Tuna Rod Build Start to Finish - Page 6

shoefish · 06-02-2008, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canyonjunkie

those rods of yours are so pretty i would be scared to fish them!

Make no doubt about it dude, these rods are built to take the abuse- I'm not building rods so I can look at 'em on a shelf, I'm building them so I can put the hurting to something.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tunakiller 4 hire

Man I got to learn how to do that it would keep me busy all winter.

It's the only thing that keeps me sane in the winter time

canyonjunkie · 06-02-2008, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shoefish

Make no doubt about it dude, these rods are built to take the abuse- I'm not building rods so I can look at 'em on a shelf, I'm building them so I can put the hurting to something.

sry shoe didnt mean it that way. i'm sure being able to put the heat to tuna was priority numero uno, but in the process you have created some really good lookin rods

shoefish · 06-02-2008, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by canyonjunkie

sry shoe didnt mean it that way. i'm sure being able to put the heat to tuna was priority numero uno, but in the process you have created some really good lookin rods

Yeah, I guess I should have added a smilie face or two on my post two- I hadn't taken offense at all

I'm just dying to get them finished and get a good bend in them

Thanks again for the nice comments and for following the thread!

chumtini · 06-02-2008, 10:32 AM

Looking good! It's a set of 4 rods, one wrapped with thread (see pic with 4 rods together)?

shoefish · 06-02-2008, 11:00 AM

It's actually a set of 3 new ones with the abalone, but that other one is the same blank, so I was using it to help mock up guide placement, etc. When all is said and done (with these ones) I'll have two bent butt 50s and two straight butt 30s with the same blank. Good eyes dude.

Seaker · 06-02-2008, 03:32 PM

A-W-E-S-O-M-E

My 30's were done by John Byrd with Abalone and they are my favorite by far.

So sorry to not have offered congrats earlier.

I used to make my own but now time constraints just don't permit it. Remind me bout the time I stole Debi's sewing maching she got as a gift from her grandmother (God rest her soul) that I turned into a rod lathe.

She is still pissed

shoefish · 06-02-2008, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seaker

She is still pissed

I'm going to have to bust you on this one buddy- Debbie seems to me to be about the sweetest person there is. I can't imaging her even raising her voice. You must have done it up big time to get her going

Thanks for the kind words dude.

shoefish · 06-15-2008, 02:32 PM

Well I had wanted to be done with these by now but unfortunately work just keeps getting in the way

So picking up where we left off, Kevin and I prepped all of the guides for the rods. To do so, we used a bench grinder, a flat file, and some sand paper. What you want to do is taper the end of the guides. This is for two reasons, the first is that it is easier to get the threads to wrap up on the feet, and the other is that when the blank flexes under load there isn't a strong pivot point that will poke through the wraps (on a conventional set up) or make a weak point on the blank (on a spinning set up).

Here is what the foot looks like when you grind it

I then take a black sharpie and black out the feet- this is so the silver doesn't show through the wraps. I will be doing double overwraps on these set ups, so it's less important, but it's good to get into the habit.

You can see what it looks like when the feet are tapered

Now you just wrap up onto it

After you finish all the wraps, put a coat of Flex Coat on it. Then you can put a second overwrap on it for strength

When I get the final coat on I'll post that up next.

JerseyBrian · 06-27-2008, 10:12 PM

great thread man! Makes me wanna try out rod building!

shoefish · 06-30-2008, 09:45 PM

So after doing two over wraps on each rod as well as a final coat of flex coat, I epoxied on the tip tops. There really isn't much to that, so I didn't take pictures of it. You basically scuff up the blank and use a 5 minute epoxy to glue it on.

So now they are ready to go...three tuna sticks locked and loaded....just add blood. This has been a fun project for me as there have been a couple firsts- my first time with working with abalone, and my first time doing the epoxy build up on the foregrips. I've learned a few things, and can't wait to put them to use again sometime soon.

For those of you who have been following this thread, thanks for all of your input and questions...now get out and build one yourself- there is nothing like the satisfaction of beating a big fish on a rod you built yourself.

