I've been wanting to make a hardwood rod for a while. But it is difficult to sort through the types of wood used in the late 19th and early 20th century and even more difficult to find the same wood today. Shipping a single piece of lumber to Hawaii is ridiculously expensive too. Then, I found some ipe right under my nose here at the local lumber yard.
Ipe is wood from the yellow trumpet tree, Handroanthus serratifolius . Older synonyms are Tabebuia serratifolia and Bignonia serratifolia . Some of the other common names are ironwood, washaba, also spelled washiba or wassiba, bethabara wood, noibe wood (selected bethabara), yellow poui, Surinam greenheart, and many others. The tree is native to Central and South America and every country where it occurs seems to have it's own name. It has been introduced into other regions as an ornamental tree. It is really pretty when covered with the yellow flowers. There are several here on Oahu, but they are in urban areas where you can't just go chop off a branch.
There is at least one other tree that was used for fishing rods and was also called ironwood. I think there was another type of fishing rod wood called greenheart too but am not sure about that yet. Old rod makers never called it ipe; but that is the current name used by exotic wood dealers in the U.S. The name Bethabara was a fabricated trade name pulled out of thin air by a rod maker named Shipley. Here is a screen shot from some old court proceedings:
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe1.jpg)
and another from J.A. Henshall (1889) Book of the Black Bass:
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe2.jpg)
P.D. Frazer (1914) Amateur Rodmaking (a really great book, by the way) had this to say:
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe3-34.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe3-35.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe3-36.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe3-37.jpg)
I bought a ten foot 1x6 (3/4" x 5.5") of ipe for fifty-six bucks. Depending on how it is cut, it could make five to seven 10 foot rods. For the first one, a 3/4 inch strip was ripped off one side of the plank. A jack plane, a block plane and a thumb plane were tuned up and sharpened and I started planning the taper. After about ten minutes I had worked up a sweat and was maybe one percent through. This stuff is really hard and the plane would chatter even with the finest cut and the sharpest iron. So, I grabbed the hand power planer and soon learned that leather gloves are needed too. A 90 degree angle planed smooth is sharp enough to cut you without raising a splinter from the wood.
Two right angle holes were drilled in the blank so the butt could be anchored to the edge of a doug fir 2x4. Wood scraps were screwed to the side of the 2x4 to keep the blank from sliding off. Next time I will use one-by lumber (3/4 inch wide) instead of the 2x4 to better constrain the blank laterally as it is being planed. Stations were marked at six inch intervals along the 2x4 along with the intended final diameter at each station. I would also scribble notes on the 2x4 about the current diameter as I went along. A few swipes with the power planer would be made on one side. The blank would be rotated 90 degrees, the diameters measured and a few more swipes made. Rotate, measure, plane, rotate, measure plane. In the foreground you can see the brass pin in the butt to keep the blank from sliding as the planer ran toward the tip.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe4.jpg)
The blank was first planed down to a straight taper; 3/4 inch at the butt and at the reel tapering to 1/8 inch at the tip. It was still square in cross-section but I could tell the tip was going to be too fast and too heavy. So, a new taper that took off more material in front of the reel with a slower taper toward the tip was cut. When done it looked really good.
Then I started chamfering the corners with the intention of turning the square cross-section into an octagon. The planer has a chamfering notch in the foot but it is too deep so I was not using it. That's when everything went to hell. The blank slid sideways on the 2x4, the rod slipped into the notch and the planer gouged the blank much too deep. I thought it was probably a fatal error but tried to salvage it anyway. Now gun-shy of the power planer, I worked the blank down by eye with a 1.5 inch drum sander on the end of a flexible shaft tool. The area around the deep gouge was rounded out then the whole rod was reworked to meet that area.
When done, it sort of resembled a fishing rod but with a very slow action. On close inspection it looks like someone whittled it with a knife. Since that was the best it was going to be I rubbed it down with a drying oil. Man, what a difference a little oil made. The color became a rich reddish brown and the grain looked great. But the oil also highlighted the whittling marks. OK, I guess. If it's a handmade rod it might as well look hand made. Rustic is OK with me... but only if it catches fish and doesn't break.
