Rod Building Hobby

[176champion]

Looking at maybe building fishing rods for a hobby on these cold icey days with nothing to do. Thought about lure making and such but my hands aren't stable enough for that, i don't think. Anyway i been looking at starter kits and need opinions, i have found a couple kits in these links.  Thanks in advance

Complete Get Bit Startup Kit w/Dryer - Casting - Start Up Kits - Rod Building Kits

 

Get Bit Start Up Tool Kit - Deluxe - Start Up Kits - Rod Building Kits

 

Ultimate eZ Rod Builder Hand Wrapper & Supply Kit | mudhole.com

 

 

[timinmo]

Those are all the things you need to get started.  I think it is a great hobby.  You might note that Mudhole has a workshop in St. Louis in September of this year.  Not sure of the date but check it out on their site.  If you have any questions don't hesitated to send me a PM.  There are several other builders on the site and maybe they will chime in.  One word of warning, it is not a way to save money.

Something to think about is that it takes the same amount of time to build on a cheap blank as a good one.  Build on a blank you would fish with.  That said there are plenty of nice blanks for $50 or less.  If you are not happy with the results you can always strip off the components and start over.  Lots of video on Youtube, be careful some are not just misleading but totally wrong.

Good luck.  

[176champion]

Thanks for the info..

[Al Agnew]

I've built a number of rods over the years, not enough to call it a "hobby", but whenever I can't find the right power and action I'm looking for, I build it.  And I've never used ANY of the components of those rod building kits, other than the rod varnish and epoxies.  I have to admit having a power rod dryer that turns the rod slowly would be the handiest thing for me to have; I've always just puttered around with something else in the same room while the rod was drying, remembering to turn it every few minutes.  But putting several thin coats of epoxy on the guide wraps instead of a thicker, runnier coat makes that more or less unnecessary.

I wrap it by hand, using a coffee cup to hold the thread and running it through the pages of a thick book to get good tension.  Other than building the handle on to it, that's the main thing with building a rod.

So my point is that you don't have to buy a $150 kit to build a rod.  Try building one first, and if you like it, then consider getting a dryer.  I'm not sure you need much of anything else...if you are handy enough to build the rod, you can build a rack to hold it while building and finishing it.

[Gavin]

Mud hole & Anglers Workshop are my usual vendors. Shipping is pricey. Order all at one time if you can. Access to a lathe to shape grips is a plus. The rest is easy. Measure allot and align the rod with its spline. You can make a wrapping jig from cardboard boxes in no time. Will need two boxes. One to wrap in, one to support the other end.

[Gavin]

For tip top sizes. Multiply the dimension in thousandths by 64, should give you the size. Order one  tip top on size, one bigger. Most seats are 16 or 17 mm you will need some round files our a drill press & bits to fit the corks & reel seat inserts to the blank. Usually takes 6 hours to finish one. 3 half arsed evenings of enjoyable mindless work.

[176champion]

Thanks for the info everyone...just something im looking at doing for bad weather days to keep my mind and hands busy or at night when i don't feel like watching TV.

[DChance]

good luck. I have a new respect for rod builders after doing 1. yes 1. that' it  no need to try again. lol

[Gavin]

Its just assembly, go slow and redo anything you are not happy with. Attention to detail will yield the best results. Your first one will be the hardest to finish and the ugliest one you will ever assemble, but the important thing is to get it done and learn. You will get a functional rod and the fish don't care what it the wraps look like.

[176champion]

I have watched a couple video's and i think the hardest part is getting the feel to find the spine and then aligning the eyes so they are straight.