# Anyone build rods?



## kickinbass (May 25, 2009)

Im thinking about starting to make my own rods and wondered if any guys on here would like to share their thoughts on the whole process. I've done some hw but I'm not sure yet. Any help on getting started would b great. Thx


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## grub_man (Feb 28, 2005)

kickinbass,

I build rods. We have a group that gets together once a month for breakfast and to talk rod building. We usually meet in or around Canton, which is a bit of a hike from Woodsfield, but you are more than welcome to join us. We haven't set our next date yet, but it's usually the second Sat. of the month, so it will probably be Dec. 8. You can follow our group and watch for important dates on the ORBS page.

As far as getting started, Tom Kirkman's book "Rod Building Guide" is a great resource. It's short enough that you can read the whole thing in one or two sittings, and it teaches all of the basics that you need to know very well. As far as gathering stuff together for your first build, you don't need anything fancy. I'm still wrapping on the first jig that I put together about 5 years ago when I started building. It's not perfect, but it is simple and effective.

As far as some thoughts on the whole process,

Think about what you want in the handle, as this is the most customizable area of the rod. Grip length, and design are important to the ergonomics of the rod. By choosing lengths and designs that are comfortable for you, rather than what a manufacturer thinks will suit the masses makes a difference.

There is a lot of info out there on guide trains. While the guide train design for spinning rods takes a bit more attention to detail, guide trains are more forgiving than you might think. Follow the instructions for whichever method you want and you'll be building rods that perform better than factory rods pretty quickly.

As far as tools to gather, I've never been the most efficient with hand tools. A nice set of reamers is very useful for fitting grips and reel seats. I use the Batson Dream Reamers. If you do some looking, you can usually find them at a pretty fair price from some suppliers. I dried a lot of rods by hand, but if you can find a rod dryer or make one from a small, low RPM motor, you won't have to dedicate a few hours to babysitting the rod. Just make sure that you secure your drying motor in place. Many of them will walk around a bit and can fall off the table. Other than that, an exacto knife, scissors (small scissors from the scrapbooking section work well. I use cutter bees.), a burnishing tool, and finish brushes (I use ox hair brushes from ACE Hardware.) Oh, and pick up some epoxy brush cleaner. It's very effective at cleaning brushes so you can reuse them.

As far as choosing a finish, they all work well, but you may want to try a few until you find one that works best for you. It's important to note that finish epoxy and adhesive epoxy are different things. The finish is just that a finish. It doesn't adhere well to things. Adhesive epoxies are meant to keep things in place. For grip assembly, you can get by with 5min or longer cure epoxy, but I prefer a paste epoxy like rod bond. They don't flow, so you don't have to worry about it dripping everywhere while you are assembling the rod. For cleanup, you don't need any harsh solvents. Isopropyl alcohol from the drug store is very effective for most anything you use in rod building. I use 91% IPA.

If you need any help with component selection or anything else, just let me know.

Joe


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## Capt. Crude (Nov 2, 2012)

Janns Netcraft would have everything described above.. You can get a catalog off their website..


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## kickinbass (May 25, 2009)

Thank you both very much. I did come across the Jann's Net website and saw some good stuff. I have also been on mudhole tinkering around with the components there to. I looked the book up by Tom Kirkman Grub Man suggested, should have it in a few days. Would either of you suggest ordering some lower end stuff before making a high end rod to get some practice in? Also, I've been looking at winding checks and see many different size options. I found a chart on mudhole that shows the size at various points on the blank for their blanks, whats the best way to go about ordering these components for rods I don't have a chart for? Special thanks to Grub Man for the invite and indepth response.


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## grub_man (Feb 28, 2005)

It depends on what you want to do. When I started, I dove in and built my first couple rods on top shelf blanks and tapered graphite tubes for split grips. The rods have their flaws. I built them as my dream rods to suit my style of fishing and haven't regretted it since. Since then my builds have been to fill out my set and niche builds on lower and mid modulus blanks. If having something that is aesthetically flawless is important to you, then start with some lower end stuff. Even the cheapest blanks available to builders, when built with a custom builder's attention to detail will impress you and fish quite well.

As far as sizing the winding checks, it's much easier with the blank in hand and the grip mocked up. You can take the measurements where the checks will be on your rod. Each blank is going to have a bit different taper, so unless you have a chart like Mud Hole offers on the MHX blanks, it can be tough to get the sizing correct. Here's a bit of advice that I should heed more often (I don't use a lot of winding checks and other components for flair on my personal rods). When it comes to things like tip tops and winding checks, it doesn't hurt to order one size larger and one size smaller than what you need, just in case it doesn't fit properly, and you start to build a stockpile of supplies.

One other very useful tip. When you get ready to build your first spinning rod, you'll need to size your guides properly from the reel to the first small guide. Buy a set of each size from at least 25mm down to 6mm in the various spinning frame styles. Keep them on hand. You will then have a set to draw from for any layout, and if you choose to use titanium frames or guides with coated frames and rings, you'll be able to layout the rod and only order the sizes you need of the expensive guides. The sets of guides might set you back $40 or $50, but they come in handy. They are also useful for comparing the heights and weights of various frame styles. My problem is that I keep borrowing from my sets .

Joe


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## billk (Feb 2, 2008)

Built a few myself, mostly heavy offshore saltwater stuff,about ten years ago.

Check out Mudhole Custom Tackle as well.


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## j_blocker1 (Apr 6, 2004)

building rods and later catching fish on them has probably been my best outdoor experience. grub mans got you straight, my experience mirrors his with the exception that i started on cheap 2nd blanks i found on ebay and all of them are still fishing. You'll learn something new with each rod you build. Janns and mudhole are two good spurces. mudholes catalog use to have directions in it to get started. One tool I use that most dont is a fly tying bobbin to wind thread, i never could get the book method to work for me. I've spent many hours turning newly coated guides a motor will be nice if you plan on building many


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## sbreech (Jun 6, 2010)

Joe (Grub Man) is spot on. He built a custom ultralight casting rod for my dad, and it is a total beauty. He built a rod type for us that is not readily available already made on the market, and I must say, it has a much nicer finish than any manufactured rod we have, and my dad absolutely loves it. my dad has always been the kind to cast out the unweighted bass buster worms, and what Joe built is perfect.


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## nitsud (May 22, 2010)

I have nothing like the experience that Joe does, but I built my first rod earlier this year for saltwater and/or bigass hybrid fly fishing:

http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/community/showthread.php?t=200679

Needed a quick update anyway. I had a good time with my first build. The next will be better.


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