Anyone make their own rods?

I was thinking of getting into custom rod building just as a hobby at first. I have been looking into it a bit online and some people are very talented at making cool looking rods that you won't be able to find in the store. I just bought the advanced custom rod building book that everyone says is a bible of rod building, it should arrive next week.

Anyone make their own rods? Any tips for a beginner? I have no idea where to start or what type of components I should get for my first rod. I was thinking I would be able to make my own wrapping set-up. Do I need a drying motor?

So many questions, anything helps!

Go to https://www.mudhole.com and they lots of info + rod building 101. also https://www.jannsnetcraft.com for components

Thanks! Those links have a lot of info

Good luck! I always wanted to build one just to say i did. I am looking forward to reading about your progress.

Thanks Jim! I'll keep you guys posted. May not start building for a while, school needs to calm down a bit so I can have some free time

The best source of online rodbuilding info can be found at
https://rodbuilding.org/list.php?2

You don't have to have a drying motor. I did not have one for many years. You can simply hand turn your rod a 1/2 turn when the finish starts to sag. You will need to turn it every few minutes at first and then less often as the flush starts to set.

Eugene

Thanks Eugene, looks like I have a bunch of reading ahead of me. Do you have any pictures of rods that you have built?

i used a phone book for thread tension. a box with a notch cut in it to turn the blank. i used flex-coat over my wraps as well as for grips and reel seat since it set up in about .5 hr.

this is a stiff, light rod for shaky head and and worm fishing.
it a lot of work. i only see it being practical for a special purpose rod.
you cant build rods for cheaper than in the stores but you can build a very nice rod for cheaper than a high end rods. this one cost right at $120 to get everything here.i have several rods worth of flex-coat and thread left over.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150269815076795&l=25df4bda77

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150269815416795&l=5f2923c381

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150269815701795&l=ba89fb1257

That's a sweet looking rod. I like the reel seat and your thread work. Is that your first rod? I was thinking of buying one of the cheaper complete kits for my first rod to just try it out, if I'm half decent at it then I'll build nicer rods in the future

This one I made back in the 60's when rod wrapping first got going in my town. A 5' 8" Lamiglas blank, medium action with the ol famous pistol grip handle, built for bass fishing. Back then the gold Lamiglas and Fenwick was the only blanks I could get, later they came out with the brown blanks.
I still have the rod.

Here are a few rods I've built.


8 1/2' 2pc. spinning rod built on an All Star blank with Maple, Red Narra & Ebony grips





8 1/2' 2pc. casting rod on an All Star blank with cocobolo grips





7' 1pc. ultralight spinning rod on a Rainshadow blank with birch bark & Red Narra grips





7 1/2' 5pc. spinning rod on a Forecast blank with carbon fiber grips





9' 3pc. spinning rod on a Forecast blank with foam grips





6 1/2' 2pc. spinning rod on a Forecast blank with cork & cocobolo grips

Here is the thing. IMO.


It's really a hobby, and/or a matter of having the finer things.

As for performance, dollar for dollar, customs are MUCH worse than some of the off the shelf offerings.
Just a matter of blank costs.


With that said, once I'm done with school I want a least 3 customs.

1 9' Musky Rod
1 7'2 MH XXF rod for my jig rod
1 7' M XF spinning rod.

I've never fished micro guide rods, but for sensitivity, I'm sold on the ReCoil guides.

You won't save any money building your own versus buying a rod built on the same blank. The biggest advantage os that you can get exactly what you want. Length, action, handle material diameter etc. You pick everything from the model and color of blank to the type of grips and reel seat, style color and quality of guides to color of thread and type of embellishment, if any, you want.

swcr those are awesome looking rods! How many have you made over the years? I know my first and even my tenth probably won't look that good. Your thread work looks really good

Thanks, I've probably made 50 or 60 rods. It really isn't that hard with a little practice. The main thing it takes is patience.

Nice work swcr! =D>

Very impressive.

Rusty.hook,
That rod is awesome. It reminded me of my very first fishing rod i found in a basement of this house my parents purchased.

swcr said:

The best source of online rodbuilding info can be found at
https://rodbuilding.org/list.php?2

You don't have to have a drying motor. I did not have one for many years. You can simply hand turn your rod a 1/2 turn when the finish starts to sag. You will need to turn it every few minutes at first and then less often as the flush starts to set.

Eugene

Click to expand...

id have to disagree with not needing a drying motor, unless you dont mind sitting there turning it by hand for hours on end. what kind of finish are you using? with mine if i applied it and didnt turn it it would drip off in a minute or a lil longer. i made my drying motor out of a little motor in a battery powered toy truck and use old batteries so it doesent turn too fast. but thats my opinion and from what i saw of your rods your way works fine for you. and i agree on custom rod building not being hard at all, the key ingredient is PATIENCE!!!!!!!

I too agree that a drying motor is definitely on the have to have list. Not having one is a pain. This is what I have learned after building rods for the past ten years:

1. Don't do it to save money!!!
2. If you don't count your time, you can build a better rod for the same amount of money if you use similar components as what is on the factory rod. But once you start building, you start using better components and better blanks and you spend way more money. See #1.
3. Don't buy a kit. Get a Mudhole catologe and figure out what you want and piece it together and build it. Figuring out what you want to build and what components to use is as much fun as building.
4. You don't need a lathe to shape cork or foam, although I sure would like to have one.


Just a few random thoughs.

Scott

i second the mudhole catalogue!!

but if its your first attempt id get a kit. you can get one from mudhole for pretty cheap, that way if you screw up no biggie. and if it turns out nice and you like doing it then you can spend more and peice one together. let me warn you! rod building can be very addicting

I just ordered the mudhole catologue, so it's on the way!

I may have to postpone rod building until next year because I just picked up a new 10" eskimo z51 power auger for ice fishing :lol: