Hello, i have searched and searched and have not been able to find anything that is of much use to me. i hate to add another "guide size..." thread but would really appreciate some help.

1- I would like to use the more modern guide concepts, but i am building this rod as a gift and do not know the exact reel that will be used. I was guessing a #25 stripper to be safe since he will probably use mono, and would like to use #4 or #5 running guides, so my main point of confusion is the size of the "transition" guides. I'd like to keep the specific guides used to something that mudhole carries, preferable gold colored but not a necessity. I have found lots of information on guide spacing, but little on sizing; esspecially for spinning rods. Most of the information i could find was for fly/spey rods. I would also like to know how to do this on my own, be it with a calculator or general rule of thumb; so i don't have to ask every time i do guides. This build is a mhx 6'6" mb782 as a spinning rod for my grandpa. I am also playing with ideas on how to create an exceptionally comfortable grip for him, something similar to that on the Fenwick elite tech series rods, since he has arthritis pretty bad but loves to fish.

2- I am also going to build myself a crankbait casting rod, using a mhx s-glass ssp903 7'6". I was thinking about maybe trying out an acid/spiral wrap for the first time, just because its something different, but don't know if that would hinder the rods function as primarily a crankbait rod. Would this have any effect (positive or negative) on how the rod works for this purpose?

One thing I'll mention right off the bat, is that a slightly larger rather than smaller grip will be helpful if he has issues with his hands. Keep in mind also that on a spinning rod you tend to hold the reel seat and reel stem, so use a larger seat than you might otherwise. Shim to fit with brick foam arbors to help keep weight down.

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

Tom Kirkman Wrote:
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> One thing I'll mention right off the bat, is that
> a slightly larger rather than smaller grip will be
> helpful if he has issues with his hands. Keep in
> mind also that on a spinning rod you tend to hold
> the reel seat and reel stem, so use a larger seat
> than you might otherwise. Shim to fit with brick
> foam arbors to help keep weight down.
>
> ............

That's the plan. I'm actually thinking about doing something like this

[s34.photobucket.com]

this was built by a man named Dan Severson using reel seat parts from an old ugly stick. My main issue right now is knowing which guides to order

Maybe a 25 16 8 5 THEN 4.5'S

Danny,
Since you are just starting, just use one of the Airwave guide sets. Follow the directions for guide spacing and you will have an excellent rod.

[www.mudhole.com]

Give mudhole a call for answers to any of your questions.

Be safe

I've build a few rods before, just not a spinning rod. needless to say i was pretty shocked that there isn't more information on the topic out there because when i built my float, spey, and casting rods i found recommended sizes right away. The Airwave set doesnt sound like a bad idea.

Listen to Roger
If you go to small on guide size - you have no idea what has to go thought the guides

Bill - willierods.com

Danny,
Another popular setup that works very well is the set of guides with the Concept guide theory implemented:

[www.mudhole.com]

This is the exact guide size that I use for many of the spinning rods that I build, with one exception. I generally make the butt or first guide a match guide to be a better match to the heights of the bulk of the spinning rods being used on the rods.
I have found that for some clients, they had issues with line slap when using a conventional height size 25 guide as shown in the set above.

As a result of my comment above, I will also commonly use a set up as shown in the following link:
[www.mudhole.com]

However, many of my clients do not like the small size of the micro guides, so I will use a size 5 or 6 running guide and tip rather than the smaller size 2 runners as shown in the guide set. But, I do use the tall match guide as shown to minimize line slap and get the best performance from the rod. Again, I normally use 3 guides to get down to the running guides.

Good luck

Roger
A 20 to an 8 sounds a little fast from the 20?? I would probably not do it Yet I guess it works ???

Bill - willierods.com

Roger
A 20 to an 8 sounds a little fast from the 20?? I would probably not do it Yet I guess it works ???

