where can i find a basic overview of rod building.  something w/ basic step by step procedures

AB,

The best way to get started is to do some reading. Lots of good info out on the internet right now. I'd suggest a book - "Rod Building Guide" by Tom Kirkman for starters. It is written in an easy to follow and easy to understand format.

Next you need to start getting familiar with the components, so I'd go to http://shop.mudhole.com/ and get the free paper catalog sent to you, as well as www.anglersworkshop.com. Mud Hole also has a 2-3 page tutorial on rod building in the catalog and maybe on their site. All the tutorials are a little different, you will like certain parts of some and not others. Decide what fits your style and put the pieces together.

Reelmech did a nice step by step on one of his recent builds, find it here:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1140119967/0

There is a TON of info on the rod building website:

http://www.rodbuilding.org/list.php?2

As you start to read up on it you will probably have some specific questions, you can post them here or on the .org site.

There are also a handful of threads in this section if you go back a few pages, that address shops, tools, tricks, etc.

The next couple of days are supposed to be rainy... good for reading!

-keith

aggiebassin,

where can i find a basic overview of rod building.  something w/ basic step by step procedures

Two (2) publications come to mind.

The Flex Coat Step by Step Rod Building Guide (published by FlexCoat),

and the

Rod-Building Guide (Written by Tom Kirkman, published by Amato Publications).

Hope this helps.....  

thaks guys

reelmech's steb-by-step was easy to follow and very helpful

now i have a couple more questions.  im looking at prices on components to see if this project will be in my budget.  which guides, and reel seats are the best for the $$$???  and i was looking at mudhole and what si the difference in the cork grades?  i know that the higher priced ones are better (or at least supposed to be) but what is the difference in say the SCR1 select and the SCR2 select? texture, durability?

Now your opening up a can of worms! ...lol

Cork- I will never again mail order any cork that isn't burl, period. When I started, I ordered a big bag of "Premium Flor grade" and another bage of something like "AAAA premium" cork... I paid an arm and a leg for this "premium cork" and it was all a GIANT waste of money and was chocked FULL of huge voids, cracks and pits, etc. Since I tried burl and exotic burl, I have no desire to EVER use natural cork again.

The burl on mud hole is good quality, not perfectly squared up to the hole or pretty- but is dense and rarely has any voids. With a light coat of tru oil it looks ok. Lamar's "exotic burl" is really nice, looks good, is extremely dense and is a dream to work with, by hand and with power tools. And is actually less expensive than that so called "good cork." I also get Threadmaster thread finish from Lamar. http://www.lamarreelseats.com/

Guides- This is a little tougher... there are some great guides that don't cost a lot. And there are some that are really expensive. In my personal opinion, I like the titanium framed SiC's by Fuji the best, but they are expensive. I have also used alconites and they are probably the best guide for the money that is on the market. I built a couple rods with the Batson guides and they were great to work with, a little higher than alconites but the feet are almost perfectly prepped and you can also get them in tons of finishes. (frames and rings) Available at http://fishsticks4u.com/

Reel seats are easy for me... I only use Fuji ECSM for rods under 15.5mm, they are cheap and they are great. But I use Pac Bay exposed on big stuff since the Fuji only comes to a 15mm.

As far as money is concerned, using alconites, I have about $50-$60 in each rod (cork, reel seat, epoxy, tip, guides) plus the blank and my time. But I already have lots of thread and finish. You might add $20 to that for a couple spools of thread and some thread finish.

Hope that helps. (I still pay retail for my components)

Keith

flechero

so you use the burl cork for the whole handle? do you have a picture of a finished rod or just the handle so i can see what that looks like?  the pics of the burl on mudhole are kind of hard to really make out what they look like.  and is there a significant difference in the look of burl and the rubberized cork.  i really like the look of the rubberized end cap on a split grip handle, but if there wasn't much of a difference there would be no need to.

thanks in advance

jason

Yes, the whole handle.  In the other thread the rod Reelmech made also had burl for the whole handle.  I believe it was a mixture of regular and exotic burl.  This thread has some pictures of a few rods I built over the winter.  I like the look of burl when it's new, but once it gets dirty, it just looks like dirty cork.  ...lol  (but with no hole and no filler!)

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1140882283

aggiebassin,

Try this link to my Grip Design page it has pics of standard cork grips and all burl grips.Grip Design

There are also pics of burl grip in the Sticky Post (Hey Flechero New Rod Started >>) above......

Tight Wraps!