Fishing poles are impossible to photograph.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe5.jpg)
The bare blank weighed eleven ounces and the balance point was 30 inches from the butt. The next step was to bring the balance point back to 21 inches from the butt by adding a lead butt cap. The lead was wrapped around the blank and pinned through the holes that had been used to earlier to secure it to the 2x4 when planing. Then the butt cap was wrapped with linen line that had been dyed green.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe7.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe8.jpg)
A set of nickel silver wire guides were taped on for some initial casting and stress test. The reel is a 60 yard size Shakespeare Criterion made in 1910. It holds plenty of 20# spectra. I couldn't break the rod but the direct drive reel will only make about three pounds of drag using thumb pressure. It is super slow action and noodle-like but casts fine. Actually, it casts as well or better than any of my cane pole rods.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe9.jpg)
It was finished with a coat of blonde spirit shellac followed by an oil/shellac French polish. After wrapping, the rod is 15 ounces. Heavy by most standards, but about the same as the ten foot cane pole rods I've been using. So, it's ready to go fishing.... if this wind ever stops.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe10.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe11.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe12.jpg)
This is definitely a specialty rod for a particular situation (baitcasting for bonefish from a one-man outrigger canoe). But, I think ipe could be used for a boat rod or a 130# class rod or whatever. It is as strong as hickory and probably stronger than any single-built split bamboo. It is easier to work with than hickory and definitely easier to make than split bamboo. With better craftsmanship than I could muster, it would look as good as fiberglass or graphite. Without close inspection a passer-by would not even know it's made of wood. The biggest disadvantage is the weight. The biggest advantage is that you can customize the taper, action and other characteristics.
-steve
Steve, it amazes me that you're able to do this with just using hand tools. They don't call it Iron Wood for no reason, that stuff is very hard to work with while using power tools, I can just imagine how hard it was for you.
You must do lots of research, I'm always impressed with your work.
Thanks for keeping us entertained. Someday, people will fly over to see your stuff in museum.
Keep doing what you do.
Sal
That's a fabulous job, Steve !!
Steve is this the commonly occurring tree I see all over the Islands(especially on the beach areas) called "Ironwood" with scalely needle-like leaves? Kinda resembling from a distance, a pine tree?
Gfish
That's just incredible! and with hand tools.
We have a type of tree used for landscaping in the genus tabebuia but I've never seen one big enough to get a good length of lumber from
There is also Ipe wood they use here for decking by the ocean since it doesn't rot. It's a very heavy dense wood and doesn't float in water. I believe it has some silica in it which is very hard on any tool to keep sharp.
Looking forward to a fish report with it.
Steve, I can only say that you have talent and patience. I can't imagine making a rod from a blank. I have to say you are the only guy I know that makes a rod from a tree. Absolutely mesmerizing thread. Thanks for posting. Dominick
Great stuff Steve :)
Is Ironwood the same as Bois 'd Arc? Osage Orange? Horse Apple tree?
Fantastic work Steve. That must have taken some serious effort!
..............Lou
We built the decking of a marina out of Ipe in Miami in the late '80s. The wood was marketed under the name Pau Lope. Super hard and heavy stuff. Never would have dreamed it can be used for a fishing rod.
Beautiful work Steve!
I'm thinking of "Osage Orange" , too....although it is a different species...it also is very strong, and elastic (and heavy!). I've used it in various wood working projects, and it works well with tools, although, to find long enough pieces....for a one piece rod....would be a challenge . The trees we have, locally, are not that "tall" (without some pretty severe bends), and I'm thinking that a 6' blank would be about the max. I wonder, also, if "splitting out" a blank....rather than sawing out a blank....would be a better option ? That would ensure that the grain was straight for the whole length.
Osage Orange also bends...and retains it's bend...very well when "green", so straightening (by hanging, while weighted) should be an easy task. If a person had access to one of those old Stanley dowel making machines..?!...or wanted to take the time to make a rounding plane ?! That, of course, would result in a "straight" dowel....with no taper. Steve's approach....tapering with a plane, would probably be less time consuming than "making" tooling...especially if a person had a spokeshave with a rounding blade ?!
I suppose, if a person wanted to research how wooden rods were "ferruled" together.....then two, or even three piece rods might be an option. I "smell" another "project" will be added to my list (my list is already long enough to last me til I'm 105 !LOL !)
:o
It's amazing the stuff you do, Steve!
