Chinook Angler
Steelhead
Just finished a trout spey rod for my buddy. Tried to keep it simple.
Rod Building The Rod Building Thread
- Thread starter Divad
- Start date
Divad
Whitefish
So sleek! What a good looking rod. What blank is that?
Chinook Angler
Steelhead
Thank you! This is Shane Gray's (Graywolf) 12', 4-5wt blank.
Chinook Angler
Steelhead
Thanks! The thread is actually olive green, pretty much the same color as the blank itself. I never use any CP on my builds so the finish does darken it quite a bit, but in the sun the translucent effect is quite striking.
Divad
Whitefish
Thank you @Paige and @Herkileez for the tip on reaming first, shaping second. I’ll definitely be doing it this way for larger diameter blanks. Fixed reamer taper also was much better.
Left a little more on the grip this time to keep 5mm+ walls. Feel better with that.
Mocked up before drywall tape and epoxy. Might take a little more off the top to transition smoother into the seat.
Left a little more on the grip this time to keep 5mm+ walls. Feel better with that.
Mocked up before drywall tape and epoxy. Might take a little more off the top to transition smoother into the seat.
After experimenting with birch bark and various materialsthis past winter, I decided to to try building rattan (covered) grips....definitely a different direction from anything I've done, but I enjoyed the learning curve. I think they'll be a good fit for bamboo, or glass blanks...
Here's some details of my latest build, the last one I'm doing until next Winter. This is my own personal rod. It's an Anglers Workshop IM6, 8ft, 4# blank, made in Woodland, WA. Brass colored, downloading reel seat. I put on an old school bullnose grip that feels great in the hand. Slightly thickens towards the end. First time I've tried using three different colors on every guide. Gets busy. It will be my dedicated panfish rod...
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Love the grip.
Chinook Angler
Steelhead
Second that.
Divad
Whitefish
Me too.
I think the industry has gotten a little carried away with looks over function. And I’m not even saying a bullnose looks bad in anyway, but somehow the standard dam skinny grips is the norm. One of the best parts of rod building is being able to fix that issue, and to your liking.
Agreed..I bought an Echo Lift rod recently, and the grip was so thin and short I couldn't use it. So I tore it off and replaced it with one I liked. That's the joy of building your own rod or having one built for you. Build it the way you want it..
Thanks for sharing that, Divad. I like that idea a lot. I might do that with one of my dad's WWII army uniform buttons on my next rod. I don't know if that's ethical or not, but I like the idea of having a bit of his spirit with me when I fish.
Outstanding! What materials did you use on the ends of each of those grips?
I get my grips at Proof Flyfishing. They carry many different styles...I like Ritz and Bullnose which is just that, a Ritz with a bullnose...
Grips
We have been working with the same small manufacturer and grower in Portugal for 15 year. Proof Fly Fishing "Flor" (flower) grade cork rings can be found on rods across the world. In addition to our individual and bagged rings we also offer a selection of quality custom turned grips, B grade...
www.proofflyfishing.com
Thanks. I used burnt cork, with a white plastic spacer.for one...and striped cork with burnt cork spacer for the other.
FYI: I did find plastic can be a P.I.T.A. because the Titebond glue doesn't adhere that well and tends to separate when turning the grip.
I've also used craft foam sheets in the past and found that it compresses down while sanding, then stands up as a ridge onc done.
I'm thinking of making a wading staff out of a reject butt section I made for a bamboo spey rod. If the foam was a little proud of the cork, do you think it would help with grip? What do you think of durability of the foam?
BTW....got to use your wading staff on the OP a couple weeks ago....awesome build. Got used to the added heft quickly but really felt solid in current. Probably why my bamboo staff might be next to useless....but it will look good! : )
Foam between each 1/2" round might be a good idea. Burled cork, w/o the varnish finish, and with foam spacers, would look good, should be grippy...and wouldn't show the grime, like plain cork.
This will give an idea of how it might like.
Hey...Lookin' good out there is important too....
The boo s/be good for light wading.
