Tiger Rod???

[fyshndad]

Hey guys here is a pic of the rod Ryan is teaching me to build
I did some of the wraps, and helped get the guides in place and the seat etc
We will get the finish done this weekend

Ryan has nicknamed it the TIGER due to the colors

What ya think???

[bait boy]

Cool colors and a really nice transition for the spiral wrap from what i can see!! nice job guys

[Ryan Pultz]

boy it sure looks pretty here is that same pic a bit bigger rp

[Chesapeake]

Very good looking rod.

I'm curious about your placement of the transition. I've always heard and bean told the transition needed to take place toward the handle of the rod where the blank had little or no flex.

This rod and the last rod Ryan showed both had a gradual trasition going well into the area the blank flexes.

I'm wondering how this might affect the flexing (curve) of the blank?

[fyshndad]

I am not sure about the transition but this particular rod is so stiff there is no bend until after the guides are facing down

[Something Good]

Looks good Hank! Of course if you decide you don't like the guide placement it will be good practice to strip it down and move them later.

[Ryan Pultz]

there are so many different thoughts on the transition guides it is crazy this is the way I look at it the curve when you flex the rod the line fallows the curve in such a natural way it does not look like there is any stress on the line. As some acid wraps the goal is to get the line to the bottom of the rod ASAP. I think this if you look under stress the rod has more force on the guides. there are so many ways to look at it this is the way I have done it in the past and never had any problem with the gradual wrap. Crabbait can probably give more info on acid wraps (more steep transition) and a gradual spiral (they way this rod is) thanks for the comments everyone. rp

[crabbait]

There is no right or wrong way to spiral and no set direction, left or right. Some people like to spiral the direction that the reel handle will be so that there is a "clean" side of the rod to lay it on and so that the reel handle protects the transition guide. When using non-level wind reels, you can set the first guide to deliver the line to your foregrip hand the way you want it whether your use a forefinger to level the line, your thumb or both.

I think the longer rods lend themselves to the more gradual transition than rods 7' and under. If you look at it from a physics standpoint, you want the line to transition to the rod tip in the straightest possible line. Using that theory, I position the buttguide and all the other guides on the underside of the rod. Then I thread the rod and mark the spot that the line crosses the blank. I then position a guide one size smaller than the third guide at the cross point. A large guide is not needed and in fact would push the line further from the blank than is necessary. The line just needs to clear the blank. No matter how much bend, the line will never get closer to the blank than it is at rest.

With the Seeker/Calstar saltwater blanks, the transition is made close enough to the butt that there is very little flex in that part of the rod. Once you use one they seem very natural.