2nd attempt

[Hookmiester]

Well here is my second attempt, I can see my skills slightly improving, maybe 1%. Its for my niece so I am sure down the road I will re-do it.

http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/DSCN0282.JPG
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/DSCN0280.JPG
http://www.ifish.net/gallery/data/500/DSCN0278.JPG

[Shortbus Flashers]

The finish turned out great! I need to work on my coating technique personally

[divebumor]

Do not sell your self short. That rod looks great.

[StickFish]

Heck you did a great job adding in the alternate color trim bands - Finish looks good too. Keep working at it and it just gets easier and easier.

[Bobbin for steel]

Have you looked close at some factory rods? If you are looking for perfect you may never be happy, but that looks like a pretty good start.

[Gooey]

I was going to comment earlier but chose not to until now...for me persoally, I like simitry and I like things to be relatively clean...so for me, the wraps above the cork are a little busy (8 purple accents) and not ballanced well (3 on one side of the heavy purple line, 4 on the other).

But thats the thing...rod building is an art form just like painting and what appeals to my eye may be totally different than yours! So really who am I to pass judgement!

That said, your pic of the single guide shows a bueatiful wrap job (IMO).

One final comment about the middle pic (and it may be a bit of an illusion) but the epoxy looks a liitle heavy on the right hand side. If you get to the end of a pot and it starting to thicken up then really work the epoxy with a flame once its on the wrap, this will help to even it out. One thing I do if there is a high or thick spot is to put the flame on it and as a drip forms on the bottom of the blank, I will put my spatula to it and either remove that drip or draw it down the wrap to spread/thin it out.

[Hookmiester]

Gooey,

thanks for the tips. I was going for girly with the accents, and I didnt realize until the other day when I was looking at the pictures that I had added in an addtional accent. I screwed the pouch on that one, plus I think one has 2 or 3 and the other has 2. No worries. I have a bad habbit of getting to a point on a project, usually near the end, where I am tired of it and rush to finish. I
need to practice more with my flame to wrap tho. It scares me a little.

jon

[E. Harry]

Hookmiester,
That looks pretty darn good to me especially for your second rod. I have a couple of small suggestions though that you might think about.
1. It is hard to tell from the picture but it looks like you may not have the tunnels on the guide foot filled with epoxy. If not this will lead to problem with moisture getting under the wrap.
2. It looks like you used a rubber winding check. If so they will break down in a short period of time in sunlight. Either a metal or plastic winding check works much better than rubber.
3. It also looks like you installed the winding check after applying the epoxy and letting it dry. There is no problem with that but I think that it makes a more professional looking transition if you install the winding check before applying the epoxy and then when you apply the epoxy create a ramp half or two thirds of the way up the winding check with the epoxy.

[Gooey]

Faming the epoxy may seem a little tricky but I have found that epoxy is very forgiving to the flame. I have never had a batch of epoxy not harden as it should, nor have I had a flamed wrap not set properly.

All I do is keep a tee light handy when I am wrapping. I will often keep the flame on the side closest to me (not below) when getting the bubbles out. I find when the flame beside the blank it illuminates the bubbles, you can watch the bubble roll over the top and then move the flame into them as the go past.

When i am evening the epoxy on an entire wrap, I wil hold the flame 1-2 inches under the blank and constantly move it back and forth. You will often see a little drip build and as I pointed out before, have your spatula ready to either remove the excess or drag/spread it over the rest of the wrap.

I recently got a little hand held torch and its great as you can direct the heat unlike a tee light or alcohol burner. The torch made it easy to hit the bubble under a guide which can be tricky with a heat sorce like the tee lights I use. As well, I have spilled wax into my pot of epoxy using tee lights...good news is it didn't mix in and in fact the batch set fine!

[StickFish]

One quick note about heat and Flexcoat. Flexcoat, at least in my experience, is very easy to overheat and burn, so be careful heating that brand.

One trick for large thread areas is to apply your epoxy, bust your bubbles, than stop the rotation and let the extra sag off the bottom. Let it drip till it hangs, smooth off the sags and turn the blank 180 degrees and repeat if necessary. Turn another 180 degrees and wait long enough for the epoxy to start moving than re-start your rotation. Use a little heat and walk away and let the epoxy do its thing. You will get a nice level coat.

[nutters]

That's perfect. I want get my daughter a pink or purple sturgeon rod for her thirteenth birthday next month. I wish I had the time to learn. Keep up the good work.:applause:

[StickFish]

OK so what are your details nutter??????

[nutters]

She currently uses my 9' 20-50 line wt. Heavy action. She asked me last month if they made rods in pink or other colors and I told her that I had never seen any but it got me thinking. She's really has taken to that rod and has started to try casting it on her own. she just dosen't seen to like the ugly tiger. she can see and feel the fish better with that length than any other rod. Her birthday is June 11th and I thought that it would shock her if I could actually find one. She also wants to go Halibut fishing with me so I'm torn as to look for two rods or just one multi purpose rod.
Thanks for any help,

Brian

[StickFish]

Any of the Lamiglas blanks that are made in Woodland can be painted any color you want. It is a special order item and a $20 up charge on the blank. Anglers Workshop can order the blank for you and they do have a nice pink.

Swampland rods has pink and purple. Mudhole also have pink and purple - but I don't think either has anything suitable for sturgeon or halibut.

[nutters]

Thank you for the info, I'll try and make run up there this week take a look around. nice to have options