Modern Low Price S Glass - 7wt Build Moonlit

Divad

Whitefish
I am to my tip and noticed there is a half inch crack. This will be tipped and glued, should I still build or get another tip section?5D054E6F-F507-42BB-918B-F3FD30794B28.jpeg
 

Wetswinger

Go Deep
Forum Supporter
If the tip covers it by double, I'd use it. You could also cut the offending piece off, if your tip top would still fit.
 

Divad

Whitefish
If the tip covers it by double, I'd use it. You could also cut the offending piece off, if your tip top would still fit.
Thank you, just the kind of knowledge I was looking for.

Wraps will be done tonight and I’m going to order a 18 RPM CRB turner for the epoxy.
 

Divad

Whitefish
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Even managed to cover the Moonlit logo with the hook keeper and pizzaz. Tried to remove but it’s screen printer and epoxied over.

Upon first feel seems stiffer than a wedding dick. Hopefully it is flexible once lined. Looking to have epoxy done before the hot weekend.
 

Jack Devlin

Life of the Party
Looks quite nice. I've never seen a hook keeper that far up but understand your reasons. At least the Moonlit blank didn't come with that horrible band the have on their factory rods and which I see on many rods now. Ugh.
I have a Moonlit Nirvana which I like very much but have never tried the regular Moonlit blanks like yours.
 

Divad

Whitefish
I finished a two coat Flex Coat Lite finish on Sunday at 10pm. Kept the aluminum foiled paper bowl for testing the epoxy setup.

After 24hrs it was hard, but very slightly tacky. 75 degree room so probably not the best but the heatwave wasn't postponing this any longer.
Coming on 48hrs today, the epoxy in the bowl is harder, no tack but not glass hardness either. If you really push with your nail you can make a slight impression. Hoping because the epoxy is still progressing I will be good to go in 24 hours or so.🤞
 

Mike Monsos

Steelhead
Forum Supporter
I used Flexcoat lite on a wrap repair once and had a bit of a problem myself. I didn't pay enough attention to "scraping" the sides of the mixing bowl during the mix and ended up with an improper ratio. Lesson learned for me. I hope your FC firms up with time.
 

Divad

Whitefish
I used Flexcoat lite on a wrap repair once and had a bit of a problem myself. I didn't pay enough attention to "scraping" the sides of the mixing bowl during the mix and ended up with an improper ratio. Lesson learned for me. I hope your FC firms up with time.
Good to know, the mixing step is understated. In the future I’m wondering about using PermaGloss on the last coat. Assuming it’ll catalyze any unset epoxy below like recoating with flex coat does.

Not a fan of the syringes the kit comes in. One syringe had a large bubble in it, making displacement different. Tried to compensate.

Good news after another 12hrs it’s gotten harder. Probably will fish it Friday.
 

Divad

Whitefish
Rod builders over at Mud Hole told me my hardness level is completely normal. PHEW. He has rods a year old that if you really were to jam your finger nail into a wrap you could leave a mark.

Also told me various epoxies differ, some tend to setup stiffer but don’t flex. So guessing the Flex Coat makes even more sense for a glass rod.

Hope this helps others too if wondering someday.
 

Creatch’r

Potential Spam
Forum Supporter
Looking forward to your thoughts on the rod, if it’s anything like my new iconoglass you will be really surprised with its capabilities and rethink what modern glass means. I have a few old school glass rods in 4-6wt and the heavier modern rods are a whole different animal.
 

Divad

Whitefish
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Should of brought the 8wt for the first fish, oh boy! They’re opportunistic.

Not many swingable spots on such low water but WOW did the SA Lite Skagit Integrated 240gr line make the difference. I put two other heads on the rod, a 17ft 250gr and a 13ft 250gr. 17ft was too long (yes 4ft makes a diff).

Then went the 13ft but that stubborn connection! This is now the first time in my life I justified the integrated line purchase. At $80, it was only $15 more than just the head of which in the future I can always make. The line/rod combo is absolute heaven. I run Rio 60gr 6ft tips and it’s butter through the guides and loading the rod. And bonus, can overhead cast this compared to the heads being too floppy.

