Pat

When I started building I could build a rod for or less then store bought rods Now the blanks are the same or more then the rod off the shelf
As you learn and come here to read You will find blanks that builders talk of most often
There is a lot of info here using the Search function and library page with info to set up guides as to sizes spacing how many
One thing I see a lot is will this blank handle this lure weight Not all blanks are marked correctly so it is good to ask about a blank from some one that has built it

Bill - willierods.com

Thanks for the honest input Bill. I have found people on the forum, and elsewhere online, saying you can most definitley build a rod cheaper than you can buy off-the-shelf and I've found others saying not to get in to the hobby if you think it's going to say you $$. I think it all depends on several factors - how you define a rod's value being a key piece of the equation. Considering the personalization of a custom build rod, the time and care it takes to build it, etc...you can clearly build a rod that you'll never find off-the-shelf. But...when you look purely at the fishability of the rod, I don't think may would argue that you're saving $$ building yourself. Perhaps the margin of return is greater when you start talking about building commercially equivalent $400 rods off $250 blanks, but I'll never know. I don't spend more than about $100 on rods at the store so my budget for blanks is around $75, max.

Pat Reddy
Riverbound Brew Co.
St. Louis, MO

Pat, when people say don't get into rod building if you're expecting to save money, they're looking at it from different perspectives. If you're only going to build a few rods, their cost will be higher because you have to factor in the cost of the equipment you'll need for initial start up. Same as when you started brewing, I'm sure. If you can make a lot of your equipment like I did, then of course your costs will be lower.

I made three reamers of different sizes out of pieces of old rods I had laying around. I made my own hand wrapper with wood and particle board I had lying around. My first rod dryer I used the rotisserie motor out of a broken micro wave. I have since put a higher RPM motor on it because 6 rpm is a great drying speed, but its a lousy speed for applying finish. I used to use a popsicle stick for a packing and burnishing tool at first, but have since upgraded to actual tools designed for the task. Anyhow...... depending on what you can make and what you may have to buy, will determine how much you save.

Just as an example ..... using the price of the MHX SJ843 blank that you mentioned for your rod build, call it $58 / add to that between $30 - $35 dollars for an appropriate and nice guide train (9 guides total, and tip top) consisting of Fuji K series guides, with stainless steel frames and Alconite rings. $7 for a standard Fuji size 17 reel seat. $1 for the hook keeper. Depending on the material you'll be using for the handle, if cork add another $15 for rear grip and fore grip, and another $35 - $40 dollars for finish, rod bond, wrapping thread, razor blades and other miscellaneous things, brushes, mixing cups denatured alcohol and such ..... you'll have about $160 in materials plus the cost of shipping for the rod components. So between $180 - $190 in your first build, That's not including any reamers you may have to buy if you can't make them yourself, as well as a basic hand wrapper and rod drying machine.

So as you can see, you may not save any or very little money on your first build. Where you start saving money, is on your second and third build .... after you've gotten all of your equipment, is when you'll start to see the savings.

Thask David, apprecaite the reply. I am making a lot of my own equipment. The house we just bought had a lot of scrap oak in the attic that I'll use to make the dryer. I have a small 20RPM DC gear motor and controller sitting around from back in my days of working as an industrail automations programmer. I have a cart waiting for checkout at mudhole.com totally $227. The actual rod components come to about $120, including shipping. The rest is glue, epoxy, thread, and a handful of tools. I did buy quantities that should allow me to build at least 3 or 4 rods - maybe more.

I guess I should have worded my original question differently. I fully expect to be out a few hundred dollars in start-up equipment - but I consider that an investment in the hobby and am not rolling it in to the cost of the rod as I no doubt could. At this point in my life I will no doubt enjoy greatly building the rods I use when I am afforded the opportunity to fish. But...I still wonder to myself...Is this $58 blank I'm buying, the cool new KR Concept guide system I'm implementing, and the work I put in to this custom rod going to fish as well or better than the $100 BPS Extreme spinning rod I bought 5 years ago for $100? I'll let everyone know soon enough!

Well ya'll...here it is...

[reddyss.com]