Super User Alpster Posted January 5, 2007 Super User Posted January 5, 2007 Some may remember a couple of months ago I made the commitment to go all spiral wraps on my rods. I sold a couple of my high end G-Loomis rods to a couple of board members (thanks boys). Well I banged out a couple of rods for friends as Christmas presents and now I'm working towards finishing the task (in time for the Fork trip). Two of my G-Loomis didn't sell, so I decided to try rebuilding them. My progress so far..... Lamiglas noodle rod is finished (I posted pics in another thread) My old Loomis CR722IMX is spiral wrapped and on the dryer with the last coat of finish. Now that I am cocky about the IMX I am going to take a Dremel grinder to the GLX 724 (pray for me), this one is next up. With the proceeds from the sold rods I picked up a Lamiglas BMB84 all glass crankin blank for the DC. Also snagged a 7' St. Croix MF spinning blank for the 'Twin Power'. And in my spare time, LOL, I'm working on a 10' Lamiglas surf rod for a buddy. (I love experimenting with someone else's $ So I'm down to four rod builds before March, if I don't change my mind. I hope you guys are having as much fun as I am. ;D Ronnie Quote
Super User flechero Posted January 5, 2007 Super User Posted January 5, 2007 I made the commitment to go all spiral wraps on my rods Pure greatness! I've never built a rod with guides up. Sounds like you are making real good progress! You are way ahead of me right now. I was originally hoping to build 5-6 "good" rods, over the winter... IMX, SCIV, SCV, & CTS but I haven't had the time to dedicate to it yet. (and I've had 2 CTS blanks on order since early October... and still no delivery date set :'( ) The only one I've built for myself is a temporary replacement to my t-rig rod (reel seat broke) I had an extra grip aready made and a few of the All Star blanks in the garage so it was a quick build. (stealth) Did you happen to catch the mud hole St.Croix sale? They are almost gone now... but they had discounted them 25%. It was down to SCII and SCIII when I saw it... but I did grab a crankbait blank just so I have an excuse to throw some DD-22's this summer. ...lol Quote
Super User Alpster Posted January 5, 2007 Author Super User Posted January 5, 2007 Did you happen to catch the mud hole St.Croix sale? Oh Yea! that's why the spinning rod is a St. Croix. LOL I am actually hoping for some bad weather, so I can spend a little extra time fooling with rods before spring. Ronnie Quote
heathen Posted January 5, 2007 Posted January 5, 2007 Seems like you got a good winter set of projects lined up. Flechero that stinks your having to wait that long. Did you go with a custom color? I have been thinking about ordering one through Lamar Fishing, but man I dont want to wait that long on a blank. Quote
Super User flechero Posted January 5, 2007 Super User Posted January 5, 2007 I am actually hoping for some bad weather, so I can spend a little extra time fooling with rods before spring. I thought I was the only one hoping for snow!! River Warrior, No custom colors... There is a combination of things gone wrong at CTS... I don't know the extent of it but Andy said that there was some employee turnover (in an already small shop) and several huge orders and some other factors which combined to make things stall. Sounded like a abnormal, one time slow down so I kept my order in. Quote
Guest DavidGreen Posted January 5, 2007 Posted January 5, 2007 Alpster, Looks like you will be busy most of the winter. Once things slow a little on my reel bench. My build projects are a 5'6" MF C3 Pistol spiral, a 6'6" MF 2C spiral, a 6'6" HF 3C spiral, a 7' MF 2C spiral, a 6'6" MF 2S, a 7' MF 2S. Lot of great fun this winter.... Tight Wraps All! Quote
justtrying Posted January 5, 2007 Posted January 5, 2007 hey guys, MAN, i wish you guys lived closer to my home... it sure would be nice to sit around & drink coffee & talk rod building...... oh well, thankfully, i can still get advice from you all via BassResource.com. Wheeeeeeeeeee i'm building the next to last shikari blank i've got // 7' ml, don't know what i'll use it for, also, am looking for st croix blank from mudhole (cranking) to build out for my brother. AND, i've made my wrapping station into a POWER wrapping station. bought a kit from merrick & it works great. ...spent $50 instead of $250-$350... leaves more for blanks. LOL this is my "moveable" thread carrier... really works quite well but, hey, a shop is supposed to have junk everywhere! LOL ronnie Quote