This rod performs very well at the 300gr window tip and head included. Swings surprisingly light not chunky like other fiberglass I have used, and the 8.5ft leaves little if any fatigue. Love the purchase.
 

Divad

Whitefish
PSA: Line Manufacturers: stop selling integrated lines at double the cost of the head alone. 🖐 Between the lines.
 

clarkman

average member
Forum Supporter
That mirrors what I like for my 7wts. That 240-250 short skagit window is right on the money. The intermediate skagit I made out of a longer skagit head is in the same range. Absolutely sings with 6-8' of T-7 to T-12 (6'). I like it best with 7' tips though. I save the 300gr for my 8wt but increasingly, I've been going lighter and lighter on that rod as well (Steffen 7/8).
 

clarkman

average member
Forum Supporter
Looking forward to your thoughts on the rod, if it’s anything like my new iconoglass you will be really surprised with its capabilities and rethink what modern glass means. I have a few old school glass rods in 4-6wt and the heavier modern rods are a whole different animal.

It's actually pretty incredible the capabilities. My Iconoglass 10wt is an absolute fish tamer....hell, so is my Epic Bandit for that matter and a casting machine. You can find out just how capable when paired with shooting heads too. The couple of "old school" 6/7wts I have behave more like the more modern ones in my quiver.
 

Divad

Whitefish
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Extremely excited to get the first fish on the new rod. After breaking off 4 in a row on my normal nymph rod, I decided to swap reels over and nymph on the glass.

In the CORK! The bend was so deep into the rod I was trying to gain leverage in the small fighting butt against my tummy. Going back I would of built a larger butt knowing this now.

The fight was so fun, and surprisingly the 8.5ft wasn’t a big downside compared to my 10s. A little more of a flick mend but the glass actually aided in that flick. And it’s light!
 

Divad

Whitefish
Learned a valuable lesson for first time builders, build your own grips! My premade fell apart already and I was forced to remove it.

The d*** screen printed logo was visible under the hook keeper in parts so redo that too since I have to remove it for the new grip…🤦‍♂️

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Titebond Ultimate between the rings and a dremel for the insert. Nice and thick mini 6.5in full wells with 1.5in butt.

Might as well try feather inlay. Color preserved the feathers down at a 1:3 cp to water ratio. Next day the Peacock was sticking up! So went with 1:1 ratio and it’s been stuck now coming up on 24hrs.

Epoxy tonight.

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Also built a rod turner for $6 and scrap wood, not bad.
 

booner05

Just Hatched
Learned a valuable lesson for first time builders, build your own grips! My premade fell apart already and I was forced to remove it.

The d*** screen printed logo was visible under the hook keeper in parts so redo that too since I have to remove it for the new grip…🤦‍♂️

View attachment 41282

Titebond Ultimate between the rings and a dremel for the insert. Nice and thick mini 6.5in full wells with 1.5in butt.

Might as well try feather inlay. Color preserved the feathers down at a 1:3 cp to water ratio. Next day the Peacock was sticking up! So went with 1:1 ratio and it’s been stuck now coming up on 24hrs.

Epoxy tonight.

View attachment 41284

Also built a rod turner for $6 and scrap wood, not bad.

pic of the homemade rod turner? I saw the epic turner just uses foam donuts to grip the rod which i kind of like for the simplicity
 

Divad

Whitefish
pic of the homemade rod turner? I saw the epic turner just uses foam donuts to grip the rod which i kind of like for the simplicity
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It accepts two different scrap pvc cup/cap sizes, one large for rods with a grip and one skinny for blanks.

The rubber bands work very well, you can go with a * pattern instead of a + for more grip but I don’t have a problem with the cross. Only resistance is the nominal applied when thread coating.

Also happy I chose the slower rod turner at 8rpm, easier to apply lite epoxy. Built it to have the option to remove the turner but I’m happy with the single speed.
 
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