Starting from nothing 2024
AustinHellickson reply :
Hello, i have recently been interested in making a rod.
i have never done anything like this, closest thing was making a wooden canoe.
what should i look into as i start?
what is a good, cheap rod blank to look into as i start?
any advice will be looked into!
thank you all
(would make either bait caster or spinning)
Fishinthefish reply :
Mudhole is a great resource for purchasing rod building items, they even have starter kits, and tutorials. The starter kits come in rod building tools, as well as low end rod building kits that wont break the bank that you can cut your teeth on to get started.
AustinHellickson reply :
On 1/18/2018 at 7:30 AM, Fishinthefish said:Mudhole is a great resource for purchasing rod building items, they even have starter kits, and tutorials. The starter kits come in rod building tools, as well as low end rod building kits that wont break the bank that you can cut your teeth on to get started.
Thank you for your input!
have you ever build a rod? if so how hard was it, and what was the trickiest part?
are there any things not included in the kit i should get?
Fishinthefish reply :
Yes I have built rods, back when I owned a home in Illinois I had enough room to do so in my garage. Now that I'm in Georgia I'm in an apartment until we can qualify for a home loan and I'll get back into building then. As far as not included in the kit, in a fantasy world you're going to want everything they sell. What I would do just starting out, and what I did do is go ahead and watch the tutorials first, read some of the already posted information on tools used. And watch and learn what the absolute basics are for what you're trying to accomplish. You can get away with minimum tools if you're trying to just do a cookie cutter basic build where as more advanced techniques like marbling will require more advanced tools. I don't know what your budget is, but in my opinion this is going to be your best bet for a starting kit. http://www.mudhole.com/Professional-Rod-Building-Start-Up-Supply-Kit-FSB-3 It is expensive, but we do it for the love of fishing, and the art of the rods. Not to be cheap, if cheap was the goal Ugly Stik will do just fine. You can also look into rod building classes in your area, Mudhole does a year circuit for traveling and teaching how to build a rod.
Angry John reply :
I have to agree a kit was what I got. Never had the nack for wrapping guides.
Yeah I was responding to the mud hole kit but a response was inserted in the middle. I tried a kit with the basics and guide wrapping was not for me.
AustinHellickson reply :
On 1/18/2018 at 8:08 AM, Angry John said:I a have to agree a kit was what I got. Never had the nack for wrapping guides.
??
Angry John reply :
On 1/18/2018 at 8:09 AM, AustinHellickson said:??
Fixed above
AustinHellickson reply :
On 1/18/2018 at 8:08 AM, Fishinthefish said:Yes I have built rods, back when I owned a home in Illinois I had enough room to do so in my garage. Now that I'm in Georgia I'm in an apartment until we can qualify for a home loan and I'll get back into building then. As far as not included in the kit, in a fantasy world you're going to want everything they sell. What I would do just starting out, and what I did do is go ahead and watch the tutorials first, read some of the already posted information on tools used. And watch and learn what the absolute basics are for what you're trying to accomplish. You can get away with minimum tools if you're trying to just do a cookie cutter basic build where as more advanced techniques like marbling will require more advanced tools. I don't know what your budget is, but in my opinion this is going to be your best bet for a starting kit. http://www.mudhole.com/Professional-Rod-Building-Start-Up-Supply-Kit-FSB-3 It is expensive, but we do it for the love of fishing, and the art of the rods. Not to be cheap, if cheap was the goal Ugly Stik will do just fine. You can also look into rod building classes in your area, Mudhole does a year circuit for traveling and teaching how to build a rod.
Awesome man thank you so much! i may do this because it looks like a good deal and includes a lot:
http://www.mudhole.com/CRB-2-Piece-Freshwater-Turnkey-Rod-Kits?quantity=1&custcol_kit_application=1&custcol_kit_handle_assembly=2&custcol_kit_guide_set=2&custcol_kit_equipment=1
or i may just do the blank with eyes and grip, thoughts?
On 1/18/2018 at 8:08 AM, Angry John said:I have to agree a kit was what I got. Never had the nack for wrapping guides.
Yeah I was responding to the mud hole kit but a response was inserted in the middle. I tried a kit with the basics and guide wrapping was not for me.
was guide wrapping hard? what was the most difficult part for making the rod?
Angry John reply :
I built the lower end with handle found the spine, did the reel seet, and spaced and aligned the guides. Wrapping and filing down the feet was something that I feel is best learned with a mentor or in a class.
Fishinthefish reply :
I apologize I realized I didn't answer one of your questions so I'll answer it here. Guide wrapping and waiting for epoxy to dry and set, and admitting defeat and redoing the wrap and epoxy in certain areas was the most difficult aspect of rod building. I'm an impatient and high energy person by nature, so slowing down to do these things with meticulous detail was incredibly difficult for me to do, and in trying to rush it I wasted a lot of materials and time but learned my lesson. Rods don't build themselves over night, slow down, take your time. Love what you're doing in the moment as well and it'll go a lot smoother than if you just rush to get to the finish product.
