[STx Fisherman]

I finally finished wrapping my first spiral wrap rod tonight....err....early this Friday morning. I know that if you want to make your rod look fancy....you have to take your time. I figured....screw the artwork....I need to finish this rod to try it out whenever we get our next window to fish! Anyway.....here are some pics.

Rod building is fun...but can be a PITA....and a few explitives seem to come out.
I hope to epoxy the guides tomorrow....

 

[jureal]

Is it just an illusion or do I see a 4 or 5 guide transition? I always use a three guide transition as is recommended. The 4th guide should already be at the 180 degree.

 

[STx Fisherman]

Yes....you're right. I intended to do a three guide transition but screwed up. I left out the 10 degree guide. But...after thinking about it...I decided to experiment. I ended up splitting the difference to get the extra transition guide. It is somewhere between a simple spiral and a slow spiral. I think it will work just fine.

 

[Bret]

looks good Richard..

 

[Ragman]

Hey, I'm just impressed with your rod-building station!

Look forward to reading about how your extra guide performs and you get a fish that really shows you how the blank can perform.

 

[Guest]

richard
it looks great. as soon as you get it completed we need to take it offshore and get the fore grips tuna slimed and the rest of it covered in fish blood. for some reason i was expecting to see some burnt orange on that rod somewhere....rick

 

[papio]

Hey folks, I don't know much about spiral wrap rods but recall reading some info that it suppose to prevent twisting or ease pressure somewhere. So if that's the case, why would you need a gimbal if a fighting belt is still required?

 

[STx Fisherman]

If you hook into a huge AJ...a gimbal would be pretty nice to have.

 

[MrBill]

This is off topic, but is that your fish cleaning table? It looks like a top to a screened in fish house. If so, what is the purpose of the grooves on the bullnose of the stainless steel front edge? I like the look of the grooves.

I always put a gimbal on every rod. My main reason is it keeps the rod in place when placed in a rod holder. Rods get damaged when they spin around in a boat. I also have some storage area's that require a gimbal for rod storage.

I keep a Rod Hunki near by on my boat for light to med weight rods. Medium/heavy rods I use a aluminum belt pad. 50W to 80W size reels, a harness is really needed for a long battle on a private boat.

I was hoping to see the wrapping done in a maroon and white pattern. Didn't you name your new boat "Gig Em"? Hope to see you on the water this year. I think the rod looks great for guy that eats at Floyd's.

 

[STx Fisherman]

I used to have a pharmacy that produced sterile intravenous products for home health agencies. What you see in the pictures is a sterile product preparation cabinet which we call an I.V. hood. The grid in the back is really a huge HEPA filter. The grooves on the bullnose is also an air current item that keeps dust and bacteria out of the "clean" area. I closed the pharmacy about ten years ago but I still have the I.V. hood. This bench works great for building a short fishing rod. I can turn the fans on when epoxying the guides to keep dust off of the rod.

 

[mike garone]

does your rod bend under load in the transition section? I try to make my transitions before the section of the rod that bends alot under load. The first spiral i did had 1/2 of the transition section on the part of the rod that bent a good amount under load. I felt that the rod wanted to turn a little when fully loaded. I ended up redoing the transition section using only one transition guide and I am much happier with the results.

 

[STx Fisherman]

Thanks for the info....

No...the main bend in the rod is up high....it is an 80 lb. rod.
I haven't had a chance to put a load on the rod yet. The second coat of epoxy is on the rod and it's going to turn all night long. I understand that you're supposed to leave the rod alone for about a week as it dries and cures.
I will try to put a load on it next weekend and see how the guide placement worked out.