After spending a good while thinking what to do with some money I received for Christmas I decided to put it toward something to do during down time from the troots. Of course, it was always going to be something fishing related :). After popping over to see Brian (Bushy Palmer) for a festive swig and having a look at the rod he's making from a Gatti blank, the decision was made.
Admittedly, I didn't do a great deal of research beforehand and went straight to mudhole.com to have a look. I ended up getting an MHX 9' #5 4pc blank which I took in kit form as I thought it would make things a little simpler.
It arrived and, as usual, thought ''I should take some before shots and show the progress of the build'', then ignored my own advice and got tore in :lol:
I started reaming out the spacer that fitted into the reel seat. The butt cap, uplocking thread and spacer were all separate and were epoxied to the spacer once it had been fitted to the blank.
Then much reaming of the cork handle was to be done. I had small files that were fine for the reel seat spacer but I worried that they would create an uneven hole inside the handle when filing from both ends. Thinking cap on! I used the tip section of a broken rod and wrapped sandpaper round it in the same profile and taped it in place at the thick end. Perfect, the hole which I'd started with the small files was opening up nicely and becoming much more straight, but tapered to the blank. Once it was naturally falling down the blank and stopping about an inch short of it's proper position, I applied the epoxy from the mark for the top of the handle three quarters of the way to the reel seat. I thought this would spread the epoxy over the last quarter as I slowly pushed it on that extra inch. Job was a good un.
I decided not to use the snake guides that came in the kit and bought fuji single legs and tip. Whilst investigating spacing and spining the blank, I found a calculator to calculate the spacing. There was a small box to tick if you wanted to add a taming guide, which flew over my head. After a bit of research, I found that the taming guide sits about 4 in up from the stripper and is there to stop the line slapping and sticking to the rod (interesting for me as this always happens to me when hauling, which I should never have tried to do until I learned how to cast properly!).
I've had some good advice from reading this section and by PM from Fachan and Sandfly. I took Fachan's advice and would my thread onto a multiplier I had kicking around. Works a treat! So far I've put on the keeper ring, the first stripper and the taming guide plus ferrule reinforcement. The eyes are all marked out with tape and when I get the tip section (new one on the way as there was a flaw in the original) I'll spine the tip and second section, leaving the bottom two since it seems quite difficult to find. Not sure if this is necessary for a #5 or not.
Anyway, have a gander at the pics and I'll post some updates when I've got more done. It's called ''The Stealth" :8)
Cheers,
Dave.
Exactly what I'm doing :8). I even wanted a matt finish for the whippings. I dont really understand why anything is glossed on a rod, just more for the sun to bounce off :?
Cheers Davy, I don't understand though, it's says it's gloss?
Sorry, just notice the "satin" selection :)
I've now finished the rod turner whilst waiting for the new guides to arrive. Mark I was make from a disco ball motor (1.5 rpm), rod tube cap and some big bolts. Mark II is a microwave motor (5-6 rpm) and pipe cleaners! I sat for an age thinking of what scrap I could make another chuck from and then it clicked. The shaft was in a D profile and hollow, the inside of the shaft being split into two sections by a support. I pushed a couple of pipe cleaners fat end into the two sections and wrapped them round one another. It tapers into the end of the blank and can't damage it. I'll just have to remember to leave the butt cap off when doing the handle so the blank can still slide onto it.
More antics with scrap to come.....
That's the Fuji guides arrived, finally. It's my 30th tomorrow, think I'll just buy a bottle of Pittyviach, a Cohiba Robusto and ask to be left alone for the day.
Happy Birthday when it comes Dave
Cheers pal.
The only varnish on it is on the whippings. It's all done in matt so there is as little rod flash as possible. If I varnished it it might make it faster. Is that not one of the only differences between the Helios and Hydros?
Quote from: Alan on January 28, 2011, 01:08:15 AM
does the added varnish change the feel or performance of the rod?
It depends on the molecular structure of the varnish and the thickness of the application.
Some say it depends on the rings too. Two footed rings are a splint.
That's one of the reasons I chose single legs, less work too :). I don't like snakes for some reason.
Aye, definitely! I've got a bit of a problem with that though. It's whisky club on Saturday night :?