FIRST HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE FERRULE AND NOW JUST RUINED A BLANK
I AM JUST SORRY I EVER DID A COURSE AND TRIED TO GET INTO THIS
SICK AND TIRED, AND WALLET IS FEELING VERY SORRY FOR ITSELF,

AND GOODBYE



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/2017 08:16AM by Tommy Bee.

Sorry to hear that. Surely you didn't get into this craft not knowing there would be an expense and some failure along the way. This craft can be a humbling experience but if you continue to learn from the failures it will get better as you grow in knowledge.

had one shot at the reel seat

It sits very flush to a thin blank and there is no way I am cutting it off

am too old to get into this infuriating craft and had a lot of bad luck recently financially so I could not afford this failure

extremely upset and feel mugged off by paying for an expensive course. Had really high hopes for this as a new project but feel like it has been one big fat rip off cash c ow frankly

going to cut my losses and stop right now

all this rubbish about the spine ended up doing my head in as well

going to return to just enjoying my fishing using factory rods, there was never anything wrong with them, if it aint broke don't fix it, no more meddling

goodbye

first off your problem can be fixed
second you need to just calm down and work through you problem as there plenty of people here to help
as for the seat you can remove it if you choose to with out cutting it off .
as for taking a class they are good but often times are fast paced and give a lot of information and there things that are not remembered or forgotten.
How is the blank ruined ????
Venting your frustration with out any information other than I ruined the blank and the seat not being where you want it and calling it quits with building you have truly really wasted you money
you might want to reconsider and work through the issues you are having with your build all you need do is to ask and we the form members will give you the best solutions to your debacle.

The best day to be alive is always tomorrow !!
Think out side the box when all else fails !!!
Wi.

Tommy,
Calm down, take a deep breath, go and pick up an inexpensive blank, reel seat and guides. Go build yourself a fine rod and enjoy yourself.


Rod building is a wonderful way to spend some extra time if you are doing it for a hobby and you can get hours of enjoyment out of a rod that you have built for yourself.

Good luck

hi tommy..my first rod many years ago was made from a Herters kit. no problems. i think because back then there were no such thing as e-poxys and most of your conflict seems to be e-poxy related..maybe if you just get away from using e-poxys just for starters, you,ll get your rods built..there are other glues and finishing products.

Tommy

Based on my starting experience my guess your frustrations may be due to poor organization. There is a lot of rod building information available some excellent and some good but not all are relevant to our specific needs. Read and filter is my motto.

I try to build the rod in my mind and set up a schedule or mile stones before any hands on operations.

Make sketches, notes and bill of materials before starting the build.

This is my ultra condensed version.

1) Concept- decide type of rod, size, etc., make bill of material.
2) Procure all the components and have all expendables adhesives, cleaners, tools, etc., on hand.
3) Dry fit grips and reel seat, snug fit.
4) Determine guide spacing
5) Tape on guides,don't care about spine, guides are placed on straightest axis of blank "eyeball" method. Works for me.
6) The rod can be fished for a few hours with all the components "dry fitted" and the guided taped, to check performance
7) Readjust components as necessary.
8) Take photos, make sketches or mark components for location and orientation before disassembly, makes assembly easier.
9) Prep components and final assemble.

General do's and don'ts I follow.

1) Any room temperature cure adhesive is fine for bonding reel seats and grips. Use coating designed for thread wrap.
2) Make sure your hands and components are kept clean and oil free throughout the build.
3) Measure twice and cut once, all components fitted and location determined before final assembly.
4) Don't rush, plan each move before doing, set goals, stop when tired.
5) Work on the rod when you want to, not if you have to.
6) U-tube videos are good source of information before starting a project, also the forum.

All of these are broad statements and I left a lot of holes to be filled, but if used as a guide or template the frustration level is significantly reduced.

Good luck

John

keep your head up! I am trying to recall the number of times I did everything right on a rod. hmm. apparently I have never ever did everything right. LET ALONE a PERFECT rod. I have had to ruin a a great NOS Rodon fly reel seat because I misaligned it. actually I forgot to align it at all. noticed the reel sat at a jaunty twist from the guide train! heat gun and pliers got it off. ruined it. happy note I had another to replace it with. I am slowly building an expensive bamboo fly rod. very slowly.
by the way I had to edit mistakes twice before I posted this!

You are most certainly not the only guy to mess up a reel seat or a rod. Yours truly once put a reel seat on an out of this world expensive bamboo blank backwards. Of course the adhesive cured before I noticed the error. And I'm still more than embarrassed over cutting the wrong end of a butt section to accommodate a fighting butt. The list goes on and on.

I'm with Woody. The perfect rod is yet to be built. Making errors does not make us bad builders - it does confirm we are human.

(And to this day my hands still shake when sliding a reel seat into position or when cutting a blank.)

Tommy,

I can relate to a lot of your frustrations. As related above, everyone makes mistakes and has problems. Use this forum; there's a lot of good advice here. 99% of the folks on this board just want to help with your problems. Practice on scrap broken rods to get comfortable with the process you want to use before committing to the good components. Even last night, I spent almost three hours on one guide wrap that was totally contrary, because I'm a perfectionist and refuse to be defeated by a knotty problem. And I won. I've built a lot of rods, and I don't recall ever having one that was 100% straightforward and trouble free, but at the end of the day, you can look at it and say, "This is mine, I built it. It's unique and one of a kind." And be proud. Anymore, my shop has become a retreat where I can reflect, relax, and consider what new idea I'd like to try. You'll get there, Tommy. Just have patience, relax, and if it gets overwhelming walk away for an hour. A very wise rodbuilder once said on this forum that "Every rod is a prototype". Truer words were never spoken. And as Donald La Mar said, I too still have a measure of trepidation when I'm gluing parts or applying finish.

Tommy Bee,
Also, there is no such thing as a mistake, no matter how you feel about it.

Rather, it is an opportunity to further your education when you learn how to remedy the thing that you may not have done to your outlook on perfection.

Remember, patience is golden. Love - whether it is for a job, hobby or another person is divine!!

why do i have this feeling that mr. bee is just sitting back and having a good laugh...

The difference between a road block and an adventure is attitude.

Flex Coat Company
Professional Rod Building Supplies
www.flexcoat.com

I have the same feeling, Ben... I'm still a newbie, but the things I've learned from ALL the mistakes I make seem to help gain more knowledge than all the posts I've read or videos I've watched. And I realized before I bought my first kit that I can't buy the components to build a custom rod for less than I could buy a factory rod, but until I fished one for the first time, I had no idea how great the difference it would make. I hope you don't give up...I can't wait to fish with my next mistake!

Just quit and save the drama

hi Paul, even as a newbie, you stand head and shoulders over mr. bee..

Heck Billy....that's why I look in here!!

Amen Billy. We've all suffered disappointments and endured our own shortcomings. I've had to walk away many times after falling short of my own expectations but I did better the next time...or the time after. @#$%&, I still make mistakes. But, as with any other love, this is not about guarantees...it's about the pleasure we derive from it.

Billy Vivona Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Just quit and save the drama


POST REPORTED
HOPE YOU GET BANNED

ben belote Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> hi Paul, even as a newbie, you stand head and
> shoulders over mr. bee..

POST REPORTED
THANKS - YOU MAY HAVE DONE US ALL A BIG FAVOUR HOPEFULLY