Just finished my first rod...

[clt_capt]

Thanks Shoefish for the great tip on the abalone and Thanks Kevin on the smoothing tip with flexcote...

Now I need to learn how to take long skinny pictures...

[Sea Draggin]

Nice. Very Nice.

[gradywhite273]

pretty work dude, outstanding craftmanship

[paul708]

nice job
didnt anyone tell you its a bad habit

[clt_capt]

nice job
didnt anyone tell you its a bad habit

I've had an epoxy addiction for a long time, now just have a new outlet

[shoefish]

Dude that is sharp! It looks frickin great. I was thinking about trying that same treatment to the foregrip- how did you do it? I assume you sand/file down the eva and then wrap up from the blank?

Really good looking man, thanks again for sharing

[clt_capt]

Dude that is sharp! It looks frickin great. I was thinking about trying that same treatment to the foregrip- how did you do it? I assume you sand/file down the eva and then wrap up from the blank?

Really good looking man, thanks again for sharing

The foregrip is quite easy. GradyWhite did a nice video set on leather grips - http://www.sportfishermen.com/board/...eos-32928.html

basically used the same technique. Once the grips were glued, I just turned the rod and used sandpaper to shape it the way I wanted. Then I took some 5 minute epoxy - mixed a very small amount of black pigment into it (maybe not necessary) and put it on. I had masking tape to make a sharp border. I waited just a bit too long to remove it - you should remove the tape as soon as the epoxy starts to thicken. Remove it at a 90 degree angle and it will leave a very clean edge.

After that just a normal thread wrap up to the edge. and then just finish the rod like you would normally do.

Again you can use tape to keep the border clean. I would suggest the purple 3M tape - it barely sticks to itself. You can remove the tape once the flexcote starts to thicken.

[Finesse]

First build ?? Ya Done good !!! Looks great

[Fish Poison Rods]

Great work, if you get achancetry an outdoor photo, in the shade so as not to get glare. Kevin Bogan

[Tunaman40]

Loven that blue abalone