Rope handle?

[pearl]

I getting started on building a couple vintage Harrington blanks. These will be rod holder rods primarily for the diver and bait fishery at Buoy 10.

I would like to build them with a vintage style rope handles.

Questions.....

1) What type of rope? Because these are salmon rods I envision the rope not being bigger then 1/8 inch diameter. My goal would be a rope that has a nice weave to it.

2) What is the preferred method for securing the rope to the blank?

3) Should I start and finish the rope wrap just as you would tying a thread wrap?

4) How is the rope sealed once installed? or is it?

Tips tricks and advice welcome

Thanks , Steve

[GSD]

This is what I've used on all my Bobber Rods:

http://www.ifish.net/board/showpost.php?p=2007715&postcount=3

Most of mine are black but I wanted to try a lighter color on the one pictured in the link.
Many colors & sizes available. Easy to wrap, like your thread. I use a very thin layer of slow cure epoxy under the cord. Nothing on the outside, the poly cord is very durable and weather resistant.

The blank: Lamiglas GLB 108 1MH

Oh yea, my Harrington has the poly cord...Stealth Black.

Bill {GSD}

[StickFish]

Pearl back in the day they used cotton or sainers twine. The sainers twine has a tar like finish to it. Cotton would need some type of finish - it was usually something like spar varnish cut 50/50 with another solvent. Now we have Polyester in lots of color combination. Take a look at what they offer on Acidrod - I pm's the link to you.

As far as wrapping - just a plain wrap would be finished like a guide wrap - exact same technique. I have seen some rods that Rooster1264 has done with cord wrap - take a look at his weaves on the cord looks pretty cool. I would imagine you could use any macromay pattern as well. Others like to finish them with turkshead knots.

When you are ready to do your guide placement I have a new tool on the wall for doing that

[pearl]

Thanks Bill and Ted!

That gives me a bit to work with.

I'm sure I'll have a few more questions as I get started like....

1) Does the butt cap go over the cord ( like cork )or on the blank and the cord butts up to the cap. Remember these old glass blanks are quite a bit larger in diameter at the butt section then the new fangled graphite.

2) Looks as if the cord is 3/32 in diameter. What considerations need to be mad when selcting a reel seat?

Thanks, Steve

[GSD]

1) Does the butt cap go over the cord ( like cork )or on the blank and the cord butts up to the cap. Remember these old glass blanks are quite a bit larger in diameter at the butt section then the new fangled graphite.
The rod pictured is a graphite blank and after looking through my log on this one, I did put on two layers of the 6 mm Poly. Marcrame Cord. The butt cap on it was a Angler's Workshop #75 (3/4" as I recall) epoxyed onto the blank
All other blanks that I've used, Harringtons, Seekers and Lamiglas have all been fiberglass with the large butt diameters. I used 8mm Poly. on those butt grips and fore grips.
The butt caps, usually in the size 22 thru 24 were epoxyed onto the blank.

2) Looks as if the cord is 3/32 in diameter. What considerations need to be mad when selcting a reel seat?
The reel seats I've used on the fiberglass blanks were usually Fuji DPS-T 20 THRU 22 (Trigger Realseats) depending on position on the blank. I usually would butt the cord right up against the reelseat for both the butt grip as well as the fore grip. I guess one could get fancy but I think on a functional level for grips.
There are many diameters of the Poly. Macrame Cord to choose from as well as colors. The diameter can be adjusted smaller by adding more tension when applying.

Thanks, Steve

Hope that helps!

Bill {GSD}

[pearl]

Ok next question :idea:

When building a handle with cork I use a reemer that is tapered similar to the blank and when I place the cork handle ( typically one piece )on as one piece it covers the sections of blank I have built up and fits snug.

When wrapping with cord I'm applying in 3/32" at a time.

What is the method to build the blank up so that it is an even diameter up to the reel seat? Same as fitting a cork handle but continuous opposed to sections?

