Hi, I am in the process of planning out a new 8'6" spinning rod capable of light rock and beach work. I'll be using a size 3000 reel given drag capabilities and line capacity with braid are now so large. I have planned out rough measurements using the NGC 27x method and will end up with 8 running guides plus the choker.

Does this seem a bit extreme?

Thanks

Chris



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2010 08:42AM by Chris Cass.

Not really. Here : New Guide Concept - Spinning Rods : [www.rodbuilding.org]

Bill - willierods.com

That sounds fine for a rod that long, you may be able to make do with less but 10 or 11 total on a rod that long is not too many at all. How many transition guides are you using?

Probably three, will have to wait until the reel arrives so I can get final measurements.

Thanks for the replies, fairly new to rod building and second guess myself a fair bit.

What you'll want to do is set up from the choker back to the butt guide. Lock that in and then experiment a bit with the running guides. Try 8, then back up and try 7 or even 6 re-spacing them as needed. Cast the various set ups and then decide which feels better to you, or which delivers the greatest distance. As long as you have a total of about 9 guides on that blank, you'll have more than adequate stress distribution so by all means, experiment with the number of running guides you wish to use.

..............

Thank you Tom, I have hit on the right search terminology and see this has been asked many times before. Hope my query wasn't too annoying.

Regards

Chris you have to take the time to learn the static guide placement method. Basically you glue up you grip/reel seat assy. and the tip top. You place your transistion guides and choker per the 27X method. Space the remaining guies out at equal intervals. Masking tape works but surgical tubing is a bit easier. Attach something like a sand spike rod holder to the side of the house at something like a 30 degree angle. Use some light cord, like that used on curtains, and tie through the brace on the tip top. Other end goes to something like a gallon milk jug or 5 gallon bucket depending on rod's power. Mount the reel and run the line as normal through the guides and tie on a light sinker, just heavy enough to make contact with the guides. High contrast line helps.

What you are looking to accomplish is as you load the rod, by adding water to the jug, you move the guides to get the line to follow the natural curve of the blank. You want to minimize any sharp angles in the lines flow. You want the line to incrementaly touch the guides from the tip down as more load is added. For the first guide or two you may have to slightly lift the jug. I think it is best to decide on the maximum load ahead of time and pre weigh that amount of water. I'm a fool and like to use the same as what pound test I'll fish (I am NOT suggesting others should load to this point). I do so because. for me ONLY, it is better for it to break now than on a once in a lifetime fish. The other school of thought is to decide maximum drag setting and use that amount of weight. I'd go that route for a freshwater rod. Use caution!!! A graphite blank can seriously hurt you if loaded to failure. I'd also encourage you to lift that weight yourself to gain a feel for the maximum safe pressure you could put on a fish with that rod. Many are surprised at how hard it is to lift even 10 pounds and 30 pounds is near most's limit. Be very careful not to high stick the rod during any of this. You pretty much have to work from an elevated place....balcony, ladder, etc.

It is easier than it sounds. The first time or two you will fuss around a bit. Chances are the results might look weird. I often end up with more space between my tip and first guide than the first and second guide. Forget what store rods look like and hence what you have been conditioned to expect. After you have done a couple you will be certain of your results and will never feel the need to ask for guide placement advice. You will be positive you have placed the guides perfectly for that rod/reel combo and that is a wonderful feeling!

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Static guide placement : [www.rodbuilding.org]

Bill - willierods.com

Bill,
An excellent article by Tom.
To save a bit of time - rather than initially placing all of the guides at 5 inch intervals, tie a line to the tip as Tom suggests and load the rod. Then, simply use a piece of narrow masking tape to mark the spot for the next guide on the loaded rod. First for the flexible tip section, then as the load is increased for the mid and finally the butt section.

Use the now placed pieces of masking tape, tape the guides in place. Load the rod from the tip, first lightly and then heavier and heavier. Keep and eye on the bend of the rods, the guide placement and verify that all is still well.
If son, then do a final test wih the line from the reel through the guides and do a final test.

If happy, remove the reel and start to wrap the guides.

Essentially, the identical idea as Toms article, except use masking tape stuck on the side of the blank as a marker and move the masking tape as needed rather than unwrapping, moving and rewrapping the guides for the initial setup.

Roger

In addition, I have to agree with Russell in that you may find that the first guide from the tip is further than the tip, than the 2nd guide is from the first guide.
Don't let that bother you. Let the flex in the blank tell you where the guide needs to be, not what convention says that the guide should be.

A common mistake that some folks make is to put a first guide at a spot that is progressivly closer to the tip than the 2nd guide is from the tip. As a result, there is often an extra guide on the rod, and or in a place where a guide is not needed.

Roger

I am trying to make the transition from being a rod assembler to being a rod builder (purely building for myself). LOL

Sometimes all it takes is a slightly different way of describing a process and it falls into place for me.

Many thanks.

Chris

That is why I like rubber bands when static testing. The -prepped- guides are easy to move around and when test casting I just put tape over to keep in place.

Bill - willierods.com

Hardware stores know surgical tubing as fuel line, clear pvc tubing in many diameters. A foot or two will last a long time when cut in small rubberband widths. They let you slide the guids where they need to be during the static placement. Russ you take sgp to a new level... make sense, just a bit more effort. I appreciate the spacing comments from Russ and Roger. Have I read here somewhere that you can have the first guide too far from the tip, even if the static test tells you that is where it should be?

Greg in Cooper City, FL