10 ‘Plus’ Rod Building Tips & Tricks
1, A good clear workspace and good lighting is crucial, make sure you have ample overhead lighting or a lamp that you can be directed onto the area of rod you are working on.
2, Dry fit the cork and reel seat before glueing to make sure everything lines up, if you have a preferred side to the reel seat insert make a mental note of which side you would like to see on top when the rod is being fished or add a slither of masking tape for reference.
3, Keep Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) and lint-free paper towel close to hand for cleaning up excess epoxy and cleaning the blank down before you start the build to remove any oil or grease. Masking components whilst glueing will also help limit any excess glue going where you don't want it. Try to avoid touching the blank, threads and guide wraps with your fingers as natural oils in the fingers can affect the finish cure.
4, Use plenty of epoxy when fitting the grip and reel seat, you want to stop any water ingress between the components and the rod blank. To stop the epoxy from getting onto the outside of the reel seat, wrap with masking tape anywhere glue may seep out, remove the masking tape as soon as the reel seat is fitted. Gel or paste type epoxies are less likely to seep and run.
5, If using the ‘book and cup’ method of thread tensioning when wrapping guides, separate the thread from the book pages by wrapping cling film on either side, this will stop paper fibres attaching to the thread that could then create ‘fuzzies’ in the finished wrap.
6, When wrapping guides start at the butt-end and work towards the tip, it's easier to practice your first wraps on the thicker part of the blank.
7, Try to keep your thread whippings length consistent on each guide foot and progressively larger as the guides get bigger. Likewise, on your reinforcing wraps on the ferrules, have them all finish at the same point on the section ends. Have a look at some of your ‘off the shelf’ rods or online images for guidance on wrap lengths.
8, Be careful when making up a two-part epoxy wrap finish, the two parts must be 100% equal and gently but thoroughly mix your wrap finish, most sticky wraps that won't cure is because of this.
9, When using a paintbrush to apply wrap finish, always check for loose fibres before dipping in the epoxy.
10, If you find that the finish over large areas such as the decal won’t self-level after applying, gently remove some of the finish and smooth the remainder lengthways.
11, Create a cover over the wraps whilst drying, this will stop dust from falling onto the epoxy, something as simple as a folded piece of paper to create a ‘tent’, there is more dust at the floor level than ceiling so be mindful where you put the rod sections whilst drying.
12, Don't throw away the pots you’ve used to mix the epoxy in, test these for the finish going off and not by touching the wraps, nothing worse than fingerprints in wraps.