S Hovanec

How's that TM One working out in the long run. I did a repair with it and when the rod got wet, the wrap turned white. After it dried out, it never got clear again. Stripped it off and redid it with TM lite and hi.

Exactly. My lathe is 40' from my wrapping bench and I can't apply finish for about a week after turning a grip. In the process of building a dirty room for the lathe, drill press, saws and assembly bench.

Mine is just the opposite. When it hits 1/4, I still have over half. At 1/8, it's just under half.

I don't think UV is the problem. Its just the nature of the hardner to turn yellow. I store my finish in a medicine cabinet in my shop and only take it out to draw what I need, then immediately put it back. My hardner still yellows. My supplier has got finishes directly from the manufacturer that were already yellowed to the point they were unusable.

Sounds like a cracked ring to me. Notice any line damage?

What I proposed will repair it. Once coated, you will not be able to tell it was there, unless it was through the paint.

Just add a coat of thread finish to the area where the crankbait hangs. That will protect the blank from future hook assaults. When I build a rod for trebel baits, I put a coat like that to protect the paint.

They all will yellow and the white blanks really accentuate it. The only finish I know that stays water clear is Permagloss. Problem with it is that's a really hot solvent and tends to melt some paint.

+1 on Cam

I prefer alcohol to peanut butter when building! Some of my best designs were found at the bottom of a couple bottles of IPA!

I feel the problem people have with micros is they're trying to use the wrong tool for the job. Using a screwdriver instead of a hammer. 3mm guides aren't appropriate for 60# braid with a 20# leader. For that you need to step it up to a 5mm guide. The manufacturers don't tell you that though. They just say micros are great. They are, but not for all applications. Currently working on a SCV 7'4" heavy. I will NOT be using tiny guides. They will be 5mm, to allow for connection passing and any other crap that may gum up the works. Once again, right tool for the job.

Ya got that ass backwards. Custom builders were using the so called micro guides at least 5 years before the major manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon. Same with split grips, but it took them longer to make it to mainstream.

I've been called worse!

Scoot? Lol

One more.

That's me. 95% dropshot, 5% tube. I have a jerkbait tied on in the spring, but it only gets a few casts each trip. Come summertime, I have 3 or 4 dropshot rods rigged up with different baits and one tube rod.

I buy closeout blanks for the rods I donate. I have to build one for an event next month and I'm out. They may be getting a 4'6" St Croix SCIII UL, cause everything else in inventory is either SCV or 7' or longer 1 piece.

It all depends on the rods intended use and what's comfortable for you. My bluegill builds have 4" rear grips and surf builds have 18". There is no right answer. That's the beauty of custom.

I wasn't gonna post these, but they were just sitting there on my phone SCREAMING "LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT", So, I present to you: Project Pea Soup

it most certainly will. My Stradic will be going on a metallic silver Rodgeeks.

I hope I don't do the same thing when I go to order my Stradic. It will totally destroy the plans and color scheme I have for its intended rod build!

Knot. They don't make a swivel small enough to pass a 3.5mm or 4mm guide.

Mods like this are what starts to give you the rod building sickness.

You already have both of my pages.

That's an interesting looking break. Very clean. Would be a $20-$30 repair in my shop. Inexpensive rods aren't worth fixing unless there's sentimental value.