Search results

I think it might make the rod action a bit crisper, but I could not prove that, just my personal feelings. I have no documentation or testing documents to support that, but if memory serves me, I think I read something to that effect somewhere on the internet. I bought some NOS years back at...

Well, the rod is pretty much finished now. I have some cosmetic touches and a couple more coats of varnish to add to the wraps, but bottom line is it can be fished as is. The rod weighs 4.06 oz, 7'6" and with my Hardy Princess mounted it balances right at the nose of the grip (y). I am VERY...

I've come to like the ease of using Tru-Oil gunstock finish. I wipe on about a dozen coats then add the guides and wraps. In my drying box kept at about 85 degrees, it only takes about three hours for a coat to dry. You can easily get four coats on in a day if you start early enough. I apply...

I normally have to hit a few nibs before the final coats of varnish. I asked Dave Dozer about his routine for the beautiful wraps he produces, and he mentioned sanding. My specific question was to keep the wraps "flat" on the shafts, my finish work tends to build up a bit more than I like...

Another step closer to the finished rod today. I got the second coat of Spar Var on all the base and tip wraps. I finished making the hardware on the lathe for the Birdseye maple reel seat and got it "blued" and fitted. Next, I will be cutting the insert to proper length and mounting it on...

I don't use walnut oil or thin my first coat of Helmsman Spar Var anymore (I used to). I had an issue once when I was thinning my varnish with artist turps by about 20%, I got shimmers in every transparent tan wrap. Really bummed me out as I had to re wrap the entire rod and try again. Well...

Here's another consideration for wrapping guides with silk thread. Once you coat it with varnish it will look a lot different. I usually try some test wraps under the reel seat area to double check my choices. The change can be dramatic to say the least. The darker images are after the...

Absolutely right Tim, my wrapping station's tensioner is rather primitive (thread spool holder with a wing nut, washers and spring) and if I needed to back off a couple turns the thread would go slack compounding my problems. Using a bobbin, you can back off as many turns as you need without...

I'm wrapping the guides down now. Dave Dozer put on a presentation a while ago and he showed how he used a fly-tying bobbin to wrap his rods. The advantage is that the tension is made constant, created by the weight of the bobbin and thread spool hanging free. It really works great, and the...

I got the guides at their locations spaced and affixed with Teflon plumbers' tape ready to start the wraps now. I decided on a color for the wraps that will look like a tea shade on the shafts.

I'm going to hold you to that Steve! Thanks! Happy New Year.

Thats a great way to finish off a year! I need to tag along on one of your days on the water, when things warm up a bit ;)

Got the binding wire and masking tape off the shafts this morning. One of my favorite steps in the making process is assembling the rod sections together the first time after the ferrules glue is cured. Sight down the rod length, look for straightness of ferrule mounting and shaft...

Ferrules set, glued and bound. I get to give it the first assembled wiggle test tomorrow :) (y)👌

Yours looks much better than mine (y)

Got the grip sanded to shape (looks a little weird in the image but it feels good in my hand :ROFLMAO: ), also the ferrule ends crowned and prepped to mount. Tomorrow I'll cut the shafts to length, then trim the ferrule stations to the ferrule bore and mount them on the shafts with a little luck.

I'm getting momentum again on the Martha Marie today. I have enough coats of Tru-Oil on the shafts, about 22 coats by my count to move on in the process. Today the cork rings got glued on, and the ferrules were finished up and fitted. I will shape the grip next and cut the serrations and...

I did a quick little test under the reel seat area with the leather dye that Ray Gould suggested, I think it looks pretty good. This is only one coat of Tru-Oil on top of the stain compared to a section with twelve coats of the TO over a flamed rod section. The leather dye is the top shaft I'm...

I glued up my latest rod yesterday. A great Martha Marie taper, glued up with Resorcinol. I like the narrow dark highlights of the glue stains on the corners of the strips of the shafts. The glue up went well and this morning I pulled off the binding strings. The shafts look great despite...

Knickers, uniform of the day!