My father and I built the deck in my back yard out if Ipe about a dozen years ago. The stuff, completely unfinished except for waxing the cut ends to prevent checking, still looks amazing. At the time we built it, my young pit bull was going through a chewing phase and would destroy the cut-offs of the redwood we used for the balustrade in seconds. She was only able to put a couple scratch/tooth marks into the Ipe cutoffs, in spite of working one of them for a week or two until we figured it would break her teeth and chucked it.
Given how fast this stuff dulled out blades, I'm stunned that you were able to get this to bend to your will.
One note that I'm sure you're already aware of, but thought I'd mention to make sure, there are reports of its sawdust being more irritating to lungs than more conventional lumber, so a better dust mask is called for.
Quote from: Gfish on November 25, 2017, 02:33:25 PM
Steve is this the commonly occurring tree I see all over the Islands(especially on the beach areas) called "Ironwood" with scalely needle-like leaves? Kinda resembling from a distance, a pine tree?
Gfish
I think you may be referring to what we call Australian Pine (Casuarina Equisetifolia). It is a very invasive species in S. Florida and throughout the Caribbean.
Recommend wearing a dust mask power tooling any ipe, (any wood actually).
Ipe dust has made me feel pretty sick.
Gregg and Conchy, yeah, that's a different ironwood, Casuarina species. I actually tried making a rod out of it a few years ago. It is very hard and heavy but does not have much elasticity and broke easily. It did not seem to have much oil/resin but I don't know if the oil is what makes for elasticity.
Fishhawk and Crow, among many other names, Osage orange is also called bow wood and was used by native Americans and colonists for making bows (as in bow and arrow). Bows have the same demands as a fishing pole. I think I read somewhere about using it for rods but can't find that reference now.
Sal, Keith, Conchy and Newfuture, the only reason I was able to find ipe is that it's such a good wood for outdoor decking. Borate treated fir or pine only lasts seven years here in the rain and termite capital. The old CCA treated stuff didn't do much better; maybe 8 or 9 years.
Crow, I hate ferrules and prefer a one-piece rod. But, most of the old hardwood rods were two- or three-piece. The shorter sections are easier to work with and it would be a quicker build if using factory ferrules. Using home made ferrules it would take much longer.
Swill and Newfuture, the ipe dust does not seem to bother me. Maybe it's like asbestos and the trouble shows up later. I hate dust masks because they make my glasses fog up. I wore one using the drum sander but not while planning where the chips are thrown to the other side. It's all outdoors in an open tent so there is good ventilation.
I forgot to mention that I started out with a Dewalt power planer. It must have been 30 to 40 years old and we've abused it planing all sorts of stuff including epoxy and polyester glue joints and high density polyethylene. Ten minutes of planning ipe and the armature bearing blew up. Maybe it was just coincidence. I bought a Makita to replace it. I doubt it will last 40 years, but the Makita is much lighter weight and can be used with one hand.
I also forgot to mention that after bending the heck out of the rod in a stress test it popped back straight as an arrow. Whole cane and split bamboo will take a temporary set and has to be straightened after doing that. It's neat stuff. I'm trying to control my exuberance here because this is the most fun I've had in a while. Can't wait to start on another one.
-steve
Wow Steve!
Amazing work my Friend. :o
Native americans in my neck of the woods used this bois d arc wood n made bows for trade.Now adays it's used for duck calls mostly, it's really a beautiful piece of wood when sanded, but a sawmills nightmare!
I know wheres several acres of them are but finding one that was straight 10' ? I can't even imagine it!
Great job steve
Mark
Great job a buddy of mine made 2 bows out of osage orange for his grand kids they shot better than factory.
I bet you could find two three foot pieces of bow wood and a handle that would make a seven foot rod.
-steve
I know one thing. If I'm ever lost and abandoned on a tropical island without modern amenities I want to be there with Steve. After a few weeks we'll be eating like kings with home-made fishing rods, line, hey Steve, have you made any hooks yet? Homemade hard rubber for reel sideplates? Are you making your own nickel brass yet? Glad to point out areas of possible growth :)
I tease, but I'm in awe. Consistently. I consider myself handier than most (no offense, Keith), but Steve, you put my skills to shame!
Just think of the home projects you could do if you had been trained in medicine! (Just kidding, that's my sick sense of humor coming through, it's Sunday morning and I'm running filterless.)
Sid
No doubt! He can make something out of nothing! Wished you would have been around when I was growing up to help with all the crap me and my brothers tore up!
