I have been building for a number of years from 2wt fly rods to 130# Marlin rods. I wanted to encourage everyone interested in rod building to check out an acquaintance of mine in the N.Y. area named Billy Vivona. If not to attend one of his seminars at least visit him on facebook under The NERBS. I joined the North East Rod Builders (NERBs) a few years back and can't say enough about what I learned, how I approach building, and my understanding of materials and application, big thanks to Billy and other NERBs. Billy also has a DVD, book, and CD-Rom for threadwork. I have all three and my threadwork has improved exponentially. While my threadwork has improved over the years it doesn't compare to some of the NERB guys. They bring it to an entirely new level. Good luck building.
feel free to post any links you have!
Thanks Alan. Happy to share what I can. Rod building is a small community and we learn from eachother's successes as much as from our failures. I learn more from helping others and derive much satisfaction from this as well. There is no University system for rod building just fellow rod builders sharing their experiences. Those willing to push the envelope of rod building and share their "secrets" should be commended. Billy Vivona is one of those such people. It's not a stretch to say that Billy's done more for the do it yourself rod builder since Dale Clemmens. Here is the link to the NERBS homepage, you'll have to cut and paste it.
http://northeastrodbuilders.com/home.html
On faceback you can simply look up NERBs. It's an open forum and chock full of thread art and helpful tips.
Hope this helps.
-Joe
Joe
Billy fishes on the Ocean Eagle on pier 5 & I work pier 6 in Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn NY. Have you seen his work with Inlays? I have a Mega Mag with a Crossed Ridged Pipe Wrenches in the fore grip & but of the rod. They look real.
Mike
Billy is an awesome wrapper.
Mike,
I have seen Billy's work with inlays as well as his other grip designs. He helped me out with a Grateful Dead style rear and fore grip for a friend of mine. Combined with an "Uncle Sam" weave and red, white and blue wraps I did, the rod looked sick. Here's some pictures of the finished rod:
It is spiral/acid wrapped and caught a number of Stripers out on this race this past summer.
Better pic of the steal your face skull weave under the first guide:
Last pic with a Penn International 12LT that Cal tricked out/ "Super 12'd" for me.
hi thunnus
can you show stripper to tip /acid rod
What do you want to know, maybe I can help.
Wallacewt,
Here it is. Hard to see the guide layout:
Thunnus
Billy does amazing work. He lost everything during Sandy but he is back stronger than ever. To bad I can't bring the thread Pictures of Inlays over here.
Are you on L.I.
Mike
Mike I am in CT. I remember Billy's shop before the storm and was at it recently after the storm. His shop looks better than ever. Unfortunate for him his area got hit so hard.
is that stripper guide in line with the reel seat or at 90deg;
cheers
This rod was built for a friend who is left handed so the stripper is on the right. Guide placement and alignment is really a matter of static deflection. I do this by attaching an 18 inch piece of pvc tube to the end of my bench, put the rod in the tube then run line through the guides which are affixed to the blank using surgical tubing. I then adjust the guides according to the deflection of the rod being careful to keep the line off the blank. Most blanks the stripper is offset 90 degrees and the next guide 140 degrees then the rest 180 degrees. It really depends on the blank and spacing of the guides, these are just estimates. Happy to share photos if you'd like. Let me know.
-Joe