I'm building a 5'6" ultra light trout rod.
I'm using an MHX S661 blank (5'6" UL, 0.28 butt )
With a Winn MHX split grip.

Never built a split grip before.
Trying to figure out how many and what size winding checks I need

Thanks

Dave

None, your building a UL trout rod. Why do you want to add weight to it?

Dennis J. Danku
(Sayreville,NJ)

The ID of the MHX Winn grips is larger than your butt diameter, so if you want to use them you will need to shim them. Also you will need winding checks smaller than 7 mm. I would use the vinyl rubber winding checks because they are light and will stretch some, 5mm (.20") and 6mm (.25"). These are about as small a winding check you can find. How long a handle are you planning on using? For example from butt of rod to butt end of reel seat, and from butt off rod to front of fore grip? If a short handle may want to use a full length rear grip. That would preclude the use of two winding checks. I have included the MHX link for blank dimensions for determining winding check sizes at a given distance from the butt. Just go to your blank and look at the sizes needed.
[www.mudhole.com]
Norm



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/2017 03:40PM by Norman Miller.

When I use the black vinyl checks, and I like them for the reasons above + they look simple and handsome, I put a filet of epoxy right over the OD of the check, encapsulating it. It looks good and will never deteriorate or move.

Thanks Norman. I'm new to this.
Could you suggest a reel seat and handle size for me ??

Any info is deeply appreciated !!

Mudhole has vinyl checks the size you need, you need three for a split grip. I suggest size 16 seat for this light rod (17 is ergonomically more correct for most hand sizes, but for this light duty rod I think 16 will feel better, lighter, more delicate, in keeping with a short, ultra light rod. Use the smallest cork you can find. Acutally, all you need is a butt knob and a couple small ramps off the seat just to make it feel better if you get your hands on the ends. I prefer uplocking since for me, keeping the threads at the rear, makes the front more smooth and friendly feeling. The front ramp should be just smaller in ID than the hood of the seat, IMHO.l Tape the seat to the blank and test cast different positions. I don't think you want as long a dimension from the reel stem to the butt as with more normal rods. Experiment, set it to your liking.

How long are you going to make your rear grip area? If you butt the split grips together it's going to take about 4 1/2 to 5 inches of blank. I don't usually go to long on those rods as far as rear grips go. Short rods need all the length you can give them in front of your hand to cast well unless this is a stictly small stream rod where casting isn't an issue IMO.

David, if you really want a Winn grip go ahead and try it. The bore for the Winn grips are .350", so with the small diameter of the blank you will need to build the blank up where the split grips will go. I would do this with appropriately sized dry wall tape. You want a nice snug fit. The winding check and reel seat will hide the tape so you will not see it. For the fighting butt I would use the small 1.5" one. For the rear grip and fore grip I would the 1.75" Spin grip. The reel seat would be a size 16 shimed with a polyurethane foam bushing, it will have a .25" bore so you may need to slightly ream it. You can make the handle length as short or as long as you wish. I think I would shoot for about 5" to 7" from butt to the butt end of reel seat, but that is your choice. Here are the Winn grips I would use.
[www.mudhole.com]
Another option would be to use a cork grip, You can turn your own from cork rings or buy preformed split grips. Most of the preformed grips have a .25" bore so you may need to ream them slightly. There are a lot of cork options. The small SK2 fighting butt is about 1.5" with a .25" bore. For the rear and fore grip 1.5" - 2" tapered cork will work. For a nice foregrip you could use the foregrip designed for the SK2 hidden thread hood. You can buy this hood by itself to fit any size 16 or 17 reel seat. This hidden thread fore grip can also be used with the Fuji VSS reel seat fitted with a cork split grip. This makes a very comfortable grip, I build it down locking. Unlike Micheal, I prefer down locking reel seats. Up locking reel seat for me tend to loosen while fishing, plus I do not like the thread on the heel of my hand. But up or down locking is your preference.
Fuji has a Winn grip that fits the VSS seat and a fore grip that fits the SK2 hidden thread hood. The bore for this grip is .375 so it would need to be shimed. If you need more info let us know. Hope this helps.
Norm



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/05/2017 09:11PM by Norman Miller.

Good point, Spencer

Another nice thing about a down locking reel seat is you move the reel further back putting more rod in front of the reel. This distance is about 2". So an overall 7" rear grip with a down locking reel seat will be functionally equivalent to an overall 5" rear grip with an uplocking reel seat. This may help with putting a split grip together. As Spencer is alluding to, another option is a short full length rear grip. The grip is just one component in building a rod. Get it the way you like it. Another important component are the guides. Go as light as you can for this rod. I would recommend PacBay minima M and F guides for reduction and running guides, respectively. Use these for setting up a KR concept spin rod.
Norm

Thanks a bunch for all the info guys.
I went with the Winn grip set up, Norm suggested.
We shall see how it works out.



Thanks,

Dave

As Spencer mentioned, at most you're probably only going to have 4" of actual handle material on a 5'6" rod. For me personally, I build and like split grips because they show the blank, and for me, the more blank shown, the better.

I know you've already decided on what you're going to do, but in case you haven't ordered your components yet, here's how I personally would handle the handle for that rod. I'd go with two fighting butts. One in the 1.5" length, the other in the 2.5" length

I would install the 1.5" length piece as it is intended to be, on the butt of the rod, (possibly trimming the tenon on it shorter and modifying the butt cap to fit the shortened tenon) the 2.5" length piece, I'd mount reverse of how it's supposed to be mounted. I'd trim the tenon off of it, and either butt it up against the back of the reel seat (if the seat's OD would cover where the tenon was cut off) or I'd use an Alp TRS trim ring of the appropriate size to fit the reel seat you choose, and use it between the seat and the reverse mounted 2.5" piece.

As you pretty much hold the reel seat of a spinning rod, you really don't need a long grip immediately behind the seat. And as others have mentioned, I'd use 2 of the black rubber/ vinyl winding checks to cover the gap that will be there from having to build up the rod blank to fit the grips. And if you going to build the rod sans fore grip. I'd install the reel seat down locking and trim the thread barrel to where the nut would hide the thread barrel when the reel is installed. I'd build a little 3/8" thick EVA nub turned down to the same OD as the thread barrel to cover its end.

When you go to put on or take off the reel the nut will slip over the EVA nub.

Anyhow ........ just something to consider.