Shoe

Here is the Red Set up...
Butt wrap

Ferrule wrap

And the guide wraps

The Blue set up...
Butt wrap

And the guide wraps

The Gold set up...
Butt wrap

Ferrule wrap

And the guide wraps

Angler view locked and loaded (notice the ferrule wraps)

The three amigos

Thanks again for following the thread. Let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Shoe

06-02-2008, 10:32 AM	#54
chumtini I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Mass Posts: 1,506 Credits: 2,519.7	Looking good! It's a set of 4 rods, one wrapped with thread (see pic with 4 rods together)? __________________

06-02-2008, 03:32 PM	#56
Seaker I think Admin is going to let me have this space Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Buzzards Bay, Ma. Posts: 1,258 Credits: 4,948.9 Boat: Seaker Home Port: Buzzards Bay Best Catch: 700 Blue Marlin Occupation: Charter Owner/Captain, Yacht Broker, Mortgage Originator	Just caught up with this thread A-W-E-S-O-M-E My 30's were done by John Byrd with Abalone and they are my favorite by far. So sorry to not have offered congrats earlier. I used to make my own but now time constraints just don't permit it. Remind me bout the time I stole Debi's sewing maching she got as a gift from her grandmother (God rest her soul) that I turned into a rod lathe. She is still pissed __________________ Captain Vin www.seakersportfishing.com www.thehabanaco.com/ www.carlsonoffshore.com

06-27-2008, 10:12 PM	#59
JerseyBrian Bite me Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Philadelphia Posts: 244 Credits: 1,701.9 Home Port: Bergen County, New Jersey Occupation: Veterinary Student	great thread man! Makes me wanna try out rod building! __________________

06-30-2008, 09:45 PM	#60
shoefish Chum Nuts Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Portsmouth NH Posts: 4,604 Credits: 2,888.3	Just add blood... So after doing two over wraps on each rod as well as a final coat of flex coat, I epoxied on the tip tops. There really isn't much to that, so I didn't take pictures of it. You basically scuff up the blank and use a 5 minute epoxy to glue it on. So now they are ready to go...three tuna sticks locked and loaded....just add blood. This has been a fun project for me as there have been a couple firsts- my first time with working with abalone, and my first time doing the epoxy build up on the foregrips. I've learned a few things, and can't wait to put them to use again sometime soon. For those of you who have been following this thread, thanks for all of your input and questions...now get out and build one yourself- there is nothing like the satisfaction of beating a big fish on a rod you built yourself. Shoe Here is the Red Set up... Butt wrap Ferrule wrap And the guide wraps The Blue set up... Butt wrap And the guide wraps The Gold set up... Butt wrap Ferrule wrap And the guide wraps Angler view locked and loaded (notice the ferrule wraps) The three amigos Thanks again for following the thread. Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Shoe

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06-02-2008, 11:00 AM	#55
shoefish Chum Nuts Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Portsmouth NH Posts: 4,604 Credits: 2,888.3	It's actually a set of 3 new ones with the abalone, but that other one is the same blank, so I was using it to help mock up guide placement, etc. When all is said and done (with these ones) I'll have two bent butt 50s and two straight butt 30s with the same blank. Good eyes dude.

06-15-2008, 02:32 PM	#58
shoefish Chum Nuts Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Portsmouth NH Posts: 4,604 Credits: 2,888.3	Well I had wanted to be done with these by now but unfortunately work just keeps getting in the way So picking up where we left off, Kevin and I prepped all of the guides for the rods. To do so, we used a bench grinder, a flat file, and some sand paper. What you want to do is taper the end of the guides. This is for two reasons, the first is that it is easier to get the threads to wrap up on the feet, and the other is that when the blank flexes under load there isn't a strong pivot point that will poke through the wraps (on a conventional set up) or make a weak point on the blank (on a spinning set up). Here is what the foot looks like when you grind it I then take a black sharpie and black out the feet- this is so the silver doesn't show through the wraps. I will be doing double overwraps on these set ups, so it's less important, but it's good to get into the habit. You can see what it looks like when the feet are tapered Now you just wrap up onto it After you finish all the wraps, put a coat of Flex Coat on it. Then you can put a second overwrap on it for strength When I get the final coat on I'll post that up next.