Mark
Steve that is awesome. I've wanted to try that for years but just couldn't commit the time. If you don't have it, get the book Salt Water Fishing Tackle by Major. It gives a complete run down on woods used and construction techniques for wooden rods.
I'll look for that book Mike. We try to refrain from buying and more paper books because the house if full of them and they become a burden. But sometimes you do what you have to do. Speaking of books, congratulations on you new role as the ORCA librarian Sid and the nice write-up in the Reel News.
-steve
Quote from: oc1 on November 26, 2017, 08:37:53 PM
I'll look for that book Mike. We try to refrain from buying and more paper books because the house if full of them and they become a burden. But sometimes you do what you have to do. Speaking of books, congratulations on you new role as the ORCA librarian Sid and the nice write-up in the Reel News.
-steve
X2!
Totally forgot to congratulate you. I haven't gotten around to reading my November Reel News yet.
That's some talent and patience Steve. Along with a very cool project to spend time on..
Congratulations Sid. Dominick
Congratulations, Sid !!
Quote from: oc1 on November 26, 2017, 08:37:53 PM
Speaking of books, congratulations on you new role as the ORCA librarian Sid and the nice write-up in the Reel News.
-steve
Quote from: Tightlines666 on November 26, 2017, 09:30:49 PM
X2!
Totally forgot to congratulate you. I haven't gotten around to reading my November Reel News yet.
Quote from: Dominick on November 26, 2017, 10:46:57 PM
Congratulations Sid. Dominick
Quote from: Crow on November 27, 2017, 12:31:54 AM
Congratulations, Sid !!
Thanks, guys. I'm currently organizing the library with the plan that it will one day (very) soon be downloadable to all ORCA members. That part is close to being done. Then I have to get it digitized and searchable. That will take awhile. There are over 1700 documents and hundreds of thousands of pages of catalogs, schematics and sales brochures going back to the late 1800's. Thankfully, it's all digitized, although some of it is in better shape (higher quality scans) than others. The idea is to make the full contents of the library available to every ORCA member as a benefit of membership. This should encourage more reel research. To say the library is full of information is an understatement, but it is far from complete, and with ORCA being the only organization of its type in the Western hemisphere it is important to try to make the library as complete as possible. If anyone has materials they wish to donate, either in hardcopy form (I have a scanner and can return scanned documents) or digital form, I'm accepting donations to the ORCA library. Please PM me if you have something to donate so that I may make sure we do not already have it. Nothing, I repeat, NOTHING is too small or insignificant, from old trade catalogs to sales brochures to manufacturer catalogs to schematics to patents - EVERYTHING fishing reel related is fair game. If it's related to fishing reels and it's printed, I'm probably looking for it. You may now return to your regularly scheduled programming. This thread was about Steve's ipe rod. Thank you for your time :).
Sid
not sure who's server it will be downloaded to, but a second copy might be good as a back up. check with decker. we might have the bandwidth here to host a back up.
Quote from: alantani on November 27, 2017, 04:25:08 AM
not sure who's server it will be downloaded to, but a second copy might be good as a back up. check with decker. we might have the bandwidth here to host a back up.
Alan, I don't have the liberty to do anything like that with the ORCA library. Right now it's on my computer, a thumb drive, and a few ORCA officers computers, and probably other places I don't know about. The Library will be free to ORCA members, not AT members. But AT members can become ORCA members at www.orcaonline.org ! There's a whole lot to fishing reel history if anyone is interested.
Sid
as long as it's well backed up. i'd hate to see something like that lost.
OK, this is more difficult than I though. The second ipe rod had all the same mistakes as the first.
A 2x4 was beveled to 3/4 inches and planed straight and level. I wish it had been left a full 1.5 inches wide after finding a better way to constrain lateral movement of the blank. Just drill 1/8 inch holes by eye where needed, stick a piece of bamboo barbeque skewer in the hole and clip it off with side cutters. The plane will cut down the skewer pegs as it cuts the blank.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe13.jpg)
The new plane came with a clamp-on fence. I didn't really need a fence but it is a great platform for attaching a bubble level so you know if the plane is tilted to the side. It was an old orphaned bubble level and the bubble lines were recalibrated. When running the plane I focus on that bubble and adjust the tilt as needed.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe14.jpg)
I realized that the first rod has a bunch of useless wood that is just adding weight. So, the second blank was planed from a half-inch butt to a 1/8 inch tip with a straight taper. Again, everything went great planning the taper with a square cross-section.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe15.jpg)
The factory chamfering groove on the foot of the plane was covered with tape so the blank could not slip into the groove and gouge the blank again. But, again, it all went to hell when I tried to chamfer the corners to make an octagon. The blank was pinned on edge at the butt and the corner could be planed off easily at the butt end. But when the plan got down the line to the tip area the blank twisted and cut into the squared face instead of cutting off the corner. One you start a swipe with the plane it is best to not stop until you get to the end because it will leave an irregularity. I should have stopped immediately, but tried to fudge it by holding the blank. That did not work either and the whole thing was screwed up. After trying to smooth it out the blank was smaller diameter than planned. Some parts are an octagon, some a hexagon or pentagon or trapezoid or rectangle but none are equilateral. We'll try something different next time.
The blank, now very thin, waggled like a 2 wt. fly rod... maybe only 1 wt. I was pissed. Since it did not seem usable, I figured it would be a good blank to break. You can learn a lot about a blank by breaking it. The tip was tied to a spring scale with one of those little tabs to mark the maximum pull (thanks again Lee). I pulled about 6.5 pounds on it and nothing broke then sat down to brace myself and pulled 8 pounds I couldn't take a good photo and pull on the blank at the same tank .
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe16.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe17.jpg)
It was becoming pretty clear that it was not going to break until all the load had been transferred down to the fulcrum which was my hands on the foregrip area. If it was going to break under my hand then I needed the chain saw helmet and gloves so I just said to heck with it.
I don't know what to do with it now. The blank is overloaded with a 1/4 ounce jig. 3/16 ounce is a little better but the conditions and terrain seldom require a jig that small and the casting distance is not much more than my zone of influence. The blank weighs 4.2 ounces. Much less than the first rod. With the guides, handle wrapping and 2.5 ounce of lead in the butt cap the total weight is about 8 ounces.
For kicks, I put on an old brass raised-pillar Hendryx reel. I has decent free spool, considering the design, but the 2:1 gear ratio would be annoying. Haven't tried to cast it yet but am not hopeful.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe23.jpg)
Fishing poles are impossible to photograph. First rod on the bottom and second one on top.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe18.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe19.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe20.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe21.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe22.jpg)
-steve
Another fascinating thread Steve, you've got and use a wide range of skills - thanks for sharing.
It might not be exactly as you planned but have you accidentally made a capable solid timber ultralight rod?
Mike
I'm enjoying the heck out of this thread !!
Quote from: Crow on November 28, 2017, 01:58:58 PM
I'm enjoying the heck out of this thread !!
Me too. Dominick
Quote from: Dominick on November 28, 2017, 06:03:10 PM
Quote from: Crow on November 28, 2017, 01:58:58 PM
I'm enjoying the heck out of this thread !!
Me too. Dominick
Me three.
I wonder what kind of cue sticks Ipe would make?
Scott
I was thinking baseball bats. Dominick
Ipe has been used for cue sticks and bows Scott.
Lancewood, Oxandra lancelata, is another one that is used for cue sticks, bows and fishing rods.
Dominick, bats used to be hickory but I think they've switched to rock maple now. In another hobby I once worked with some hickory and was not impressed at all. Now (thanks to the internet) I read that there are about a dozen species of hickory and the one I was using is the worst of the lot and was from a warm coastal area at the southern end of it's range to boot. The slow growing trees in mountainous areas is much better and is probably what they used for big game rods.
Thaddeus Norris, in his 1864 American Anglers Book said, American hickory is used almost exclusively by English rod-makers for second and third joints; it has the recommendation of strength, and if well seasoned is elastic, though inferior in either respect to ironwood,* which appears to be scarcely known, or certainly not appreciated by rod-makers in this country or in England. This wood is found in the mountainous districts of North America, from Canada to Virginia and perhaps even further south. It grows generally in damp places, and is known under other local names, as " hornbeam," "leverwood" and "barwood". I assume he was talking about American hornbeam, or Blue Beech (Carpinus caroliniana).
-steve
Great work, Steve. Thank you. Would be fun to see your creations in person some day.
Have you ever heard of a Brazilian wood called pernambuco? I understand it to be a preferred material for string instrument bows. It has a cross-grain that gives it strength. Getting a new piece would probably be challenging.
