I’d say a scam site as well. A sure fire way to tell, how they want you to pay for your items. They will request you use Pay Pal “friends and family”. No buyer protection with that option. In most cases they do not have credit card payment options, again most CC companies have a fraud protection. It’s a way for the scammers to skirt the law and make it more difficult to track them down. There is
Forum: rodboard

I’ve found Gen 4 applies like any other 2 part rod finish. The only thing I found was that I needed to mix it longer, like 5 min vs 3 min for some other brands. No biggie since the working time seems to be on par with Threadmaster Lites working time. I’ve used both Gen 4, the lite and regular. Both worked very well for the way I apply finish. I don’t apply it while the rod is spinning under p
Forum: rodboard

If I was you, get a copy of Bamboo Restoration Handbook by Micheal Sinclair. The book is out of print, but you can find used copies out there, bit pricey, but worth it. The book will take you step by step thru the restoration process and it has many of the specifications of bamboo production rods, like what brand and color of thread was used.
Forum: rodboard

There are several good brands, as mentioned above Ray Lee has some nice stuff if you like a "blued finish" style. REC, Struble, Lemke, Snake Brand and Bellinger all have great slide band seats. Shane Grey, Greywolf Products has some import Garrison Style slide bands that are also nice. Plenty of options.
Forum: rodboard

Ahh, okay, now I can picture how it functions.
Forum: rodboard

I’m not a spin or casting rod builder, but is that hook keeper facing the right way? Looks to me like it should be turned around so the slot is up and away from the blank, so when a hook goes into it, it is kept away from the blank as to not scratch it up.
Forum: rodboard

I use both decals and handwritten inscriptions, just depends on the build if I use both or just one. Testers paint in Gold, Silver and Copper works awesome with a fine nib pen. I will put a very light coat of of epoxy down in the spot to be inscribed, once cured, I take the shine off with 2000 grit sand paper, do the inscription and then coat with another layer of epoxy. Black India Ink also w
Forum: rodboard

What is the bore size of the wood insert, and the OD of the blank? If it is not much of a difference you can use Size D thread to make arbors or the mesh drywall tape, cut into thin strips. Super glue will give you a good “tack” point for the drywall tape. Personally, I’d shy away from using masking tape, lots of folks use it, but I’ve done my fair share of repairs on reel seats where it wa
Forum: rodboard

2 things I have noticed with fly rods over the past several years: Resurgence in Fiberglass, especially for the custom rod builders. For Carbon rods, I seem to do more business with folks looking for rods with a medium to slower taper, rolled with 33 million modulus carbon.
Forum: rodboard

The only suitable Bamboo for fishing rods is imported from China, all the way back to the first bamboo rods ever built. It grows in one small area. So that outfit on the @#$%& site, their claim of 100% made in USA, well they are probably buying the raw product, splitting, planning, glueing and doing the ferrule fitting here, hence the 100% claim. Are they any good? Only one way to find out.
Forum: rodboard

I've built, cast and fished the 764-4, 804-4, and 864-4. The 764 is a great small stream rod, since it is short, it will feel pretty quick, snappy for glass. The 804 is in the middle, very smooth. The 864 is very nice for small dries and fine tippets. I'd base your choice on what type of water you want to fish it in.
Forum: rodboard

Like the CTS carbon blanks, the Quartz Glass are great blanks. Compared to other glass on the market, I'd label them as just a bit faster than medium in flex, with a very even loading feel to them. It gets kinda personal to say they are better than other brands, that depends on what you like in a taper. The quality of the blanks is top shelf, just like their carbon offerings. I do find that t
Forum: rodboard

You are going to get several opinions. I do not care for the look of single foot guides. I’d use snakes, Snake Brand with that blank. Being a 2wt, I’d use the Originals, since you can use 2/0 as your smallest guide. You have a quality blank, use quality guides on it. Some will say Single Foots have less weight, depends on brand, and one less guide wrap.
Forum: rodboard

Take what Phil E said, and once those questions are answered you’ll know what blank to buy.
Forum: rodboard

Yes, the 50wt.
Forum: rodboard

I would give Clover brand #401 a try. Personally, it’s a better quality thread than YLI. On a couple of recent builds I’ve done on CTS Quartz Glass, Pure and Shoot colored blanks, the Clover 401 went totally clear. I’ve also used the Clover 401 on “clear” Livingston Glass with the same results. I used Gen 4 as a finish. Just do some test wraps, may not work depending on the base color
Forum: rodboard

