2nd opinion

[JasonGotaProblem]

I find I like to have the reel stem between middle and ring finger for casting one handed (which is most of my FW casting) but reel stem goes back between middle and index finger before I start retrieval (both fighting a fish or jigging a lure). But this is a new development. The stem used to stay between middle and ring full time, but the bail wire of some large saltwater reels rubs on my fat index finger, and that gets old after about 3 seconds. As a result my whole approach has changed.

[JasonGotaProblem]

I'm pretty happy with how the cork-dust end treatment came out. Ive been sacrificing a syringe (I have nurses in the family) to inject the mixed 5min epoxy into the gap, without getting it on the blank, then i just use the "sprinkle cork press it in sprinkle more press again repeat until time runs out or you can't pack any more in. As I near the end of the time limit i use a business card for the last push to also level it out. Then 2 hours later I give that newly created surface a blast of compressed air and a pass with some 600 grit sandpaper while spinning the rod, then another air blast and call it a day. If you zoom in you can see slight scratching on the blank from the sandpaper but thread will cover that.

[Midway Tommy]

Sounds like an awful lot of work to me. Personally, I like taking the easy way out by fitting the grip tight so epoxy will fill the gap, adding a vinyl winding check and adding a matching wrap. Fitting the grip tight is easy and slipping on a cheap winding check is even easier. I'm not a of metal winding check, though.

[steelfish]

for learning purposes seems like nice way to do it, but for practical purposes a vinil/plastic or alum winding check would be easier and faster.

I dont know how bad the cork was in that zone, but sometimes making a trim ring with metallic thread and applying epoxy will make the ugly crack disappear or hard to find.

with that said, I must admit I not fan of the easy ways or shorcuts LOL, few years ago I was just starting to repair my own rods and felt like rebuilding my favorite rod, when I took the thread near to the cork out near the handle it came out with small pieces of cork, so it looked ugly (maybe as it was in your rod), so, in order to cover that area I put some crazy glue with a tooth pick and poured some "glow in the dark" dust, then added more crazy glue and poured some more of the same dust, then made my decorative wrap and epoxied the whole area, after some coats of epoxy I had a nice ramp there.

https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=22222.0


I know long decorative wraps and heavy epoxy is not your thing but its another way to skin the cat.




and the good thing is that now it glows in the dark pretty cool, well so far it havent served me to any practical or useful purpose
other than showing it off to friends LOL


my idea was to make a winding check with the Glow in the dark dust and epoxy

[Midway Tommy]

That looks pretty cool, and unique, Alex!

[Cor]

 I like the glow in "the dark" bit bit just the edges need some practice

[JasonGotaProblem]

So this is what I ended up doing. I tried to give some thought to what Jeri was saying about focusing on transitions, and that kind of guided my approach. I did a single layer of the pro-wrap metallic twist thread (blue + gold) wrapped next to some pro wrap "sky blue." That's the color I'll be using for the guide wraps, it's quite a light blue pre-epoxy but I love the color wet. Just the twist thread by itself looked mostly gold, so adding the blue really got it where I want it visually.

it's 2.25" long to the top of the gold collar. I'm really happy with how it came out. It added a bit of bling but it's still small and fairly subtle.

Also re: the work of doing the cork end the way I did, to each their own but it's 5 minute epoxy. It can't take long.

I also tried my hand at doing a thread ramp below the grip. I don't love it, but it was a first attempt. Honestly the thread cone was fairly smooth by the third try, but my epoxy is less good. But I suspect I can clean that up with some sandpaper and a thin second coat.

Thank you everyone for tolerating and guiding me as I stumble through this. I really do appreciate it.