I'm refinishing my rod...

[Fishwhittler]

Here's what it looks like right now, before I do anything to it.

This is the only rod I've done so far, and I didn't know much about rodbuilding when I built it. I used U40 low build on the wraps and I didn't put nearly enough on.

Soooo...

I'm refinishing it. And adding a few touches. I'm going to marble between the grips do a few other things.

Let me know what you think.

Ben

[MickD]

If that project were mine I would do the following:

1. Investigate smaller guides. A lot has been written about micro guides and smaller guides than traditional. They work! If you have to pass knots through the guides, then micros are out. If not, they may be a way to have a lighter, better casting, more sensitive rod.

2. Your tiptop need not be that big, either. Ring sizes of tiptops can be the same as the smallest guide. It looks like you wrapped right over the tube of the tiptop. I usually wrap up to but not over the tube. That wrap is just decorative anyway, and stopping it at the tube allows you to change the tiptop without redoing the wrap.

3. I would use cork for the grips, but that is simple personal preference. my experience with the soft plastic grips is that they don't last forever, but deteriorate in sunlight after a few years. My experience is pretty old, so may not be valid any more. Anyone know how it holds up these days?

4. Consider doing a "simple spiral" wrap.

5. If the blank is a relatively expensive blank, go for the whole enchalada. If it is a relatively inexpensive blank, I would leave it alone and start over on a new blank-it's a lot easier, and the component costs are little different if you are going to improve the design of what you have. You can find lots of great deals on really good blanks if you look around.

for info on simple spiral and micros, do a search here and at http://www.rodbuilding.org for lots of good info.

[MickD]

Forgot to mention, put a hook keeper on if you rewrap the foregrip-you don't want to use a guide for a keeper.

[AndrewVT]

Rewrapping a rod is quite a task, but if you take your time it can be worth it.  I second what Mick said, those guides look awfully heavy for bass fishing.  I would check out fuji alconite guides, and try using the fly (micro sizes) towards the top.  I prefer double footed guides towards the bottom just because that is what I'm used to, but most people will use the bridge guides at the bottom and then switch to the fly guides as runners.  I also would use a dropshot type hookkeeper instead of a guide.  As for the finish, I think you are on the right track with multiple thin coats of epoxy.  Do a lot of research before you layout and pick out your new components, and your new rod can be top notch and take advantage of the latest technologies.

[wickyman]

My brother in law has worked on some older blanks in the past, by removing all the guides, and such, and refinishing the rods.  He usually replaces all the guides with alconite guides.  It's just better, and easier to deal with in the future.  Everyone has a personal opinion about it, though.  I would definitely figure out where you want your guides, and how many you want, and go from there, as to what size guides to get.

Though, it sounds like the micro guides sound best...    I prefer more guides per rod, it relieves the stress from the blank to have the line ride on the guides?  I think I read that somewhere, but I could be wrong too...

[Fishwhittler]

This project is sidelined for a while. Also, I wasn't planning on a major rebuild.  It was just a cheap blank so really the only thing I was going to do to it was redo the wraps and maybe do some marbling.  But now I haven't had much time to do anything to it (which may be just as well).

This rod was not well thought out on my part. It was the first (and only) rod that I built and I didn't know the first thing about rod building so I chose the toughest guides I could find because I didn't want them to get grooved from the line. The only problem was the blank I got wasn't nearly heavy enough for what I had wanted it to do so I ended up with a rod with tough, heavy guides, medium power and action, and not nearly enough backbone to throw the heavy baits I wanted it to throw: a rod without a purpose. Basically it's an example of what not to do when building a rod.

I'll do better next time.

Ben