Bill - willierods.com

Since you are making a light action 6'6" spin rod there are several excellent options open to you. The microwave guides take all the guess work out of setting up the guide train you just follow the spacing chart that comes with the guides. If you are not that familiar with setting up spinning guide layouts this is the easiest option and will give excellent results. I have not used the AirWaves but they should work fine and be lighter. Another option is the Fuji KR concept system, this takes a little more figuring to set up the guide train. Since you are not sure of the reel size or type and size of line, I would use a size 20 KL-H, followed by a size 10 KL-H, and a size 5.5 KL-M as reduction guides. Follow these with two size 4.5 KB guides and three size 4.5 KT guides as runners. If you need the guide layout E-mail me, I have made several of these MHX spin rods. Another very light option is to use a PacBay minima guide set up using minima match (M) guides as the stripper and reduction guides, and fly (F) guides as runners. This is set up very similar the KR guides. Use a size 20 , 10, and 6 minima M guides for stripper and reduction guides, followed by five size 4 minima F guides. Again if you need the lay out for this email me. If your grandpa is using a small reel (1000 -2500 series) with light braid you can drop the size of the stripper and first reduction to 16 and 8, respectively. All three of these options are excellent,
Another thing do no use gold guides they do not hold up.
For a comfortable reel seat I like the Fuji VSS reel seat set up down locking fitted with a KDPS hood with a cork foregrip.
Norm

We quite often do 25, 16, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5's

Though we have some blueprints on our blanks that choke it down faster: 20, 8, 5's (10) - this is for a micro guide system on Immortal series spin with Fast and X-Fast actions

Norman Miller Wrote:
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> Since you are making a light action 6'6" spin rod
> there are several excellent options open to you.
> The microwave guides take all the guess work out
> of setting up the guide train you just follow the
> spacing chart that comes with the guides. If you
> are not that familiar with setting up spinning
> guide layouts this is the easiest option and will
> give excellent results. I have not used the
> AirWaves but they should work fine and be lighter.
> Another option is the Fuji KR concept system, this
> takes a little more figuring to set up the guide
> train. Since you are not sure of the reel size or
> type and size of line, I would use a size 20 KL-H,
> followed by a size 10 KL-H, and a size 5.5 KL-M as
> reduction guides. Follow these with two size 4.5
> KB guides and three size 4.5 KT guides as runners.
> If you need the guide layout E-mail me, I have
> made several of these MHX spin rods. Another very
> light option is to use a PacBay minima guide set
> up using minima match (M) guides as the stripper
> and reduction guides, and fly (F) guides as
> runners. This is set up very similar the KR
> guides. Use a size 20 , 10, and 6 minima M guides
> for stripper and reduction guides, followed by
> five size 4 minima F guides. Again if you need the
> lay out for this email me. If your grandpa is
> using a small reel (1000 -2500 series) with light
> braid you can drop the size of the stripper and
> first reduction to 16 and 8, respectively. All
> three of these options are excellent,
> Another thing do no use gold guides they do not
> hold up.
> For a comfortable reel seat I like the Fuji VSS
> reel seat set up down locking fitted with a KDPS
> hood with a cork foregrip.
> Norm

What exactly are the 4.5 kb and 4.5 kt kr concept guides called on the website? I can't seem to find anything denoted with a B or T. But thankyou very much, I really appreciate it

KB is Fuji's designation for their "belly guide" for example a black belly guide with an alconite ring would be listed in a catalog as BKBAG. This type of guide is a running guide that is placed in the 'belly' of the rod where the rod bends the most. This bending produces stress on the guides, so KBs have a wider and longer foot to prevent pull out. KT is the designation used for their "tip guides", which is also a running guide but is used in the 'tip' part of the rod. This part of the rod does not generate as much stress on the guides so the foot is shorter and narrower. A black alconite KT guide would be designated as BKTAG in the catalog. A size 4.5 designates the size of the ring in mm.
A titanium framed belly guide with alconite, sic or torzite rings would be designed TKBAG, TKBSG, or TKBTG, respectively. For the tip guides just substitute T for B. The Fuji KR concept is relatively new, and is based on the rapid choking of line coming from the reel for better line control. It utilizes high framed small ring stripper and reducing guides with low and small running guides. This is a similar concept used in the microwave system which also causes a rapid choking of the line. Both the KR microguide concept and the microwave system are both excellent and really excel when using braided line. I like them so much that I converted all of my old spin rods using cone of flight and the new guide concepts to KR rods (using both Fuji KR guides and PacBay minima guides as listed above) and Microwave rods. I feel they cast better, feel lighter in the hand and are more responsive, making them a joy to fish with. Hope this help
Norm

