Building your own rods ?

[Lunker777]

This is a question for the custom rod builders out there ....

 

How did you get started ?? what have you found is needed (tools, set up, etc.) to do the job ? on a scale of 1-10... how hard is it to do ?

 

Where do you buy blanks from ?

 

I have been thinking about doing this to save some $$$...... There is a new member of the family on the way, so money is going to be tight.

 

Any help would be great

[Roy]

I don't build rods but I'd wager that you'd need to build MANY rods to offset the startup costs.

[Spiel]

Here's some good introductory reading....

 

http://www.rodbuilding.org/faq.html

[Guest ThisPlaceSucks]

my rod building is still in its infancy. i got started building on a cardboard box using 2 physics text books to keep tension on the thread. as far as tools, you don't NEED a lot but every single tool you have makes the job much more manageable and less frustrating. to start i'd recommend a cork reamer, a burnishing tool, and sharp cutting tools (small scissors, straight razors). now i've invested a few hundred dollars into tools of the job and i can bust out a rod in a few days.

 

i won't rate it on a scale of 1-10. i think it will depend on how patient you are. inevitably you are going to have some frustrations so it's all a matter of developing patience and knowing when to walk away.

 

i have bought blanks from mudhole but i stopped because of constant backorder problems, picking errors, and stuff missing altogether. recently i have been buying from http://www.rodbuildersupplies.com/

 

 

 

thus far, i don't feel like i'm necessarily "saving" any money. the components aren't that cheap and shipping costs are nuts but i do feel like i get a better rod for the same money i would have spent anyways...sort of a skewed version of saving money...

[Rodwrap]

DANGER Will Robinson..You're about to embark on a voyage to the DARKSIDE

 

 

I started in 1972( hi school), when I went to work at a local rod plant. The owner also had a sporting goods store where I worked summers. It was a natural that I'd get into building. I really dug into it in 1978 when I discoverd "RodCrafters" with Dale Clemens becoming a mentor.

 

As far as equipment, I also started with a wooden box with V-grooves cut into the sides, put the thread in a cup & ran it thru a thick book for tension. I built a lot of rods that way before "tooling up".

 

If you're doing it to save money...forget it,unless you're only gonna build 3-4 rods. It's very addictive, & the personal satisfaction of building your own is very rewarding. But, if the bug hits hard,& you decide to really delve into it & learn all about blank construction, actions, tapers, then the creative threadwork & handle construction, you'll need a second job to fund your habit.

 

I have accumulated enough rodbuilding stuff including 2 Clemens lathes($1000+ ea), wood lathe,drill press, etc.etc. to fill a 13'X 24" building. Well over $15K here, & if I kick the bucket, someone will get it all for pennies on the dollar

 

Everyone needs a hobby, but, there IS a limit

 

 

 

 

 

my rodshop helper:

 

If you decide to take this voyage, just ask for help, I will if I can.

I've had very good luck with Mudhole.

[DRIFTER_016]

Well over $15K here, & if I kick the bucket, someone will get it all for pennies on the dollar

 

Everyone needs a hobby, but, there IS a limit

 

 

No need for somebody to get it for pennies on the dollar, just leave it to me in your will!!!!

 

Forget about saving $$$ too, ain't gonna happen.

[umKthxbye]

Wow, that's insane. I just started my first yesterday. I think my GF would kill me if had that much. I wish I did though, been trying to find a sewing machine for dirt cheap to make a lathe. Nice threading, don't think I could do that.

[muddler]

I started mine in the late 60's. I read an article by Ron Linder about using light lines (6-8 lb) and long rods (9ft). Well I couldn't find one like that so I bought a cheap 9 ft 3 piece fly rod and stripped it down. A company called "Vance Bros" in Tillsonberg had some rod building parts so I ordered those. Built and rebuilt (4 times) my first custom rod. Since I didn't have clue what I was doing, it was all trial and error. Finally got it right, learned a lot. Worked like charm. Caught a lot of fish with it.

 

Ordered Dale Clements books and then ordered balnks and parts from him later. Back then Canada and US post would not ship anything over 3ft(I think) long so it can by truck. Ordered a lot of stuff to keek shipping cost down.

 

Since then All my rods except the loners are all custom built. I've gone away from the fancy wraps as it attracts too much attention. Instead I focus on rod performance and quality parts.

 

My kids have custom rods to fit thier little hands when they were small. I used the smallest of fly rod seats for the reel seats on thier unders pins. As they got older I built new rods to suit thier needs.

 

As for start up tools, it was not that much. I turned all my handles by hand using a rasp and sandpaper. Worked slowly and only screwed up one in all the years. Graduated to a sewing machine foot controlled motor with a chuck and bearing stands to speed up the process.

 

A cork press was home made from a threaded rod cut in half and attached to two pieces of wood with wing nuts at the top for tightening the clamp.

 

Got a small wood lathe from CTC once to turn reel interts and decorative wood for handles.

 

Made my own rod wrapper using the same bearing stands and a home made spring loaded thread holder.

 

An old BBQ rotating motor was adapted for turning the rod over night while the epoxy rod varnish hardend. V shaped stands with felt in the grooves for holding up the rod.

 

Probably didn't save any real money but all my rods are built to my specifications. No cheap short cuts. Each rod performs flawlessly, just the way I wanted.

 

Building your own will probably get you to take better care of them than if you bought a rod. I have over 100 rods now and I only broke two in over 40 years. One on a huge musky and the second on a door slam. My rods are NEVER left in the boat while I travel. Wrapped in a blanket in the car to prevent nicks while travelling. When fishing and going to a new spot I do everything I can to protect the rods from bang on each other. These are now one of a kind and irreplaceable. Oen of the nicest comments I got this year was from a teenager that commented on my "New rod", it was ove 40 years old.

 

Fantastic hobby. Lots of information now in the internet. Enjoy. You will look at comercial rods much differntlt afterward.

 

muddler

[landry]

Wow - you guys are hardcore!!!! Nice set-ups and wrapping. I am proud of my ties but they are way less artistic.

You can tie your first rod with zero start-up costs though.

Correct - you will not likely save much if any $$$$$ - especially with all of the fairly good 100 buck rods out there now.

I like mudhole.com MHX blanks a lot. They are cloned after IMX blanks are light and very affordable. Each rod will still cost you a 100+ though, but you will have built it just like you want and that is the one and only reason to build rods IMO.

Check out mudhole's site. I have tied up 3 rods from them and they are all really nice. If you order a few at once then that drives the price down nicely. Their prices on blanks and components are way better than local prices.

 

Landry