Finished my first build!

[gr8outdoorz]

Finished up my first rod build last night. I ordered an inexpensive spinning rod kit for my 'learning curve' build. Even though this would be one of my rods I learn my process on, I still wanted it to be one that I wanted to fish.

I didn't like the reel seat that came with the kit so I ordered a more comfortable one. I have also wanted to try Microwave guides for a while now so...you guessed it...had to change the guides out too.

Blank - Batson RX6 SP842 (white)

Reel seat - Fuji VSSM 17

Guides - Microwave (Airwave)

Thread - Pro Wrap A (white)

Winding checks - Black rubber (Aluminum one in front of reel seat).

 

I also got to play with my new wood lathe. I ordered some 'overstock' cork rings from Mudhole to practice turning grips...A 'mini half wells' grip I made for my homemade cork reemer.

 

[S Hovanec]

That wrap looks pretty tight!  White is a hard color to work with.  Only thing I'll comment on is if you taper the nose of the guide foot, it's easier to wrap and it makes a nicer transition from blank to guide foot.

[gr8outdoorz]

48 minutes ago, S Hovanec said:

That wrap looks pretty tight!  White is a hard color to work with.  Only thing I'll comment on is if you taper the nose of the guide foot, it's easier to wrap and it makes a nicer transition from blank to guide foot.

Thanks Scott!

I did sand the guide feet down some, but not enough. I painted the guide feet white (with model paint) to help hide them under the wraps. When I went to wrap them, I noticed that I didn't get them tapered enough, especially with the paint on top. I did find that I was able to get the wraps tight going up the feet by varying the tension on the thread as I went over the foot. 

I'll make sure to grind them down more on my next build. That should make the wrapping easier.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

1 hour ago, S Hovanec said:

That wrap looks pretty tight!  White is a hard color to work with.  Only thing I'll comment on is if you taper the nose of the guide foot, it's easier to wrap and it makes a nicer transition from blank to guide foot.

I was thinking the same thing. Bold move to use white on your first try. Nice job. 

[S Hovanec]

No doubt it'll make wrapping easier.  

I grind the feet til they're almost like a knife edge.

Good call on painting the feet too.

[gr8outdoorz]

1 hour ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

I was thinking the same thing. Bold move to use white on your first try. Nice job. 

Thanks Mike!

I did practice the wrapping & finish on a broken white rod I have at home. Once I felt comfortable with the way it looked, i did the wrapping on the build. I knew it was risky, but as you know from the rod you built me, I like the wraps to be the same color as the blank and I like white rods.

The next build will be easier on the wraps. My wife wants a pink bass rod with purple wraps...so guess what I get to build now! Her rod will have a little more 'bling'...cuz she likes 'bling'! Hahahaha!

[buzzed bait]

i'll admit, i'm not a fan of white rods..... BUT that looks stellar man!  very clean on everything i'm looking at.... i would be on cloud 9 if i made my own rod and it turned out looking half that good!!!

[S Hovanec]

I have a white SCV Inshore, but I'm not gonna wrap mine in white.  Did a few test wraps with some light blues.  I really like the look of prowrap teal.

 

Purple on pink will look great, especially  if its that RodGeeks neon pink.  Just a FYI, they also have a new metallic purple.   Ooh, how about a 2 tone pink/purple?!?!

[gr8outdoorz]

33 minutes ago, S Hovanec said:

I have a white SCV Inshore, but I'm not gonna wrap mine in white.  Did a few test wraps with some light blues.  I really like the look of prowrap teal.

 

Purple on pink will look great, especially  if its that RodGeeks neon pink.  Just a FYI, they also have a new metallic purple.   Ooh, how about a 2 tone pink/purple?!?!

Scott,

Funny that you mention the Rodgeeks neon pink. That's the one I picked out for her (C270MLF). The pic in my head of how it will look goes like this: Neon Pink blank, Purple wraps with Silver Metallic trim bands, Microwave guides, Purple dimpled aluminum winding checks, Purple reel seat hood, & Aero reel seat with a cork grip & butt cap I will design & turn.

 

56 minutes ago, buzzed bait said:

i'll admit, i'm not a fan of white rods..... BUT that looks stellar man!  very clean on everything i'm looking at.... i would be on cloud 9 if i made my own rod and it turned out looking half that good!!!

Thanks buzzed bait! I am very happy with the way it turned out...first rod or not!

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

I like the aero seat a lot. 

[gr8outdoorz]

16 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

I like the aero seat a lot. 

Yea Im a fan of them also. I am trying to decide between the Aero & doing a split grip Tennessee handle for my wife's spinning  build...choices...choices. Hahahaha!

[S Hovanec]

Split Tennessee is my favorite and the Aero installed uplocking (backwards) is my second favorite.

[gr8outdoorz]

2 hours ago, S Hovanec said:

Split Tennessee is my favorite and the Aero installed uplocking (backwards) is my second favorite.

Scott,

I have a question about Tennessee grips. Do you shape the grip in 2 halves and glue them together after you put in the slip rings or do you not flare up the ends and just slip them on once you have turned the grip? The more I look at those, the more I am leaning towards doing her grip that way.

Thanks,

Carlton

[S Hovanec]

I do them both ways.  On a one piece rod, the stripper guide keeps you from losing the ring to the front and the butt grip keeps it from leaving off the back.  On the 4 piece I just did, I turned it in 2 halves with a flare on each end.  I did it that way because there is no guide on the bottom piece to hold the ring.

[S Hovanec]

12 hours ago, gr8outdoorz said:

Scott,

I have a question about Tennessee grips. Do you shape the grip in 2 halves and glue them together after you put in the slip rings or do you not flare up the ends and just slip them on once you have turned the grip? The more I look at those, the more I am leaning towards doing her grip that way.

Thanks,

Carlton

Flared

 

Straight

[gr8outdoorz]

12 hours ago, S Hovanec said:

I do them both ways.  On a one piece rod, the stripper guide keeps you from losing the ring to the front and the butt grip keeps it from leaving off the back.  On the 4 piece I just did, I turned it in 2 halves with a flare on each end.  I did it that way because there is no guide on the bottom piece to hold the ring.

That makes a lot of sense. I think I have decided to do her a split TN grip. Since it will be a 1 piece spinning rod, I am going to turn it straight. Do you recommend placing the rings over burl cork, regular, or does it really matter? I have read that they wont work loose over burl like they do regular cork. 

[S Hovanec]

If you turn the cork so the rings are a little snug, they won't come loose, no matter which cork you use.  

[.ghoti.]

You are braver man than I, doing white on white. That is a stellar first build. I did not post pictures of my first few builds. I used cheap blanks and cheap components, and stripped em down and rewrapped more than once before giving them away.

[gr8outdoorz]

1 hour ago, .ghoti. said:

You are braver man than I, doing white on white. That is a stellar first build. I did not post pictures of my first few builds. I used cheap blanks and cheap components, and stripped em down and rewrapped more than once before giving them away.

Thanks ghoti! Yea I knew it was a risk, but If I was going to build one then I wanted it to be one I like. I did practice the white on white wraps on a broken white rod I had at home. I didn't start the build until I was comfortable enough with how they looked.