Thankyou very much Norman, I found them now. Not sure if I'm going to go with the the KR or Minima yet but it'll definitely be one of the two, you've convinced me ahah

Here are the sets on Mudhole Just in case you missed it
[www.mudhole.com]

Bill - willierods.com

Not to show any bias, the microwave guides are also excellent; they are sold as a kit and one size fits all making them easy to use. I think there is a very even split on this forum between the KR concept and Microwave guides. Both are excellent. These are the things that make a custom rod custom.
Norm

I might try out the airwave set then, since they're the basically the same as the micros just cheaper.

As far as the grip goes, I thought I was set on doing the custom one, but the more I think about it I'm not sure. Since I don't know what reel he'll use and how it sits specifically, it's possible that there would be a "gap" between parts of the seat that would probably be not so comfortable, or worse yet it might not tighten enough to hold the reel correctly. So, has anyone ever just used oversized regular standard reel seats to achieve a similar result? A sz 20, 22, 24, and 26 have outside diameters of .906, .984, 1.063 and 1.142" respectively. Im thinking these extra large diameter reel seats would be more comfortable to hold, and I could fit/shape additional cork flush to the ends of the seat. I'm just not sure if the hoods on these seats would be way too large to hold standard size reel feet.

Danny,
For a customer with similar needs, I made a set of ice fishing rods with 1.06 inch diameter grips. In this case, the grip was a tennessee grip with a tape on reel.

But for similar needs, just use a size 18 or 20 reel seat along with the grip. It is nice to have the base of the reel about that size. It will work well.

The hoods of the reel seats work just fine with a standard sized reel.

With a size 18 reel seat for example, it is just fine to have the grip a bit larger than the reel seat. Just taper the end of the reel seat down a bit to allow the hand to nicely rest against the grip.
Normally, when fishing a person does not hold the rod by the grip, but rather by the reel seat. But the rear grip makes a nice brace for the back of the palm for a rest.

Another nice option for this person would be the use of a size 17 Aero reel seat. The power hump on the reel seat does a nice job of filling the palm and giving the person a better grip.

[www.mudhole.com]



Be safe

roger wilson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Danny,
> For a customer with similar needs, I made a set of
> ice fishing rods with 1.06 inch diameter grips.
> In this case, the grip was a tennessee grip with a
> tape on reel.
>
> But for similar needs, just use a size 18 or 20
> reel seat along with the grip. It is nice to have
> the base of the reel about that size. It will work
> well.
>
> The hoods of the reel seats work just fine with a
> standard sized reel.
>
> With a size 18 reel seat for example, it is just
> fine to have the grip a bit larger than the reel
> seat. Just taper the end of the reel seat down a
> bit to allow the hand to nicely rest against the
> grip.
> Normally, when fishing a person does not hold the
> rod by the grip, but rather by the reel seat. But
> the rear grip makes a nice brace for the back of
> the palm for a rest.
>
> Another nice option for this person would be the
> use of a size 17 Aero reel seat. The power hump
> on the reel seat does a nice job of filling the
> palm and giving the person a better grip.
>
> [www.mudhole.com]
> at
>
>
>
> Be safe


Thankyou, i was initially looking at the aero, but was unsure of exactly how he holds the rod (which fingers he puts the reel "arm" in between) since we havent fished together in a while and have heard that depending on how you hold it its more comfortable uplocking vs downlocking. But, i personally like the idea of the Aero seats, so maybe ill buy both options and if we fish together before i finish the build pay close attention to how he likes to hold it etc. and if we dont ill just keep the aero for myself. Thankyou again to everyone who has given me advice, greatly appreciated.