Christmas, and surprise tasks

[JasonGotaProblem]

It went from "my son really loves my custom rods, and hes been surprisingly careful with the beater rig I gave him. I'm gonna make him a rod for Christmas."

Reasonable start, very reasonable goal re: time to make it before Christmas.

But now somehow I'm also making rods for my wife's dad and brother. No big deal.

For my son's first proper bass rod, I'm gonna do the lipstick on a pig special. I got a "zebco slingshot" for the nice bendy glass blank, and I'm gonna strip it down and throw $20 worth of fuji hardware at it. And I got him a $30 shimano sienna 1000 that I'm gonna open and lube up with the good stuff, load with 10# braid, and gonna consider getting him a round cork knob for it. The point is to make him a mini version of daddy's rigs. The closer approximation I can make, the better the odds he'll leave mine alone.

Asked him what colors he'd want. He wants it rainbow colored. To him there's no connection between a rainbow and any external concept, and certainly no negative connotation. Ever since he learned about prisms he just thinks rainbows are super cool. And I don't wanna turn it into some kind of complex. So, that rod is gonna get some rainbow banding. At the base. Where it can be easily covered up or redone if a few years from now it becomes an issue. The guides will get red wraps or banding to match the reel.

I just gotta figure out what to make for the in-laws. On a budget. I'm considering the $50 sienna 2500 combo which i would redo the guides on. I figure a 2500 reel is gonna be on the big end but functional for bass, and on the small end but functional for inshore fishing. And I like the action of the rod it comes with enough that I kinda want my own. I figure that'll cover the two types of fishing they're most likely to do. And its already got cork grips and a DPS-style reel seat so its really just the guides I'd need to redo, with some custom butt wraps to cover the existing logo, of course. So I'd be looking at $60 each to give them a decent custom rod.

Am i talking crazy here?

[philaroman]

if you're gonna play w/ a bunch of smaller affordable Shimano's:

1) try to figure it out, so that ONE well-priced 10-tube of bearings replaces plastic main-gear bushings,
    in ALL the reels (easy w/ older models / not sure about latest)

2) for in-laws, find model(s) where 2500/3000 are identical except for spool arbor & drag size,
    and work it out so each guy has both spool options

[JasonGotaProblem]

if you're gonna play w/ a bunch of smaller affordable Shimano's:

1) try to figure it out, so that ONE well-priced 10-tube of bearings replaces plastic main-gear bushings,
    in ALL the reels (easy w/ older models / not sure about latest)

2) for in-laws, find model(s) where 2500/3000 are identical except for spool arbor & drag size,
    and work it out so each guy has both spool options

Not a bad idea at all. The 1000 size has 2 of the same and one different bearing. The 2500 size has 3 different sizes (but 2 are common with 1000 size)

Both look to be fairly simple reels. I don't see any bushings on the diagram that would readily be replaced with a bearing, but I'll look closer in person. Not sure if that's a positive or negative.

Part of the reason I'm looking at these 2500 though is the combo comes with a rod with decent potential. Though I'm certainly not married to the idea yet.

[Ron Jones]

The rainbow is awesome! Especially for a kid. It would be cool if you could work the prism into it somehow, unfortunately I'm not enough of an artist to recommend how, in order for it to never be an issue.

I hope it never becomes an issue, rainbows are unbelievable, one of the best parts of living on Oahu. They are my symbol of the amazing juncture of science and art; who gives a rip if an alternative lifestyle feels they have claimed it.

Keep you kids head in science and fishing, he'll do great things.

The Man

[JasonGotaProblem]

I've got nothing whatsoever against rainbows, alternative lifestyles, or those who live alternative lifestyles identifying with the rainbow.
What worries me is the negative connotation people who irrationally hate these alternative lifestyles have attached to the color spectrum used as a decoration, and how cruel those folks can be, even to a kid. So my thought is to do it in such a way that when some a-hole eventually harasses him and he maybe decides he doesnt like it anymore, it's not the death of the rod just a change of decoration.

But until then, my kid can enjoy his innocence and his rainbow fishing rod. Funny, I mentioned that as an aside. I forgot this is the internet. At least this corner of it is civil.

[oldmanjoe]

 Rainbow colors and prisms , sounds like he`s into Pink Floyd    Dark side of the moon

[Ron Jones]

That was exactly what I thought your position was. The Dark Side of the Moon is really close to what I had in mind. Just trying to find something the kid can be jazzed about.

The Man

[Swami805]

I have this rainbow colored metallic thread be happy to send you a spool if it would be helpful

[philaroman]

if you're gonna play w/ a bunch of smaller affordable Shimano's:

1) try to figure it out, so that ONE well-priced 10-tube of bearings replaces plastic main-gear bushings,
   in ALL the reels (easy w/ older models / not sure about latest)

2) for in-laws, find model(s) where 2500/3000 are identical except for spool arbor & drag size,
   and work it out so each guy has both spool options

Not a bad idea at all. The 1000 size has 2 of the same and one different bearing. The 2500 size has 3 different sizes (but 2 are common with 1000 size)

Both look to be fairly simple reels. I don't see any bushings on the diagram that would readily be replaced with a bearing, but I'll look closer in person. Not sure if that's a positive or negative.

Part of the reason I'm looking at these 2500 though is the combo comes with a rod with decent potential. Though I'm certainly not married to the idea yet.

oh, cool -- you get FG...  thought $50 combo would be prior FE w/ plastic on BOTH sides of main
also, when the in-laws chew up the original gears, you'll have choice between 5.0 & 6.2 gear sets
and might want to figure out whether 2000, or 3000, or BOTH are "almost same reel"
and other models on same platform...  cherry-picked parts reels really is a cheaper way to get your parts

[Jeri]

Creative and rainbows? Screams for marbling with the appropriate colours. No brainer!

[JasonGotaProblem]

Creative and rainbows? Screams for marbling with the appropriate colours. No brainer!

Sort of what I was thinking. I did some semi-marbling on the last build, this would just be adding more colors.

I have this rainbow colored metallic thread be happy to send you a spool if it would be helpful

You're too kind. I looked at that but it takes away the opportunity to do something new and interesting.

Rainbow colors and prisms , sounds like he`s into Pink Floyd    Dark side of the moon

Joe that's awesome. Thread or paint? I'm picturing how that could be done in thread. Just lots of layering. And yes he definitely likes Floyd. There's been a bit of nudging on our part toward a solid foundation of quality music in his youth. Some of my relatives did the same for me and it really paid off.

[oldmanjoe]

 Pink Floyd is thread and foam for the grip .

Paint pigment mixed in epoxy for the head to toe stick .

[JasonGotaProblem]

Pink Floyd is thread and foam for the grip .

Paint pigment mixed in epoxy for the head to toe stick .

Wait, so you're just using tube acrylic paint (probably not the technical term) mixed directly into the epoxy as a toner? I didnt realize that was an option. I've been playing with mica powders and disappointment. Here's my first attempt at marbling. Definitely some room for improvement.

[Swami805]

You could try a fade wrap.  Here's 3 colors, would look pretty good in rainbow colors

[oldmanjoe]

        Sheridan  I would like to see more pictures of that stick , you have a lot of different techniques going on there ...