Hello,

I am just wondering if the blank I have has a problem or it is the nature of the carbon solid blank...

The (potential) problem is that once you attach a guide to the blank and give rotational twisting
(like 90 deg), the blank doesn't seem to twist back to the original position. Depending on how far
you twist (and how far the guide is located from the tip), but it seems that there may be 5-10 deg.
of dislocation.

At first, I thought I didn't attach the guide right and it became loose. Upon a closer inspection,
I found that the guide is rigidly attached to the blank and doesn't move relative to the blank.
The blank itself gets twisted and it just doesn't untwist to the original position as if there is some
residual twist permanently left in the blank. The most of twisting does get untwisted back as
a torsion spring, but some 5-10 deg of residual twist remains depending on how much initial twisting
you give to the blank.

It is more pronounced near the tip (where the blank is thinner) and the tip is probably the worst
(meaning easiest to get twisted). If I twist the tip, the second guide doesn't follow. If I twist the
second guide, tip and the second get twisted, but the third doesn't follow. So I am guessing the
residual twist is a local phenomenon (not the entire blank develops the residual twist, only right
where you twist). I guess the blank has a progressive taper, so the most twisting should occur
at the thinnest place that is where you twist, so it does make sense...

I just did a few testing to confirm the problem and no more, since I don't want to destroy the blank,
but is it normal? I feel that any residual twists mean permanent fatigue in the blank, so the blank
gets weaker and weaker, but I am not sure. Many people said solid carbon blanks are very tough
and hard to break that now I think only for bending, but what about against twisting (torsional force)?

I would appreciate any inputs or insights.

Thanks!

Momo

i never heard of this, strange stuff.lol..if you twist it back in the other direction does the guide come back to the original position..maybe the rod only works at 32 degrees and lower.lol.

When they say it’s a noodle blank they really mean it!
Norm

did you sand it down ?? if not then I would say that it is a faulty blank like the resin didn't wet out the fibers completely allowing for the distortion
and if you did sand it down then you went to far lol and it got to hot in the section where the twist doesn't return to where it started

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

Norm, that,s funny! M atthew what you say makes a lot sense to me..even wet sanding can get too hot.

Momo,
Cut off the guides, scrap the blank and start over.

Good luck

I have built hundreds of ice rods and have never seen this issue. I suspect that you simply have a defective blank.

Ben,

Yes, I could correct the guide locations. As you just said, by carefully twisting
backward to about the same amount (rotation) and letting it spring back,
it comes back.

All,

I did sand it down, but with wet sand papers and I did it very carefully (slowly).
I never felt any heat developed in the blank, but that is a possibility (I admit
that I am a beginner).

Now maybe I should rephrase the question before throwing the blank; how
sensitive are those ice rod blanks to rotational twisting? Like twisting 90 deg.
is something I am never supposed to do? What about 180 deg?

The reason I ask this way is that I use a baitcasting reel and have hard time
finding an ice rod for a baitcasting reel with lighter power (like UL, L range).
This is the motivation that I am making this rod. When I use the baitcasting reel
on a spinning ice rod, the tip tends to get rotated as much as 180 deg when
a fish is on (doesn't need to be a big fish! UL, L ice rods get rotated pretty easily).
I really didn't pay attention in the last season, so I am not sure if the spinning
rod I have did the same thing or not (I can try), but I would like to know if such
a usage is acceptable or not. I even do have a spare ice rod blank that I can
twist and see, but I need to know the limit before doing this test!

Thanks!

Momo

Momo, maybe a simple spiral ice-rod..i never made one but it sounds like a simple solution.lol. i bet someone on this site has..

Momo, just put 3 or 4 guides on the bottom of the rod, you don,t need a bumper guide and you have no more torque problems.

Dear Ben,

I am making a spiral ice rod for this very reason! But now I need to resolve this blank
twisting phenomenon before moving forward...

All,

Well, I tried twisting the Fenwick 28 in ML solid carbon ice rod. It is still in a good shape
and I can't imagine that the blank has been compromised by heat etc. I still don't know
if twisting the tip guide is acceptable or not, but I unintentionally did that last year every
time I hooked a fish! So if I do one more time now, what is the difference. So I just tried
twisting the rod again. You know what, the same thing happened that the top guide did
permanently (well, I don't know how permanent, bust at least for a few minutes) dislocate
by 5-10 deg.

Anybody who said never seen or heard this before, if you don't mind, would you please
try twisting the top guide 90 or if OK,180 deg and see what happens?

Or maybe because of this, should I conclude twisting 90 deg is too much, because
it slightly but permanently deform the blank (beyond its elastic limit)?

Thanks for your inputs.

Momo

hi Momo..do you have any carbon ice rod blanks that have not yet been sanded, if so twist it to see if it does the same thing..if it does distort, maybe that,s the nature of the beast.lol.

hi Momo..do you have any carbon ice rod blanks that have not yet been sanded, if so twist it to see if it does the same thing..if it does distort, maybe that,s the nature of the beast.lol.