Thanks again :bowdown:

[GSD]

When using the pre-formed cork on rods I follow pretty close to your method ending up with a short cut down section of the cork inside the reelseat.
With the larger diameter blanks we're talking about here, there will most likely be no space between the blank and the reelseat as seen in this picture of a Fuji size 22 reelseat which is positioned where I would have it if I was building this rod for myself. 14" from base of reelseat to end of buttcap is my personal preference.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/1-reelseat.JPG
This blank is a Seeker SB-907 and the butt section end is a tad over 1" in diameter.
The built up diameter would be a personal choice. As far as maintaining an even diameter along the entire length of the butt grip, I can't help you on that. Mine just follow the natural taper of the blank with the thickness based on the size of cord used.
Hope this made sense...sometimes I confuse myself a bit.:wink:
Bill {GSD}

Here's a somewhat blurry pic of the Fuji DPS-T22 realseat with the foregrip and buttgrip on one I made up about 20 yrs. ago. Lamiglas BMB 108 3M using 8mm Poly. Macrame
Not fancy but functional and longlasting. Fancy goes on the guides and ahead of the fore grip.
As mentioned previously, these grips were made for Fall Chinook - Tide Water - Bobber & Eggs - Rain - Egg Goo - you get the idea.
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/1-reelseat_2.JPG

[StickFish]

You could build a shim under the cord made of fiberglass dry wall tape. It comes in 2" width so you could get an even level. You would then have to rod bond epoxy that on. Get the epoxy as even as possible and than sand on a lathe to smooth to consistent diameter. Not much fun IMO. Like GSD mentioned most don't get that fancy with cord wrapped grips or deckhand specials for that matter (cork tape).

[Bigphs]

:twocents: I restored some canw rods and udes hemp rope with spar varnish:twocents:I getting started on building a couple vintage Harrington blanks. These will be rod holder rods primarily for the diver and bait fishery at Buoy 10.

I would like to build them with a vintage style rope handles.

Questions.....

1) What type of rope? Because these are salmon rods I envision the rope not being bigger then 1/8 inch diameter. My goal would be a rope that has a nice weave to it.

2) What is the preferred method for securing the rope to the blank?

3) Should I start and finish the rope wrap just as you would tying a thread wrap?

4) How is the rope sealed once installed? or is it?

Tips tricks and advice welcome

Thanks , Steve

[E. Harry]

Pearl,
Years ago, before modern carbon fiber blanks, a lot of the Harrington/Harnell blanks were used particularly as bobber rods at the coast or as boat rods in the Columbia. I have built a lot of them for those applications because in those days they were the best that was available. Today there are much better blanks available. The Lamiglas GLB1081M that GSB mentions as a bobber rod is just one example. However, if you want to restore an old Harrington blank so that it is close to how they were built years ago more power to you.
Most of the Harringtons that were built in those days used what was called Oregon Green or Tuna Cord for the handles. I have not seen any of either in quite a few years but the polypropolene cord that you can find today in most hardware stores is actually better. It is softer so easier on your hands, it is easy to wrap, it is available in almost any diameter and color that you might want, is very easy to clean and is very resistant to staining.
I would suggest that you wrap the cord you select tightly over a thin coat of epoxy on the blank so that it will stay put but can still be removed if it is necessary later. It is not necessary to put any sort of coating on top of polypropolene. In fact, if you do it will tend to make it harder and rougher on your hands. Wrap it on just like you would wrap on thread except that I would recommend that you fray the two ends that go under the wraps so that there is no bump in the wrap where the cord is under the wraps.
I would also recommend putting on the reel seat before the epoxy under the cord is dry so that the reel seat can be pushed tightly down against the cord so that the cord can deform so as to fill any gaps between the cord and reel seat.
Good luck

[E. Harry]

Pearl,
One addition thing that I should probably have mentioned is relative to the the guides that you use. The early Harringtons were built before modern ceramic guides were available. The guides that were used most often were carboloy. You can still find these guides but they are like the blanks in that there are much better options today unless you want to authentic with your build. The carboloy guides were very hard but they were very easy to break if hit against something or if the rod was dropped on a hard surface. In my judgment modern ceramic guides are better in every way including being more durable.

[CRD4Liberty]

There is a nylon cord at Home Depot used on job sites that is a golden color that matches very well with the yellow/gold blanks. Have used quite a bit of it on Fenwick. Lamiglas and other rebuilds. Takes finishes well also.