FD.

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Example #2 This one is being donated Castaway SB 6104x 6'-10" MH Fast $9.95 I found this in a blank bonanza closeout sale. Fuji SK2 Split grip EVA $8.00 Fiji SK2 Split seat $9.49 HLC-K-2 guides set $7.02 Duralite Tip Top $1.63 Aluminum Locking nut $6.99 Total with tax and shipping $43.08 in parts.

What I would call the "all around" rod is a 7 ft MH power Fast action rod. You can throw anything on it. Probably the most commonly used rod for LM. Now which blank to buy depends on your budget. Rainshadow RX6 MB843 $30 MHX MB 843 $55 RodGeeks C470MHF $99 I have all three and they are all great values in their respective price range.

That's cause you're not thinking 4th dimensionaly...

That's the way I do them

I may be the odd ball here, but I build a lot of rods with less than $100 in parts. http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/161842-custom-rods-dont-have-to-be-expensive/ Your problem is the absolute minimum necessary tools you will need will costs you about $100. So can you build 1 rod for $100, no, BUT you probably can build 5 rods for $500. As far as the reduced price blanks go, I think they are great. Most of the blank in the Get Bit blank bonanza are Castaway rods and I have built many on those blanks. If you want to give it a shot, shoot me a PM and I will walk you through it step by step.

That's pretty cool. I've thought about doing something like that but was not sure how the material would hold up to the weather. How about giving a performance report over the next few months?

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/148923-2015-rod-builds/ I built a spiral wrapped rod in this thread. It might help.

Nope. You don't want heat when the epoxy is curing. 70-80 degrees air dry.

I wondered the same thing. Then in February I called and talked to Bob at RodGeeks for nearly an hour about their blanks and the similarity to ST. Croix. What I brought away from that conversation was this...the engineering is nearly the same but not identical. Their tapers and transitions are slightly different because they think they have come up with a better design. I happen to agree with it. I have built less than 100 rods so I'm no expert, but for my personal builds I use Rod Geeks 75% of the time. I like certain blanks from MHX, Batson, and Castaway, but with the option of custom paint on a "nearly" identical rod for less money, it's hard to pass on the C4 blanks.

First of all, Excellent Job for your first one. Metallic thread is a royal pita when it comes time to finish. I love it and use it a lot, but it's a pain. As DVT said, I also have my first one with bad wraps, guides on in reverse (which is the cool thing now) and such. After fishing it for 8 years or so I broke the tip and have since retired it to the wall. You will only get better and you will be amazed how fast you get good. As for the tacky prokote. I have that happen every once in a while. Give it another day. If it is still tacky, wipe it down with DN alcohol and re-finish. FYI I usually mix 5 cc each. You have more waste but the more you mix in a batch the better it mixes.

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I would, but with wing nuts so you can easily change their location along the station.

RodGeeks C473mhxs $99

The guides came with a recommended guides spacing chart in the paperwork. Start there and tape the guides on. Mount a reel and see how the line goes through the first 3 guides.

I use tip top glue and then thread finish over the joint between blank and tip.

I always sharpen the feet on all guides. As far as microwaves go, they have a specific spacing chart based on the height of the reel to be used and the distance to the first running guide. I always start with the recommended spacing then test by mounting a reel and stringing line and checking for myself. FYI - I don't see much advantage gained with micro waves for a casting rod. Microwaves on a spinning rod has huge performance gains, casting not so much. Just my .02.

I think Gary is off his med's again. Breathe Gary, breathe.

I usually have 5 or 6 rods going at any one time. I have two rod benches for handles, a power wrapper, a hand wrapper, and 3 dryers for epoxy. I don't count drying time because I normally do that right before I quit for the evening and just let them turn over night. My real job pays well but is extremely stressful. $35 an hour doing something I do to relax seems pretty fair to me.

I'm not talking about a rod with the freaky grips and thread art that Scott and Mike and Lee Smith build. Those guys have 10 to 15 hours of highly skilled work in a rod. Putting a stock handle system on, static testing and wrapping guides, then finishing only takes a couple of hours to do. Most guys would build a basic rod for $70.

Awesome, glad we could help.

Either the HM-MB862-MHX 7'-2" Medium Fast for $104 or as Scott suggested RG C470MF 7'-0" Medium Fast for $99 In my opinion both blanks are equal to or superior to the St Croix. Add a modest handle system for $30 and Alconite guides for $40, then you're in the neighborhood of $170 for high performance parts. Most people build "non blingy" rods for around $11 a foot, add $30 in shipping and you have a higher end custom rod in the $270 neighborhood.

For $260 you can get high performance custom rod built to your specs. Not on an overpriced St Croix blank, but on a equal quality blank.

I personally like the SK2 split or the ACS both in size 16.