Rod build from start to finish.

[shfishinsticks]

This is a photo journal of a rod I built for a friend a few years ago.

The components consist of:
St. Croix Tournament Bass 6'9" ML/XF blank
Fuji Alconite guides in black
Reel Time Designs Drop Shot Weight Keeper (not pictured)
American Tackle Aero reel seat (shaved)
Lamar Manufacturing exotic burl cork
blue burl cork
rubberized cork butt cap
vinyl winding check
Bill Mar smallmouth decal
Bill Mar "Made in USA" decal
custom decal by Decal Connection

 

[shfishinsticks]

This is the development of a cork checkerboard inlay:

1/4" burnt burl and blue burl rings.

The 1/4" blue and burnt rings were glued together and let set-up overnight.


Cutting the pie

Using a checkerboard jig and a coping saw, the rings are cut in to pie pieces.


Pie anyone?

The cut pie before glue-up.


Rough checkerboard rings

Right out of the clap, the rings look pretty rough, but will clean up really nice on the lathe (actually a drill press with a live center mounted on the table.) This was done prior to my acquisition of a real lathe.

 

[shfishinsticks]

Boring the cork rings to a diameter close to that of the blank. This makes the process of fitting the grip to the blank much easier.

Rear grip in cork clamp.

Butt grip in cork clamp.

All the rings were glued together on a mandrel, then placed in a cork clamp.


Shaved reel seat and rough grips

Cut down the barrel of the reel seat to fit the reel foot when locked down. Also removed the grips from the clamps tonight. Gonna fire up the lathe tomorrow and give them some shape.

Note: Reel shown for display purposes only. Not included with the purchase of a rod!

 

[shfishinsticks]

Finished the grips this evening. I had to employ the services of my wife to take the pics so as to not loose any fingers trying to do it myself.

I started by boring the urethane arbor in the reel seat.


Rasp

Sure form file

Flat file

With the grips mounted on a turning mandrel, I rough cut the cork with a rasp, sure form file and flat file to make it concentric

Dust fills the air

Working through different grades of sandpaper, the grips start to take shape.

Measure twice.....cut once!

The reel seat and finished split grip on the mandrel.

 

[shfishinsticks]

Tape was applied to protect the finish while the blank was prepped for epoxy.

Very fine Scotch Brite was used to degloss the paint for better adhesion.

A reamer was chucked in my drill and the butt grip was reamed to fit.

Test fit.

Next, the rear grip was carefully reamed to fit.

The reel seat was reamed by hand.

2 part epoxy was then mixed....

....and applied

 

[shfishinsticks]

My trusty assistant, Tiffany, observed and made sure everything was done right.

The butt grip is installed.

Epoxy is applied for the rear grip.

Rear grip is installed.

Reel seat is installed.

The finished grip installed on the blank.

 

[shfishinsticks]

There are many schools of thought for laying out guides. I chose to use a modified version of Fuji's New Guide Concept System. An overview can be viewed here: https://www.rodbuilding.org/library/newguide.html

rod and reel layed out on the table edge.

Guides taped on in their approximate locations.

A batch of 5min epoxy was mixed to install the butt plug

A reel foot from a broken reel makes a great tool for aligining guides and installing tops.

The top was also installed with 5min epoxy.

 

[shfishinsticks]

Guide prep is a step that many rod manufacturers overlook. Guides have a blunt edge at the end of the foot. The thread will not readily climb up the foot while wrapping if the blunt edge is not removed. Using a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel, I create a ramp for the thread to transition from the blank to the guide.

Prepping a guide

Prepping the hook keep.

all the guides and hook keep are prepped and ready to be wrapped.

 

[shfishinsticks]

With the epoxy set-up, the butt plug needs to be trimmed.

With a razor blade, the excess rubberized cork is removed.

This leaves a less than appealing plug in an otherwise smooth cap.

This is rectified with a few passes of an orbital sander.

An virtually seamless butt cap is the final product.

A Static distribution test is the next step. You want to have the line follow the curvature of the blank with the fewest guides possible.

Using the guide placement acquired the other night, the guides are placed on the rod with small vinyl bands. The reel is attached and the rod placed in a holder. Some Dacron is tied to the tip and attached to the bench. This is used to load the rod during the test. More Dacron run through the guides and a small weight is hung from it (just to keep tension on the line).

light load.

moderate load

heavy load.

If there would have been any flat spots in the line path, the guides would have been added or adjusted to eliminate it.

 

[shfishinsticks]

Got a lot accomplished tonight, however, my photographer was at work. I did the best I could, but it's hard to snap pics with one hand turning a rod and the other hand packing thread.

Guide ready to be wrapped.

Beginning of a wrap with inlay thread added.

half the wrap with completed inlay. It's a single thread spiraled around the rod 5 times (like a barber pole).

Trim bands all in place and tacked down with a dot of color preserver. Once dry, I can trim the whiskers.

Made in USA decal in place

Smallie decal in place.

A coat of color preserver is applied to the threads and the rod is set on the dryer. The color preserver will seal the threads, allowing the them to retain the off the spool color once the finish is applied.

 

[shfishinsticks]

I only wish my pics would do the rod justice.

Here's the pics from lunch, 1st coat of epoxy applied on the above mentioned areas.

1st guide.....1st coat.

Smallie decal & inscription area....1st coat.

USA decal....1st coat.

When I got home from work, epoxy was applied to the remaining guides and a second coat applied to the hook keep and 1st 2 guides.

2nd guide.....2nd coat. The best use I've found for credit cards yet.....applying epoxy!

rod on dryer

 

[shfishinsticks]

I applied the rod labels tonight. They are waterslide decals.

Simple version
Dip in water, they release from the backing, and you place them on the rod.

Long version
A surface prep solvent (Micro Set) is applied to the area where the decal is to be placed.
The decal is dipped in water for a short period of time (5 secs.) and placed face down on the bench.
After about a minute, it will release from the backing.
It is then slid into position on the rod.
A damp paper towel is used to squeegee the excess water from under the decal.
A decal setting/softening solution (Micro Sol) is then applied to the decal. This, for lack of a better word, melts the decal in to the rod. (not really melt, but more like soften and allow to conform to irregular surfaces.

Enough geek talk..here's the pics just after they were placed on the rod.

My logo.

The rod info.

In the morning, a FINAL coat of epoxy will be applied over the decals.

 

[shfishinsticks]

Got Matt's rod all waxed up, line spooled & reel mounted and it's ready to do some serious smallie chasin'! Didn't notice til I posted the pics......please ignore the bird crap on my tonneau.

Inscription area and smallie decal

Split grip

 

[dyeguy1212]

Very, very nice. You do some quality work!

 

[njTom]

All I can say is WOW. Great job on the rod build. You do some quality work =D> =D>

 

[Jim]

great post! =D>

 

[xiong-tech]

wow! it's beautiful! great job you did their.

 

[russ010]

umm... WOW =D>


needless to say, I'm JEALOUS!!!! Great job man

 

[Bugpac]

Very very nice, I to am jealous... If you get a chance, will you please post some pics of your other work, Then two rods hanging from the back of the truck in the picture look like they got some really cool butts on them...

 

[shfishinsticks]