I never heard of it Joe. Here are the Wood Database entries for Brazilwood and Ipe.
http://www.wood-database.com/brazilwood/ (http://www.wood-database.com/brazilwood/)
http://www.wood-database.com/ipe/ (http://www.wood-database.com/ipe/)
If you hover over the name of a parameter a box will appear explaining what they are measuring. In the notes at the bottom it says Brazilwood is an endangered species because of over-exploitation. Those darn violinist could be messing up someone's fishing.
-steve
Try to find this tapering tool from 1939 Steve, it would sure make things easier. Looks like he's doing it by feel, something you could also handle :)
https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&p=vintage+video+on+making+wood+fishing+rods#id=1&vid=0cd53931bfeab263f3734fa8fe39acac&action=click
Very good post Steve, interesting, keep it coming, & thanks Sal, that helped a lot, cheers Don.
Quote from: oc1 on November 29, 2017, 06:52:48 AM
In the notes at the bottom it says Brazilwood is an endangered species because of over-exploitation. Those darn violinist could be messing up someone's fishing.
-steve
Steve, we'd hate to lose you to the musicians, but you're definitely eccentric enough to fit that crowd, if the cosmopolitan lifestyle appeals to you. ::)
As for your reel issues, why not go with this one? http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=22919.0
Shine on, brother!
/Joe
Really fun thread to follow, thanks for sharing this experience with us. :)
Thanks Dan. Wow, what a great video Sal. I tried turning a piece yesterday to make a tip section. That was after planning a square taper. All I had to use for cutting was some emery cloth and a file so that tapering tool would sure be nice. It's a quarter inch tapering to 1/16 over forty inches. It will be properly spliced into a piece of Calcutta cane.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe24.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe25.jpg)
My dilemma is that to get a faster rod action for casting there will need to be a faster taper. To get a faster taper either the tip has to get smaller or the butt has to get larger or the length of taper has to get shorter. A wide butt section is very heavy so maybe a bamboo butt and hardwood tip will be an improvement. It is impossible to get a nice tip in whole cane because the cane zig zags back and forth when it is very thin. The zig zags do not impact the rod action much if they are kept in line with the spine. But the zig zags make a place for the line to wrap around the tip and get stuck so they're really a nuisance.
This is embarrassing Joe, but I did make a length of horsehair line like in your linked thread. I thought horsehair line was braided but it is actually twisted. It has incredible stretch too. You can't use the twisting machine though because the lengths of horse hair are only a few feet long so it is all done by hand. There is a web site where another idiot describes the process in detail. I'll try to find that link again.
-steve
Quote from: oc1 on November 29, 2017, 07:43:04 PM
Wow, what a great video Sal. I tried turning a piece yesterday to make a tip section. That was after planning a square taper. All I had to use for cutting was some emery cloth and a file so that tapering tool would sure be nice.-steve
Although you're doing just fine with your tools, I have no doubts you could make that same exact tapering tool for yourself.
Sal
I'm thinking it's just an adaption of a "rounding plane' (or dowel maker's plane) that is "hinged" so the ID is adjustable. The problem is, the "raw stock" *should* be round in section, before you start the "tapering" process. Although, perhaps "octagonal" would be close enough ? !
I'm also thinking that ash would make a suitable wood for rod construction....very "flexible", and quite strong. If I removed the tailstock from my wood lathe, and "chucked the butt end in the three jaw....I could turn the "blank", just as that fella' in the video is doing......now, if I just had one of those old , Stanley dowel making machines ! I always felt I couldn't aford them when they were just "old tools", and now that they are *antiques* :o
I wonder if you could use a router table with a fence or some sort of jig. There are some choices of round-over bits but a lot of it would still have to be by eye. It might provide better control than the planer though.
I tried the ipe tip section on a piece of Calcutta cane. The Calcutta had a Chinese cane tip section but the tip was getting soft; as they always do. The soft spot in the tip section is just above the splice.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe26.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe27.jpg)
This was a mock-up with the ipe tip section. It won't break as long as it can transfer all the power to the Calcutta and point straight at a running fish.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe28.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe29.jpg)
This is roughly the amount of flex you would expect when casting. The Calcutta is flexing too.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe30.jpg)
It would be nice if it was parabolic. But, the tip top can not be made any smaller and the large end of the tip section cannot be made any larger or it will be stiffer than the Calcutta.
