So I have spent some time reviewing all the threads I can find on this site and others about sanding down blanks. I understand the health concerns and I am set up and prepared for this. I also spent a lot of time at the stores playing with different rods the last week and seeing how they react when you put a load on the tip. It appears to me that most rod tips don't really start bending until behind the second eye. When I'm sanding down my blank what kind of taper should I look for? I have recorded the measurements every half inch of my current blank and I have a couple extra new ones to refer back to while I'm sanding. I am looking for an extra extra fast tip and this is an ice fishing rod. Glass blank, 26" to center of reel seat. Thank you for the tips.

Tubular, hollow blank, don't sand it, there isn't enough material. Solid tip, your just going to have go play with it.
At the Lamiglas factory they had a guy who knew exactly what he was doing, he only sanded by hand with 600 paper and he only removed the ridges from the epoxy seeping around the tape. Still he messed one up from time to time.

It is solid glass

Is there any kind of guide to use for solid glass blank and mm thickness for action? Since this is a ice rod I don't have to worry about casting and the effect the sanding would cause to the blank.

Mike,
One good way to do it is to start with a blank that you like.
Then, with a good caliper, measure the blank diameter at 1/4 inch intervals from the tip down for the first 4 inches or so. This is where a lot of the sanding will take place.

Just to keep you sane, you should also take blank measurements at 1 inch intervals from the tip on down toward the butt of the rod using a good caliper.

By taking these measurements and using a caliper to keep you honest, you can develop your own blank to get the action that you wish from the blank.

Be aware, that often, very very small changes in the blank diameter can have a significant change in the action of the blank.

The good thing about using solid fiberglass blanks that are typically less than 30 inches; is that they are very inexpensive. Pretty easy to get blanks for $2 each of this variety. So, if you make a mistake and ruin a blank, it doesn't make you feel bad to toss it into the garbage.

Good luck

Thank you so much for that information Rodger. I will proceed with caution. I assumed that much and that's why I bought three blanks to play with.

How fast of a taper can I do within so many inches before it becomes too much stress on the blank where it gets to its backbone and breaks the tip-off?

Mike,
That is really up to you. i.e. the amount of taper per length of blank.

I just suggest that you do some experimenting, go slowly and you will get dialed right in.

The nice thing about using a solid fiberglass blank is that you can sand nearly the entire blank away and turn it into a floppy woppy noodle bendable rod tip, but as the Timex commercial says - it just keeps on ticking and bending without breaking.

Hence, the reason to go slow, measure frequently - and creep up on the action of the blank that you wish to use.

Good luck

Thanks Roger..good info..

Mike - Take a look here: [rodbuilding.org]

I've sanded a lot of blanks. I have a furnace filter on a box fan that I place behind my power wrapper. I start with 80 or 100 grit for removing material fast, then go to 220 for most shaping, then drop to 320, 400, and finally 600. I wear a dust mask.

I've also done a few graphite blanks but I wet sand those with 220, 320 & 400.

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"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane