Reel Repair by Alan Tani

Fishing Rods => Fishing Rods => Topic started by: Beachmaster on January 20, 2020, 06:00:07 PM

Title: Rod building...
Post by: Beachmaster on January 20, 2020, 06:00:07 PM
Who here builds rods?  I would like to try to build a few for myself.  Is it more expensive than just to buy a rod?  I would be interested in only fiberglass rods.  Where do you get your blanks?  Is there a kit you recommend for a beginner?
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: Midway Tommy on January 20, 2020, 07:21:02 PM
This should really be moved out of the Spinning Reel Section. Rob building information is down here in the Rod Section. (https://alantani.com/index.php?action=collapse;c=7;sa=collapse;sesc=232613753743b8fc6b41592416aae6d0#7)

Rod building is all relative, cost wise. I don't save much from what I can buy in the store but I can sure build a high end rod, say a $350-$450 St Croix Legend Extreme, Elite, etc. for about $200. With most cheaper rods, though, if you consider your time worth anything, you can get store bought cheaper. The reason why I build my own rods is because I can buy a quality blank and upgrade all the components, like SIC guides, etc., which you can't buy in a store unless you spend big bucks. Then I end up with a top quality rod for a reasonable price.
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: oc1 on January 20, 2020, 08:00:27 PM
The mechanics of putting the components together is straightforward.  The most difficult part is developing a clear vision of what it is you want.  You need to go through a lot of off-the-rack rods to figure out what you like and why. The second most difficult part is selecting a blank that will fulfill that vision.
-steve
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: Beachmaster on January 20, 2020, 09:42:02 PM
Quote from: Midway Tommy on January 20, 2020, 07:21:02 PM
This should really be moved out of the Spinning Reel Section. Rob building information is down here in the Rod Section. (https://alantani.com/index.php?action=collapse;c=7;sa=collapse;sesc=232613753743b8fc6b41592416aae6d0#7)

Rod building is all relative, cost wise. I don't save much from what I can buy in the store but I can sure build a high end rod, say a $350-$450 St Croix Legend Extreme, Elite, etc. for about $200. With most cheaper rods, though, if you consider your time worth anything, you can get store bought cheaper. The reason why I build my own rods is because I can buy a quality blank and upgrade all the components, like SIC guides, etc., which you can't buy in a store unless you spend big bucks. Then I end up with a top quality rod for a reasonable price.

That's what I am after...a good quality blank that I can build myself as good as or better than $400 dollar rod for example that I can build myself for $100 or so.  I want to cut out the profit margin or whatever margin they are charging for with those high dollar rods.  Your right, I didn't know that there was a rod building part to the site so it should be moved. 
Something else I also thought about...keeping an eye out for quality glass at yard sales and stripping everything off and starting from scratch to customize the way I like it.  Anyone do that?
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: Beachmaster on January 20, 2020, 09:44:16 PM
Quote from: oc1 on January 20, 2020, 08:00:27 PM
The mechanics of putting the components together is straightforward.  The most difficult part is developing a clear vision of what it is you want.  You need to go through a lot of off-the-rack rods to figure out what you like and why. The second most difficult part is selecting a blank that will fulfill that vision.
-steve

Good point.  I could definitely see that has a huge problem for me...when I run out of shaving cream, I have a hard time deciding what shaving cream is best for the price and which one I should pick. 
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: Swami805 on January 21, 2020, 01:42:57 AM
I build a lot of rods, if you're only going to build a couple you won't save a whole bunch of money. If you think you'll enjoy it by all means jump in, if it's just to save money probably not worth it
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: happyhooker on January 21, 2020, 03:24:21 AM
I'll echo what a few others have said; you aren't likely to save money vs. store-bought if you include the value of your time.  If your time is your own, then you can build an above-average rod for less than what it'd cost you at a store.  But, think about the completed rods you're tempted to buy; you find one you like, but it's short a guide or two, or the grip is composite rather than the cork you prefer, or that bright red wrap is a bit much...you get the point; when you build your own, you can pick everything just as you want.  You select any compromises that need to be made; they aren't forced on you.

I also agree that blank selection can be tough.  There are no universal criteria defining action, power and so forth, so any terms describing these things are going to be good only as starting points.  It takes a pretty professional hand and eye to look and handle a bare blank and know with any certainty what you're going to end up with after you add grips and a handle, tie on guides, etc. But, no fear; the anticipation of what you'll end up with is half the fun, or more.

Yeah, I've taken more than a few old rods and rebuilt them to something more useful to me.  I think you can get a better idea of what you might end up with by working with an existing rod, seeing what is good and what ain't, getting a feel for the rod with hardware attached, then removing and renovating, vs. starting with a bare blank.  You're stuck with what the market offers, which means limited selection, but the chance of getting ahold of a real nice older blank for a good price.

Good luck, have fun and get ready for the satisfaction of making something good with your own efforts.  When I built my first rod, there was no internet, so my educational materials consisted of Dale Clemons first rod building book and a few pages from a Fenwick catalog. Nowadays, there is all kinds of good advice, not the least of which you can get from our very own AT site.

Frank
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: oc1 on January 21, 2020, 05:22:27 AM
Quote from: Beachmaster on January 20, 2020, 09:42:02 PM
quality glass at yard sales and stripping everything off and starting from scratch to customize the way I like it.  Anyone do that?

Yeah, but I buy them off ebay.  My favorites are the 1950's tobacco rods.
-steve
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: Beachmaster on January 23, 2020, 10:08:09 PM
How do you know which ones are tobacco rods?
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: Newell Nut on January 23, 2020, 10:27:11 PM
If you build your own you build it like you want it. It will cost you more than most store rods but you get what you want unless you screw it up during the learning curve. Get Bit Outdoors has everything you need to build rods.

Dwight
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: oc1 on January 24, 2020, 07:49:19 AM
Quote from: Beachmaster on January 23, 2020, 10:08:09 PM
How do you know which ones are tobacco rods?
"The early rolled fiberglass rods were a translucent brown with the fiberglass weave showing through the resin.   The brown color is inherent in phenolic resin and all the old tobacco colored rods have further darkened with age.  These early brown rods with the weave showing were made with phenolic resin pre-impregnated (pre-preg) fiberglass cloth made by a NARMCO division called Hexcell.  The Hexcell pre-preg cloth was originally sold as Trevano and the early rods are still called Trevano rods.  The other common name is tobacco rods.  But sometimes rods made with the next generation of pre-preg phenolc fiberglass are also brown and also called tobacco rods so Trevano is a more specific name.  The characteristic exposed weave of the Hexell helps to identify fiberglass rods made in the late 1940's and 1950's.  The weave is unidirectional with most of the fibers running longitudinally along the rod.  The cross weave is minimal by comparison and there are only enough perpendicular fibers to allow the cloth to be handled.  The pre-preg cloth is cut into triangular shapes (called flags).  One edge is tacked to the steel mandrel so the cloth does not slip as it is being rolled.  Once pre-preg is rolled onto the mandrel, the rod is wrapped in cellophane tape to squeeze out the air. It is then sanded and varnished.  Once you've seen a few of these you will not mistake them for anything else."

.... and it goes on and on (with a photo) here:
https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=24775.0 (https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=24775.0)

-steve
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: steelfish on January 24, 2020, 07:00:08 PM
Quote from: Beachmaster on January 20, 2020, 09:42:02 PM


That's what I am after...a good quality blank that I can build myself as good as or better than $400 dollar rod for example that I can build myself for $100 or so.  I want to cut out the profit margin or whatever margin they are charging for with those high dollar rods. 

well, kind of hard to have a $400 rod made with $100 in parts, normally (I say normally not always) those rods have good quality blanks that cost $120-$250, plus good quality guides that run from $40 - $60 or more the complete set, plus the reel seat $15 - $35, plus rear and foregrip, plus small accesories, plus thread and epoxy cost, so, profit for labor is not that high, but of course, if you save $100 to $150 dlls from a $400-$500 rod for building it yourself thats great, but if you go for economic version of blanks and guides, etc then Im pretty sure you will expend more that getting a decent factory rod.

so, Im with my compa Sheridan (swami805) and Dwight (newellnut) if you doing it for saving money it might not wortht it



Quote from: Beachmaster on January 20, 2020, 09:42:02 PM
Something else I also thought about...keeping an eye out for quality glass at yard sales and stripping everything off and starting from scratch to customize the way I like it.  Anyone do that?

normally 80% of my jobs for my fishing friends and few walk-ins "customers" are that kind of jobs, restoring a used rod can be really hard and frustrating but if you take your time, read a lot and ask everything, you can finish with a nice work.

you need to see rod building as the oportunity to build something special to you or just for the joy of using something you build yourself but not for saving money.

this are some of my rebuilt jobs :

https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=21020.0
https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=23987.0
https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=30035.0
https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=28074.0
https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=29699.0


Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: The Fishing Hobby on January 24, 2020, 11:25:29 PM
I build rods because I enjoy doing it I can build what I want. I use mostly fiberglass rods myself. I have some videos you may want to watch in a playlist to get some idea about what is involved: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX7a8aD_4rEmd_Fl_J4RfNRsUZ3fe6fby

If you have any specific questions, I'd be glad to try and help if I can.
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: Tile on January 25, 2020, 01:00:08 AM
There should be several suppliers of fiberglass blanks like Lamiglas, Rainshadow. Also you have the option of modifying an existing rod like I did with a Fladen STS 2.4m 20-40lb rod which became a baitcasting rod.

https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=30255.0

In terms of cost rodbuilding cal also be done with a low budget and with excellent results.
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: The Fishing Hobby on January 25, 2020, 01:13:42 AM
Quote from: Tile on January 25, 2020, 01:00:08 AM
There should be several suppliers of fiberglass blanks like Lamiglas, Rainshadow. Also you have the option of modifying an existing rod like I did with a Fladen STS 2.4m 20-40lb rod which became a baitcasting rod.

https://alantani.com/index.php?topic=30255.0

In terms of cost rodbuilding cal also be done with a low budget and with excellent results.

The Rainshadow e-glass blanks are very good and priced great too.
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: oc1 on January 25, 2020, 04:57:07 AM
What Getbit and several others sell on e-bay are from the same Chinese factory that Rainshadow, Alps, and some other brands come from.  They're no better and no worse. They just keep getting cheaper while the quality remains about the same.  Mediocre.  I love me some Chinese blanks because, at the price, you do not feel compelled to stay with a rod because it cost a fortune.  You can experiment around a bit.
-steve
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: Cor on January 25, 2020, 06:51:41 AM
Building rods is fun, in fact building all your own tackle and servicing your own reels is very satisfying.

I build a rod in a sort of temporary manner, then fish with it, cast a lot and if need be modify it, usually a bit longer at the back or shorter at the tip or change guide spacing etc.   Only when I am happy with it do I finish it.

Here it cost more then double to build your own rod on a decent blank and to obtain a nice blank is difficult.

Many guys buy a cheap complete rod if the blank feels right and then re build it.   Just because the blanks come from the East does not mean it is always poor quality and I have done that wit good results.
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: Cor on January 25, 2020, 06:54:37 AM
Quote from: oc1 on January 25, 2020, 04:57:07 AM
What Getbit and several others sell on e-bay are from the same Chinese factory that Rainshadow, Alps, and some other brands come from.  They're no better and no worse. They just keeping cheaper while the quality remains about the same.  Mediocre.  I love me some Chinese blanks because, at the price, you do not feel compelled to stay with a rod because it cost a fortune.  You can experiment around a bit.
-steve

;D ;DI once bought 2 different blanks from a well known USA tackle supplier, the one still had a sticker on in "ROC". ???
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: droppedit on January 25, 2020, 02:35:08 PM
Welcome to the addicting habit of rod building. I was where you are over 35 years ago, I knew what I wanted and couldn't find it. Be careful! The house will smell like chemicals and there will be bits of thread everywhere in the house and it might be the grounds for divorce. Other than that it is great making your own rods. Definitely not cheaper once you figure into supplies and equipment. There are a few things you'll get on your first build that will be better than store bought are a handle and reel seat that fit you, guides setup to match your reel, action of rod blank and hardware of your choice, plus colors ;) There is tons of information out here on the net and plenty of guides to follow. Go slow with it, practice on your wraps, and keep your hands clean and you will be ahead of the game. Enjoy!!


Dave
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: Dominick on January 25, 2020, 10:12:08 PM
One day I decided to build my own rods.  I am now on my 7 or 8th rod.  It is great fun and a satisfying hobby.  I bought one of "The Fishing Hobby" hand wrappers.  It really works well.  Dominick
Title: Re: Rod building...
Post by: The Fishing Hobby on January 26, 2020, 03:15:28 PM
Quote from: Dominick on January 25, 2020, 10:12:08 PM
One day I decided to build my own rods.  I am now on my 7 or 8th rod.  It is great fun and a satisfying hobby.  I bought one of "The Fishing Hobby" hand wrappers.  It really works well.  Dominick
I'm glad you are enjoying it!