Guest DavidGreen Posted January 5, 2007 Posted January 5, 2007 justtrying, Great looking bench, looks like a rod builder works there. Quote
BORDERBASSER Posted January 6, 2007 Posted January 6, 2007 Flechero, Don't tell me you are one of those fair weather fishermen. I know I may live just a little further south (Del Rio) than you, but... Just pokin ya in the ribs! LOL! I have built nearly ten rods since the middle of Nov. and so far only one for me. I do have an All Star sitting in the corner with my name on it though. Maybe I'll get to work on it after I finish the other two I have on order...again not for me Oh well. TJ Quote
Super User Alpster Posted January 6, 2007 Author Super User Posted January 6, 2007 Well it rained all day here, so I decided to get this big old surf rod out of the way so I can get on with MY RODS. So I bit the bullet and wrapped the grips (just cork tape & eva foam) and glued up the reel seat this morning. Went ahead and did the underwraps and slapped a primer coat on and it's in the dryer. Early tommorow I will wrap the guides and prime them and hopefully get the last coat of finish on before bed time. This is the first surf rod I have done. When I'm finished I will post a couple of pics and get you guys opinion. My buddy brought me his factory made surf pole and said he wanted another just like it. I tried to reproduce it pretty close (exact same blank), the only difference is the underwraps as he was pretty rough on the old one. I also upgraded the guides to Alconites and used a better reel seat. I used a silver metalic A for the underwraps and will wrap the guides with Black E. We'll see how it turns out in a couple of days. Wish me luck! LOL Quote
Super User flechero Posted January 6, 2007 Super User Posted January 6, 2007 Alpster, Sounds like more work than I ever want... underwraps???? No thanks!! Your buddy OWES you big for that one!! justtrying, Looks like you have a pretty functional set up! I still am working off a couple of saw horses in the garage and my wrapping is done on my office desk. ...lol The wife and I aren't in agreement on a rodbuilding room in the house and the shop isn't going up for a little longer. Having to make do with what I can! Borderbasser, I know you were kidding but really I'm not fairweather. Cold and snow don't bother me, I normally only let the wind (or storms) dictate if I stay home... Belton is almost a canyon lake so when we have 15-20 mph winds that funnel down between the bluffs, it gets pretty nasty and seems to accelerate. And when it gets REALLY cold we go to Fayette or Bastrop! (power plant lakes) Quote
Super User Alpster Posted January 6, 2007 Author Super User Posted January 6, 2007 ..but, hey, a shop is supposed to have junk everywhere! LOLronnie Looks like a cool setup Ronnie, I'm glad not everyone's bench is nice & neat like RM's.LOL I was digging through my junk to find a sable brush to put a prime coat on the surf rod and I discovered the Loomis Back Bounce blank with the handle all glued up and remembered, Hey I ouught to finish this one too. It sucks to get old. Add the swimbait rod to the list above and I will just have to stop wasting those 5 or 6 hours a night that I've been sleeping. flechero, Sounds like more work than I ever want... underwraps???? No thanks!! Your buddy OWES you big for that one!! The underwraps were actually pretty easy with the power wrapper. Once started and alligned I just step on the pedal and hold on. If I had to do it on a hand wrapper, forget it. This big old surf rod is turning out to be one of my best looking rods yet. It's not quite so tedious with a very stiff, large diameter rod. The day really flies by, when your busy with one of these babies. Great fun though. Ronnie Quote
Super User Alpster Posted January 6, 2007 Author Super User Posted January 6, 2007 Alpster,Looks like you will be busy most of the winter. Once things slow a little on my reel bench. My build projects are a 5'6" MF C3 Pistol spiral, a 6'6" MF 2C spiral, a 6'6" HF 3C spiral, a 7' MF 2C spiral, a 6'6" MF 2S, a 7' MF 2S. Lot of great fun this winter.... Tight Wraps All! RM, Be sure to post a few pictures along the way. I am always impressed with your work and am still trying to steal some pointers. Keep on keeping on! Ronnie Quote
Guest avid Posted January 9, 2007 Posted January 9, 2007 Ronnie, I'm an old traditionalist, but I am open to new things. I can't wait to see, one of your spiral wrap rods at the fork. avid PS muddyman can't stop singing your praises about the lamiglass you built for him. Quote
Super User Alpster Posted January 9, 2007 Author Super User Posted January 9, 2007 Ronnie,I'm an old traditionalist, but I am open to new things. I can't wait to see, one of your spiral wrap rods at the fork. avid PS muddyman can't stop singing your praises about the lamiglass you built for him. Avid, I will have 4 or five with me at Fork. You can take one out for a test drive and see what you think. It took me quite a while to get my head wrapped around the idea, but when you think about it, it just makes sense. Guides on the bottom, line can't touch the blank and the rod no longer wants to turn over in your hand. What you can't see right away that comes from fishing with it for a while, is better distribution of stress along the blank. When you hook a stout fish you can tell right away that the rod just works better. Muddy is Da Man! I hope he is getting a chance to fish a little in this warmer than usual weather. I'm really looking forward to traveling and fishing with he & Ron. Ronnie Quote
Super User Alpster Posted January 9, 2007 Author Super User Posted January 9, 2007 I promised pictures of the surf rod when done. I got to tell you, I thought it was hard to take a picture of a 6' long rod, a 10 footer is nearly impossible. Anyway, my man is coming to pick it up this weekend. For those who care, it's a 10' Lamiglas SMB121 surf blank, Fuji DPSD reel seat, Fuji BHVLG surf guides, Madiera A size metalic silver underwraps, Gudebrod E size Black over wraps with Eva Foam grips and Pac Bay cork tape. The pictures suck, but I had a lot of fun with this one! BTW, on a sadder note, I was working on rebuilding the G-Loomis CR722 GLX and broke it taking off one of the old guides. :'( :'( :'( Looks like I am going to have a 5' tube skipper now. I hate when that happens! Ronnie Quote
justtrying Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 alpster, MAN, THAT LOOKS GREAT!!! that's really first class work. ..i can't get my fingers to do that kind of work anymore.. the wrapping & coating is really cool (just get someone to look at some of the rod racks sold today, then look at yours..yours is, indeed, custom.) i am So Glad i didn't post pics of some of my work rods. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee ronnie Quote
justtrying Posted January 10, 2007 Posted January 10, 2007 alp, btw, you guys just as well get ready, because after fork, i see a LOT of guys wanting spiral wrapped, split grip rods. LOL i really wish you had modded one of your loomis before you sold it. i saw one today that had a custom $600 daiwa on it & it was Sweeeett. yep, a loomis glx w/split handle, & spiral wrap ronnie Quote
Super User Alpster Posted January 10, 2007 Author Super User Posted January 10, 2007 alp,btw, you guys just as well get ready, because after fork, i see a LOT of guys wanting spiral wrapped, split grip rods. LOL i really wish you had modded one of your loomis before you sold it. i saw one today that had a custom $600 daiwa on it & it was Sweeeett. yep, a loomis glx w/split handle, & spiral wrap ronnie Ronnie, Thanks for the kind words, it really is easier on a big rod. This blank was made to throw a 5oz lead sinker. It was very easy to work on, large diameter and very little flex. I did get the CR722 IMX rebuilt, it is now spiral wrapped. I did not however change the grip, it's still stock. I will have it at Fork. Ronnie Quote
Super User Alpster Posted January 20, 2007 Author Super User Posted January 20, 2007 I'm getting ahead of the game now. Today was a marathon rod wrapping day. First coat of finish is on both the MB844 IMX and the Lamiglas crankin stick. Only have the Bounce Back swimbait rod and the St. Croix wormin rod to wrap and I'm all done with rods for the Fork trip. I tried a red maple wood reel seat on the IMX and I'm not yet sure I like the look. I will post a pic when it's done and get some opinions. Things are coming along pretty well. I have still got some work to do on the Bass Bus, but it looks like all is on schedule. Ronnie Quote
BD Posted January 22, 2007 Posted January 22, 2007 That looks like a great rod. I enjoyed the workstation pictures too. I need a barn. lol Quote
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