The splice is always a problem. The ipe and Calcutta could both be tapered to an sharp edge over three or four inches to make a scarf joint that looks great. There would be little or no swelling of the diameter. But, it would not be as strong as the area on either side of the splice. A simple lap joint (like in the mock-up) would be very strong, but looks terrible, is stiff and has edges where the line can catch. Any trade-off between strength and looks can be used. I forego the looks and don't do much scarfing. The splice should be put along the spine though. Sorry the final photo is out of focus.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe31.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe32.jpg)
The ipe tip is about six inches longer then the Chinese cane tip was. It also has two more guides than the old tip. The rest of the rod, the reel, line and jig are all the same though. The reel (a steam punk thing that was described elsewhere) had been tuned with magnets for thumb free casting with the old tip. But now the reel is too hot, it backlashes badly and needs more magnets. It also casts further.
I forgot to weigh the rod before changing the tip. but the balance point only moved about 1/2 inch forward. The extra length and extra guides could account for most of that.
-steve
I'm not pushing Mudhole, but ferrules can be purchased here (http://www.mudhole.com/search?keywords=ferrules) and various other places, I'm sure. They won't be home-made, but this may be a place you wish to compromise; I bet ferrules were first used in the 1800's some time....
Sid
Sid, I once connected a Calcutta base to a Chinese cane tip section with a brass tube. The Chinese cane needed to be slightly larger diameter so it took some swedging. Then when the tip wore out the replacement was a different diameter and wouldn't fit.
On whole cane rods you do not want to remove the skin or grind down the nodes because that's where the strength is. If you smooth down a node, that is where it will break.
But, I'm getting the ipe figured out. It works much better if the corners are shaved to make an octagon before the tapering begins. It makes the tapering more tedious though because now there are eight sides to plane instead of four.
Starting with a uniform diameter octagon the first swipe of the taper began a foot from the butt. All eight sides are planed from the one foot mark to the tip. In the next round, each side is planed beginning two feet from the butt to the tip. Then three feet from the butt and so on until you get to the end. The final pass was for smoothing out the irregularities from starting the swipe one foot, two feet or whatever feet from the butt.
It helps to plan it all out on a spread sheet beforehand so you know where to set the depth gauge on the power planer. I wanted a straight taper from 5/8 inch at the butt to a 1/16 inch tip. If the depth of cut wasn't right it would not have worked at all. The one foot increments was arbitrary. It could be six inches or four or whatever if the depth of cut is adjusted accordingly.
After each round of cuts it may be a good idea to take measurement to make sure you are where you are supposed to be. Then, when you are getting close test the rod so you do not over-shoot the mark. Waggle it, bend it, tie a short piece of line and weight on the tip and pretend like you're casting. I put a halt to it before the last round of cuts and before getting to 1/16 inch because the action felt pretty good. Just some clean-up with the depth gauge at the lowest setting, some filing and sanding.
It sure isn't perfect, especially if you look closely, But it is a vast improvement over the first two attempts. Ten feet. The 9.6 ounce blank balanced 34 inches from the butt. Six ounces of lead in the butt cap to bring the balance point back to 21 inches. Right at one pound total weight finished.
Fishing poles are impossible to photograph.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe34.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe33.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe35.jpg) (http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe36.jpg)
The first test casts were encouraging (actually, I'm stoked) but the reel was too hot, the wind was too high and it was getting dark.
-steve
Wow, Steve, I like that arc! Looks like you've made a nice, medium-action tip there! No doubt with a few more trials you'll have this method down. I'd be stoked, too....
Sid
Excellent job....and "craftsmanship", Steve !
I am absolutely impressed by this whole thread. Steve you are truly patient and talented. Dominick
That picture of the rod with the octagonal profile looks a lot like a violin bow. Let's see you tune a fish with that rod.
[Sorry, couldn't help myself]
That takes extreme patience. Great job. Rudy
How are your planer blades holding up?
Ipe is tuff stuff.
steve
That's a good question Steve and I don't know. The cut does not seem to have changed yet but it's brand spanking new. Trouble is though, I've got the fence going to keep the plane to the side of that darned chamfering groove in the front foot. It's filled with epoxy now but the texture is different so the plane wobbles a bit when the wood hits that groove. That means all the wear is occurring on one side. Maybe next time I can use the other side to try to even things out.
