First build,any advice?

[flymoron]

after reading this forum and watching about 3 hrs of you tube videos. I think that I might be ready to take the plunge and build a fly rod. I am not looking for something fancy or high-tech.

any advice/recommendations/shortcuts would be appreciated

flymoron

 

[ianhughscott]

Take it slow and easy on your first round. I'll bet once you've built one, you'll be bit by the rod building bug.

My advice is to use the best cork you can get your hands on for the handle, don't use thick epoxy on the guide wraps - go for an epoxy that is thinner and has a long pot life.

Getting neat epoxy finish lines is often one of the most frustrating and challenging parts of rod building for a beginner. You might want to practice this on an unwanted blank before you attempt it on your first rod. Practice holding the brush while turning the rod to get a nice straight line with just enough epoxy overlapping the blank from the thread.

Unless you want the transparent look of regular thread with no color preserver, I recommend using color preserver even on NCP thread. NCP thread tends to be bulkier and holds more air. Using color preserver on thread helps to get the air out before you apply the epoxy and reduces risk of bubbles in the dried finish.

 

[Auntie Em]

Go at your own pace (read that as SLOW!!). Have fun. If you get frustrated, walk away for a while. Practice, practice, practice. There are no set in stone rules ... at least none that cannot be bent. And most of all, have fun!

 

[gwozdz]

I would start out with an inexpensive blank to practice on. Also, visit as many forums as you can and take notes on what has worked for individuals. The toughest part will be the handle. Think it through since you usually have just one shot at this. A trick I have found is that if the diameter of a certain section of blank is too small, don't use masking tape or cork tape to build it up. I would smear on a thin layer of epoxie, then roll that section in cork dust. Apply as much as will stick. If you need to, sand that section a little and repeat until you have a diameter where the grip or reel seat will fit snuggly. For bigger diameter problems, glue on cheap cork rings and sand them down to the proper diameter. For the reel seat, I leave space between the rings.

 

[billydafish]

See thats what scares me off from rod building... the uncertainty of it. Unless you just wanna try it because, of course. For guys who are addicted to mid/high end gear its off-putting as well. I know people, who build and sell on eBay, but even they mess up occassionally.

 

[Guest1]

I have only built about a million of 'em. As you go along on this, give me a pm at anytime you have a problem and I'll help you figure it out. If we need to PM me a phone number and I'll call you.
Dan

On second thought, give me a pm before you have a problem.

 

[arkman]

As far as epoxy goes, give Prokote from mudhole a try. It has an extremely long pot life compared to the others I tried.

I've never tried these blanks but I've heard that Sevier Manufacturing makes really good blanks for a cheap price. I've also heard that The Anglers Roost has a nice rod blank for a low price

 

[swirlchaser]

You guys my change my outlook on building fly rods. I've built all my spinning and conventional rods since I was 16. I've never built a fly rod due to the warranty. If you break a custom rod you only get a new blank. This leaves you with the cost of new grips, seat and you have to build it again. I break alot of flyrods... The prices of some of these blanks you guys have listed may make that risk worth while. Thanks, just what I needed. More reason to be locked in my basement...:icon_eek:

 

[dean_mt]

It's not rocket science...it's rod building! It is a lot fun and can be a lot of frustration. But then just walk away. You can always unwrap your guides and reposition, re-wrap, etc before epoxying. If you are going to use trim wraps, that will be the most difficult, but there are a few tricks I've seen and I'm sure some of the pros here can help.

Are you going to use a pre-formed handle or cork rings? You'll probably save a little $$ using rings and you'll have to turn/shape it. But that adds to the custom nature and one of the reasons to build your own. Don't use too much epoxy between rings! I did that once and I can feel little hard ridges along my handle.

Is it ok to mention other forum sites here? The rod building forum is a really great site because it is dedicated to one thing, rod building.

I am going to start a new rod soon, too. It's been quite a few years so I will be chiming in for some advice, too. I built a little wrapping jig last weekend. I will start a thread and post some pics as I get started.

Good luck, keep us up to date and have fun! It is really rewarding.

 

[Guest1]

It's not rocket science...it's rod building! It is a lot fun and can be a lot of frustration. But then just walk away. You can always unwrap your guides and reposition, re-wrap, etc before epoxying. If you are going to use trim wraps, that will be the most difficult, but there are a few tricks I've seen and I'm sure some of the pros here can help.

Good advice, nothing is a mistake till it has finish on it, or it's epoxied in place.

Are you going to use a pre-formed handle or cork rings? You'll probably save a little $$ using rings and you'll have to turn/shape it. But that adds to the custom nature and one of the reasons to build your own. Don't use too much epoxy between rings! I did that once and I can feel little hard ridges along my handle.

Actually the price of cork rings nice enough to use you won't save any money. The last really nice cork I bought cost me $3.50 a ring, that's $7 dollars an inch for 7 inches or $49. I used the same rings on this spey rod, and there is 11 inches of cork there. A really nice pre-made grip will run you in the $22 zone. If you are a little less picky you can get a fair pre-made for maybe $12 or so. The ridges are from not clamping the rings together tight enough. Use a cork clamp. You can make your own pretty cheap. If you are interested, I'll send anyone who wants a photo. Pretty self explanatory.

 

[williamhj]

Since you started this thread a number of months ago, you may already have your first rod built, but I thought I'd chime in anyways, just in case someone else reads through starting their first build.
I read Fly Rod Building Made Easy and it was amazingly helpful for me. I second the advice about taking it slow, wrap and rewrap, then rewrap again. Like someone else said, nothing is permanent unless you cut the blank with your razor or put epoxy on it.
I love making my own grips - it's great to work in rubberized, burl, and burnt cork for a unique look. It's nice to sand it down to the size you want for yourself.
To really take the mystery out of it, buy a kit that has all the pieces or follow the plans on the Batson website. I found it wasn't until I started doing it that it really started to make sense to me.
I write this as a newbie myself - build my first rod last Fall - an 8wt. Since I've built a 5wt (which I broke in Colorado) and a 3wt and am almost done with a replacement 5, and working on a 6, and then on to two bamboo blanks. It's addicting.

 

[mojo]

One little trick when putting epoxy on the thread, especially for beginners, is to get some 3 M Fineline tape. It's the kind of tape that custom painters use when flaming gas tanks, fenders etc. on motorcycles or flames on car hoods. It comes in different widths. It's like narrow masking tape but paint or epoxy won't penetrate. Wrap it around the rod where you want the epoxy to end on each guide thread, put your epoxy on and about 5 minutes after you've put the rod on your turner, pull off the tape. It'll give it a perfect edge feathering into the rod.