I've built on their blanks and fish a couple of them. Quality blank and good tapers if you are into glass.
Forum: rodboard

Do test wraps with these 3: YLI #239 Natural YLI #212 Natural White Clover 401 White. 50wt is close to size A Nylon, 100wt is a bit smaller. Thread tension is also very important, you want the tension as light as possible. Also, in my opinion, Clover brand Silk is better quality than YLI.
Forum: rodboard

When you state unfinished grey blank, like a Northfork? Natural Carbon? Your best bet, Natural Silk. I would buy a couple of colors close to that and do some test wraps with finish, just do them where your grip/reel seat are going, find the one that meets your fancy. I’ve done invisible wraps on colored fiberglass, Natural Silk was the ticket. On raw or “clear” fiberglass, this gets a bit
Forum: rodboard

I’ve cast the 8’-2” 4wt. It’s “soft”, very deep loading, smooth. The only things that I could say it is close to: Tom Morgan Rodsmiths E Glass 804-2 Original Mike McFarland Spruce Creek blanks, his first generation series of these blanks were very soft. The finished rod I cast was very light in the hand compared to those two E Glass models I listed above.
Forum: rodboard

I turn both cork and wood reel seat inserts for my rod building. On the cork grips, I have 2 1/4" tool steel mandrels, one is about 10" long, the other is 18", for single hand fly rods and the other for spey grips. Wood inserts, I took a 3/8' mandrel and cut it down to 8" long and threaded one end to lock the insert in place, the other end has the 60 degree inside bev
Forum: rodboard

Man O War Spar would get my vote. It’s going to take you 5-6 coats, but for bamboo it’s a classic finish.
Forum: rodboard

You might be interested in a documentary, The Lost World of Jim Hardy. History of House of Hardy. When they got into Fiberglass, J Kennedy Fisher supplied blanks at first, then Fisher set up a rolling facility in England, Hardy went on to roll their own stuff, both Glass and Carbon, but once the company was sold, blank production was taken over to Korea, not sure of the date exactly, somewh
Forum: rodboard

Here are some tips based on my experiences with silk and nylon when I was looking to get the thread wraps to disappear or as some call the “ghost wraps”: Thread tension, you need to set your wrapping tension slightly less than what you would think normal tension is, you know you have it right if you can move a guide around a tad bit easier. This will help with two things, wrap finish penetrating
Forum: rodboard

That guide sizing will work, but to make it better, use all #3's after the #12 double foot, so skip the #5 and #4. Your objective when sizing guides, use what will pass your line connections and the least amount of changes in size, 3 sizes in change is plenty. You want to create the straightest line path.
Forum: rodboard

I use 1/0 Snake Guides on 4 and 5wts without any issues of passing connections. Personally, I’d stay away from single foots, get yourself some Snake Brand Universals. The foot profile is small. The added weight of a double foot guide vs a single foot is marginal, seriously doubt you’d notice a difference in how the rod cast. Get a Pac Bay Minima double foot for the stripper, #10, then fol
Forum: rodboard

I'd go with the CTS Affinity X, in either a 6wt or 7wt. What would make me choose between a 6wt and 7wt, the size of the fly patterns you would be casting and the size of the sea trout. I'd lean a bit more towards the 7wt, which will work better in the wind, but still have enough feel that a smaller trout, 2-4lbs will still put a bend in it, but also able to tangle with one that might reach 8-10l
Forum: rodboard

Figure out how much the guide is, then figure how long it will take, including the wrap finish. $15 in my opinion is a bit cheap. I typically charge around $25 per guide, total cost, unless they have an expensive brand guide on the rod in the first place. I’m also with Phil on his questions, if it is someone I know, or folks that I regularly do repairs for, I shave off some $.
Forum: rodboard

Like Tom K said, three changes in guide size, I regularly use 1/0 snakes (Snake Brand Universals) on 5wts as the final size and I have never had a problem passing line connections nor have I had a customer compliant on that. Object is to create the straightest line path with the least amount of changes in size and smallest size of guides possible to keep excess weight off blank. Over sizing gui
Forum: rodboard

I have 2 Dremel power tools, one is the electric, very high RPM, variable speed, yes it can be used for that, but it is aggressive. With any other tool or procedure, you get a feel for it and when it can be useful. The other one is a rechargeable model (wife bought it to trim my Lab’s nails, comical failure). This one has a much lower RPM, 2 speed motor. It’s just right with a stone that has a
Forum: rodboard