The winds were light today so the rod and I got a good work out. There's also a rising swell. Sometimes a rising swell will catch an inattentive crab off guard and wash it out of it's crevice. The fish will be there waiting for them. But no fish today. It seems I was the inattentive one and was broadsided by a wave that flipped the canoe. I was holding onto the precious octagon and trying to sort things out but it was under water for several minutes. The calcutta rod with the ipe tip did not fair as well. It was in a horizontal holster thing but the leash caught the tip and broke off about six inches. It's funny about the old knuckle buster reels and bushings instead of ball bearings. You can fill them with water and afterward they cast exactly the same. Maybe there's nothing wrong with using water lubrication. A lot of industrial bushings were water lubricated.
After the cane poles, the hardwood rod has made me feel like a new person. Not so much a Depression Era jetty roach any more, but a Progressive Era country gentleman. My rightful place in the world, don't you think. Maybe the next one will have better guides, a reel seat and monogramed butt cap.
-steve
Quote from: oc1 on December 05, 2017, 01:11:32 AM
Maybe the next one will have better guides, a reel seat and monogramed butt cap.
Good, you deserve it ;)
Thank you for the tip Mike. That book Salt Water Fishing Tackle by Harlan Major is pretty good; weird, but good. Weird because it's a collection of magazine articles, was first published in 1939 and was heavily updated through the third edition in 1955. So, the period covers the synthetic revolution for rods and line.
The hardwood rod section has some good information but it seems that by 1939 hardwood had been largely replaced by split bamboo except for big game hickory sticks.
The thing that shocked me the most was to find that the first fiberglass Harnell rods were impregnated with bakelite, not polyester. That makes the revolution more of a evolution. From split bamboo, to bakelite impregnated split bamboo, to bakelite impregnated fiberglass, to polyester impregnated fiberglass. I wonder when, or if, Harnell stopped using bakelite?
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/major1.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/major2.jpg)
The description of Ashaway Line and Twine rope walks was good too and I learned how to properly tie a leather thong. It's fishing stuff guys :)
This photo was worth the price of the book to me:
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/major3.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/major4.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/major5.jpg)
The guy reminds me of my grandfather. He went to Eighth Pass several times before I was born and he had the same stature, same stogie, similar split cane rod with oak handle and agatine guides, and similar baitcasting reel. He would have worn his old fedora instead of a Penn Reel cap though.
Another photo. Anyone recognize the reel?
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/major6.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/major7.jpg)
Thanks again,
-steve
Another ipe rod. This one felt too stiff in the tape mock-up so the edges of the hexagon were planed off and a drum sander used to made it round.... err, roundish.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe39.jpg)
I haven't used a reel seat in a while but made this minimalist one. It is only as long as the reel foot so there is not all that annoying reel seat threaded area. Still don't like it. It feels slick and cold.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe40.jpg)
The grips are an old style composite from back before they called stuff "composite". Cotton twine impregnated with orange shellac. The soft cotton twine was untwisted as it was wound onto the grip so it went down like a ribbon instead of rope. Every so often it was saturated with shellac and allowed to dry. When it started getting close to the desired shape the high spots were filed down with a coarse wood rasp. It can be sanded too but if the sand paper/belt/disc/drum gets warm the shellac will gum it up.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe41.jpg)
The plan was to then wrap the grips with rattan. It was more difficult than wrapping rattan on a chair leg or something. It's impossible to tuck the ends under more than about two wraps. I did not want to use a brass tack to secure it like you would do on a chair leg and never could find a way to make the end of the rattan secure enough and neat enough. If I were to do it over again I would make metal collar winding checks. Anyway, after failing with the rattan I just wrapped the grips with some old cuttyhunk line.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe42.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe43.jpg)
Home made german silver ring guides and butt cap.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe44.jpg)
The reel is discussed here:
http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=20986.msg266751#msg266751 (http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=20986.msg266751#msg266751)
Narrowed spool, add-on centrifugal break and Koph clutch. It feels good except for the cold reel seat. Works well too.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe45.jpg)
I can't catch a thing though. The bone fish have been few and far between all winter. Did get these on the previous ipe rod with an early knucklebuster.
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe37.jpg)
(http://www.raingarden.us/snap/ipe38.jpg)
-steve
Wow, this is artwork. Warms the spirit on a cold day in January. Makes me want to be there.
I love those guides, Steve !!
Love it Steve. Just goes to show, back to basics still catches fish.
beautiful work Steve!
steve