Rod building start-up

[Doc UL]

I have been thinking it would be cool to build my own rods but know nothing about the process. What equipment is essential and how much of an investment would it require to get set up with the right equipment? I am guessing it would take awhile to master. I am sort of a perfectionist and would want to do this right. Quality, light weight, and aesthetics of the finished product would be paramount.

Thanks and have a good Thanksgiving.

[Mattman]

Well...that's really a tough question to give a good answer to. It all depends on how much you want to put into it.

You really only need to be able to ream out a factory grip (rat tail file), epoxy the grip and seat on (some sort of spreader), wind thread around the guides and blank (some device to hold and tension thread, and a scissors), apply thread finish (brush), and keep the rod horizontal and turning while the finish dries (rod support, motor or hands). Rat tail file, popsicle stick, shot glass, large book, scissors, brush, cardboard box with V-notches, old rotisserie motor (or rotate by hand), are the minimum items.

I studied for about a year before I built my first rod. I read as much as I could, including just monitoring rod building forums on the net. I asked a few questions in forums and planned out the items I would need. (at the time I was a high end custom furniture maker and had access to any word working machinery I needed) I built a 10' long work bench to work at. I built a very nice 2-piece roller stand with 4 stands and a thread carriage. I built a heated rod drying box that could rotate 2 rods. I built a cork clamp. I already had a machinists tool chest full of miscellanous tools like spatulas, squares, picks, X-Acto kinves, etc. (I was a former professional model builder) And since then the list of items I've purchased or made has gotten quite long. Full sized wood lathe, lathe tools, 2 chucks, live center, 2 sets of stainless mandrels for gluing grips, 4 more cork clamps, spine finder, rod blank evaluation board, drill press, forstner bits, dril bits, spade bits, Dremel, bench top disc/belt sander, chop saw, shop vac, air compressor, dust collector, heat gun, power head for my roller stand, rolling base for machinists chest, countless small hand tools/jigs/gadgets. Last fall I moved to a new home and put $3000 into remodeling a room just for building. And probably a bunch more that isn't coming to mind. And there are still items I would like to get my hands on. Machinists lathe and associated tools, air filtration system, dust collection system...

It takes very little to assemble a rod kit. It takes quite a bit more to make truely custom rods and work outside the kit arena. Granted, for most the line between kit and custom is no where near where I am. But to do more custom work you need more tools.

A kit is going to give you pretty much the same rod you can buy off the shelf. You'll be able to make some improvements but its basicall just like the factory rod. A truely custom rod is going to allow you to fine tune a rod so that you have exactly what you're looking for out of a rod. Length of grip, diameter of grip, shape of grip, exact seat, exact guides, modifications to those items, spacing like you want...

Your first rod is going to suck. So, just build a cheap rod you can give away to a kid as your first rod. You'll be proud of it at first, but the day will come when you realize how poorly you did. You'll get your mistakes out of the way and learn a lot on that first rod. If you have the opportunity to have an experienced builder be there and help you thru the first, you can step up your component quality and build a nicer rod. Around the 5th rod you'll notice a marked improvement in your builds. Around #20 you'll really see something. Around #100 is probably the next level. I'm well over 300 now and still improving. Its in much smaller increments these days.

[Snyder Rods]

Matt gave you some great information. Here are a couple of ideas to start you on the right path.

I think Mudhole has some basic rod building instructions on there site. Google them and have a look around. A good book would be anything by Tom Kirkman.

Your first rod may cost several hundred dollars over the cost of the components because you will have to buy tools and extra supplies.

Don't try to build the best rod you have ever seen on your first try... you may be in for disappointment. This is an art, a skill which needs to be developed by making practice rods. Buy some cheap blanks to start with.

[Thor]

Take it from me, the journey of a thousand miles starts with the first small step.

I started building rods at 13. The equipment was simple. A wonderful gentleman taught me and told me to practice. I would tie guides on wooden dowel rods and he would offer suggestions.

For those of us who care nothing about "bling" these days, guide wraps are, cosmetically, what is important. Preparation of guldes and spacing is a close second. Putting on grips, reel seats and the like, can be done by any beginner with good preparation and attention to detail. Understanding splines and multi-piece blank issues is easy. However, learning what you like and knowing when something needs to be returned is a matter of experience.

When it comes to tools, for some of us, this hobby has come a long way. If "bling" draws your eye, there is much more today than double diamonds and chevron wraps. As in most things, it depends on your disposition, tolerance for frustration and patience.

[Basstronaught]

Wow these posts were very informative and packed with details. I am also getting into it myself and like Matt said all I am doing is reading alot on Rod Building Forums and watching videos on Youtube been reading about month and a half and will be getting books around Christmas for research and such. but being on here and other sites helps out extremely. Matt I wish you would do a whole video from start to finish so we can actually see some magic right in front of our eyes.