AustinHellickson reply :
On 1/18/2018 at 8:20 AM, Angry John said:I built the lower end with handle found the spine, did the reel seet, and spaced and aligned the guides. Wrapping and filing down the feet was something that I feel is best learned with a mentor or in a class.
awesome, thank you!
On 1/18/2018 at 8:21 AM, Fishinthefish said:I apologize I realized I didn't answer one of your questions so I'll answer it here. Guide wrapping and waiting for epoxy to dry and set, and admitting defeat and redoing the wrap and epoxy in certain areas was the most difficult aspect of rod building. I'm an impatient and high energy person by nature, so slowing down to do these things with meticulous detail was incredibly difficult for me to do, and in trying to rush it I wasted a lot of materials and time but learned my lesson. Rods don't build themselves over night, slow down, take your time. Love what you're doing in the moment as well and it'll go a lot smoother than if you just rush to get to the finish product.
lol no problem man, thank you for your help, i am the same way as you are, i rush to get things done and slowing down will definitely be hard for myself
if you got a chance can you help me see if these are a good value, never looked at anything like it... it looks to be an all in 1 kit
Fishinthefish reply :
That kit looks like it'd get you started quite well. I'd also heavily consider a power wrapper, it makes wrapping guides and drying epoxy so much easier.
AustinHellickson reply :
On 1/18/2018 at 8:29 AM, Fishinthefish said:That kit looks like it'd get you started quite well. I'd also heavily consider a power wrapper, it makes wrapping guides and drying epoxy so much easier.
Awesome, it looks to be a little out of my budget for now. is the epoxy good enough quality? (propaste brand) i am watching youtube videos on how to make rods right now.... my main concern would be making sure the guides are lined up... what is the easiest way to be sure they are lined up? the guy i am watching now looks to be lining up on the spine of the rod.
Fishinthefish reply :
You're going to have to find the rod spine first, and then you'll use the marker provided to mark the spine of the rod, placing your guides along the mark youve made.
AustinHellickson reply :
On 1/18/2018 at 8:36 AM, Fishinthefish said:You're going to have to find the rod spine first, and then you'll use the marker provided to mark the spine of the rod, placing your guides along the mark youve made.
thank you, i will look at it and see what i can do, your the best!
Fishinthefish reply :
Not a problem, if you have any issues or questions feel free to send me a message. I check this website far more than I'm willing to admit.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
Start slow. Rod building is an awesome craft but not for everyone. I recommend hand wrapping and hand drying the first couple. It's a little tedious but gives you great insight into how epoxy behaves as it sets.
AustinHellickson reply :
On 1/18/2018 at 9:18 AM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:Start slow. Rod building is an awesome craft but not for everyone. I recommend hand wrapping and hand drying the first couple. It's a little tedious but gives you great insight into how epoxy behaves as it sets.
for hand drying do you just let it sit for approx. 24hrs
MickD reply :
For hand drying you rotate it 90 degrees or so every fifteen minutes approx until you are sure the epoxy will not run all to one side and harden into a big drop on the bottom. Biggest mistake most people make on epoxy is putting too much on. If you notice that at the end of the fifteen minutes that a drop is forming on the bottom, blot it off with a brush or paper towel, just a touch to get the drip, then go on with the drying. By the way, it is not drying, the epoxy is a chemical reaction of the two parts, cannot be reversed, cannot be heated up and adjusted, the reaction goes faster the higher the temperature. Make sure you mix your epoxy for two minutes; do not compromise or you will have tacky finish. Mix it thoroughly for two minutes and it will harden properly. Period. Take short cuts and you will pay. I always use at least two thin coats. After the first coat, if there are rough spots or thread nubbins that create a bump, just cut them off with a new razor blade or exacto knife, then apply the next coat. If you put too much on you will get football shaped wraps on the guides and waves on the long stretches at the butt, over the decals. It will get better with practice. best not to do your first rod on an expensive blank.
I have built very many rods and have never had a power wrapper. I don't know if I can keep up with the speed of a power wrapper. I doubt if a newbie could either. No one can tell you all you need to know on a forum like this, so best to buy a good book, and if you have questions search the internet for videos ( tons of them out there), and if you like it, keep building and you will get better and better with experience. One last comment, if you frequent forums like this you will find that not all builders agree on all details of techniques. You will find different opinions on things you would think pretty straightforward. Listen, evaluate, experiment, and you will develop confidence in the techniques that work for you. One thing we all agree on, if you don't mix your epoxy well, you will regret it. Two minutes. Or more.
Reviewing my comments I see that I might have encouraged adding heat to speed up epoxy curing. My recommendation is to not do that. Room temp is fine. Adding heat can reduce the viscosity of the epoxy and cause wavy epoxy. Some builders have their ways of applying heat, but for me, every time I've used heat it has caused me problems. Starting out, eschew the heat.
AustinHellickson reply :
On 1/18/2018 at 10:45 AM, MickD said:For hand drying you rotate it 90 degrees or so every fifteen minutes approx until you are sure the epoxy will not run all to one side and harden into a big drop on the bottom. Biggest mistake most people make on epoxy is putting too much on. If you notice that at the end of the fifteen minutes that a drop is forming on the bottom, blot it off with a brush or paper towel, just a touch to get the drip, then go on with the drying. By the way, it is not drying, the epoxy is a chemical reaction of the two parts, cannot be reversed, cannot be heated up and adjusted, the reaction goes faster the higher the temperature. Make sure you mix your epoxy for two minutes; do not compromise or you will have tacky finish. Mix it thoroughly for two minutes and it will harden properly. Period. Take short cuts and you will pay. I always use at least two thin coats. After the first coat, if there are rough spots or thread nubbins that create a bump, just cut them off with a new razor blade or exacto knife, then apply the next coat. If you put too much on you will get football shaped wraps on the guides and waves on the long stretches at the butt, over the decals. It will get better with practice. best not to do your first rod on an expensive blank.
I have built very many rods and have never had a power wrapper. I don't know if I can keep up with the speed of a power wrapper. I doubt if a newbie could either. No one can tell you all you need to know on a forum like this, so best to buy a good book, and if you have questions search the internet for videos ( tons of them out there), and if you like it, keep building and you will get better and better with experience. One last comment, if you frequent forums like this you will find that not all builders agree on all details of techniques. You will find different opinions on things you would think pretty straightforward. Listen, evaluate, experiment, and you will develop confidence in the techniques that work for you. One thing we all agree on, if you don't mix your epoxy well, you will regret it. Two minutes. Or more.
Thank you for this!! with the kit i think i am going to buy it comes with a rod dryer...
have you had any expirance with these?
MickD reply :
Yes, I built my own many years ago, and I really like using them. One thing that most custom builders try to avoid is the "football" shape of a guide wrap. You see these on many store rods. It is probably done because using excess epoxy is probably cheaper than using less and having to do more coats. It is possible because they are using drying machines; if they didn't use drying machines they would have the solidified drip.
If you want to avoid them, one thing you can do is to apply your epoxy, turn the rod for a few minutes, then stop it. If drips form along the bottoms of the wraps when the rod is stopped for a couple minutes, take them off and restart the turning.
I invariably need two coats due to imperfections, nubbins, or thin epoxy along the guide feet, so I just count on doing two coats with fairly thin application of Flex Coat Lite, and my wraps do not look like footballs. Some builders are so good at epoxy that they can get good looking wraps without footballs in one application. Keep in mind that most epoxy problems are due to one or both of these issues: insufficient mix time, and excessive epoxy (causes wavy appearance, not the glass smooth appearance we all want).
Andy007 reply :
I built my first rod about 15 yrs ago and still one of my go to rods. I wanted a 6' UL and picked mid priced blank and got a usable rod for many years.
Putting together a basic rod isn't that difficult, as mentioned earlier Mudhole has good videos on everything from checking the spline to finishing the epoxy. Cork take a bit more work and tools than EVA.
Take your time and you'll be fine!
Good Luck
Fishinthefish reply :
Just checking back in, hopefully you're going to move forward with your plan. Please keep me updated, I'd love to see the results and talk back and forth as you go along. Nothing makes me happier than watching someone else fall more in love with the sport of fishing, and everything that goes along with it.
AustinHellickson reply :
On 1/21/2018 at 2:32 PM, Fishinthefish said:Just checking back in, hopefully you're going to move forward with your plan. Please keep me updated, I'd love to see the results and talk back and forth as you go along. Nothing makes me happier than watching someone else fall more in love with the sport of fishing, and everything that goes along with it.
I will do, just waiting for my order to get here 
for some reason there was no tracking info yet, it says pending billing even though i paid with a car with money on it 
just waiting for a response to my message from them
Swbass15 reply :
One thing I found helpful for filing guide feet was a chainsaw file. They are round and helped if I need to file the bottom of the guide foot. As someone mentioned above take your time. My first rod took me a good month to build. Wrapping the guides started off as troublesome but as I got the hang of it became much easier. Good luck on the build
AustinHellickson reply :
On 1/22/2018 at 2:11 AM, Swbass15 said:One thing I found helpful for filing guide feet was a chainsaw file. They are round and helped if I need to file the bottom of the guide foot. As someone mentioned above take your time. My first rod took me a good month to build. Wrapping the guides started off as troublesome but as I got the hang of it became much easier. Good luck on the build
Thank you for the info!
How many total rods have you built?
AustinHellickson reply :
Update: just got all my gear from mudhole.
I have found the spine of the rod.
With the spine, does that go on the outside of the rod on a spinning rod?
Ex. Reel is below and spine on top? Thank you!
Or is spine always on top?
Angry John reply :
The spine can go on either side. Some would argue that building on the straightest axis would be the best way. I would put the spine on the top opposite the guides and reel.
AustinHellickson reply :
On 2/8/2018 at 7:12 AM, Angry John said:The spine can go on either side. Some would argue that building on the straightest axis would be the best way. I would put the spine on the top opposite the guides and reel.
so basically when looking at your spinning rod when fishing the spine is on top?
Angry John reply :
Thats how i would run it, supposed to provide the most power and less twist that way
http://rodbuilding.org/read.php?2,215932
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