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Yesterday
Tom Kirkman
The Flex Coat pilot bits and reverse spade bits are different animals used for two different purposes. The pilot bits are primarily for boring full length arbors to a larger ID. The reverse spade bits are intended for boring long pieces of cork or EVA. ..........
Forum: rodboard
Yesterday
Tom Kirkman
The rod building glossary in the tab section on this page includes most of the terms and their explanations. Also, RodMaker did an article (Jim Upton) on cross wrap terminology some years ago. .............
Forum: rodboard
3 days ago
Tom Kirkman
The product was Sack-Ups and they were at the Expo. There are a number of good rod sleeves that add additional value to any custom rod sale. The "finger-trp" style are not at all expensive. Check with some of the sponsors here as they may offer something similar. ..............
Forum: rodboard
6 days ago
Tom Kirkman
He was not banned. After several warnings from one of the moderators concerning some rude posts, which he not only ignored, but intensified, he was given a time out for a very, very short period. His account remains active. …......
Forum: rodboard
6 days ago
Tom Kirkman
What do you want to know is the durometer hardness. I would not use any EVA with less than a hardness value of 75. Figure cork to be about 90 that should give you a range to work within. The more firm the EVA is, the heavier it will be. However, a firm grip is worth a tad bit more weight in my opinion. ………..
Forum: rodboard
6 days ago
Tom Kirkman
For general purposes, if you put the first guide about 5 inches behind the tiptop (roller to roller), you'll have a good starting place. The butt guide (not stripper - those are on fly rods) is a bit more tricky. Due to the height of so many offshore type reels, you often find a top roller on the guide to keep the line within the guide frame until you get some line out and/or get a good load o
Forum: rodboard
7 days ago
Tom Kirkman
I assume you mean the butt guide (only fly rods have a stripping guide). It won't hurt anything. And the greater durability of the larger butt guide is often an advantage when pulling rods out of tubes, rod lockers, etc. .............
Forum: rodboard
7 days ago
Tom Kirkman
Size the seat to fit your hand, not the rod. And keep in mind that a size 16 reel seat has an OD of about 20mm. The seat number is the ID, not the OD. ..............
Forum: rodboard
10 days ago
Tom Kirkman
The first one. The second is more about getting the OD concentric to the ID. Thanks. The OP only needs a tiny bit of adjustment. I think I'd turn round to the diameter of the largest OD of the seat, then hand sand or file the sides to the seat's smallest OD, then get back on the lathe with some fine grip paper to smooth the whole thing out. ............
Forum: rodboard
10 days ago
Tom Kirkman
We did an article on turning oval grips in a past RodMaker. Otherwise, you can simply do a bit of hand sanding/filing to gain that slight oval you need after you get the grip concentric. .........
Forum: rodboard
12 days ago
Tom Kirkman
The Fuji and similar are designed for reels, not a particular rod type. They work across the board. .............
Forum: rodboard
13 days ago
Tom Kirkman
It's funny... others say the magazine is all about fly rods. I guess that means I'm keeping a good mix. ........
Forum: rodboard
16 days ago
Tom Kirkman
Here is a trick you can try - after affixing the label to the rod, overwrap it with A thread, snugly. Let it sit overnight. When you remove the thread you may find that the label is now bound to the rod blank securely included the edges. ............
Forum: rodboard
19 days ago
Tom Kirkman
Be careful - the top coating was designed to provide a hard wear surface for your line. Anything you do to dull it could result in a guide that is hard on your line and/or that doesn't last as long as it might have otherwise. ..........
Forum: rodboard
20 days ago
Tom Kirkman
Epoxy would be the wrong thing to coat the blank with. Too heavy, subject to yellowing and eventual cracking and peeling. ..........
Forum: rodboard
20 days ago
Tom Kirkman
David Baylor Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > It has to do with the percentage of solvents in > the epoxy that won't evaporate. 100% solids epoxy > doesn't have any solvent in it that could > evaporate while curing. That's pretty much it. No evaporative solvents. ...........
Forum: rodboard
20 days ago
Tom Kirkman
Our epoxy adhesives and wrap coatings are comprised of 100% solids so there is nothing to evaporate. Yes I agree that the poor terminology used by many probably does lead to the making of incorrect assumptions. One notable exception was the old Clemens Crystal Coat (KlassCoat) which although marketed as an epoxy was a 2-part system and did contain solvents. .........
Forum: rodboard
21 days ago
Tom Kirkman
I'm surprised that anyone thought that any 100% solids epoxy would lose weight once cured. Ralph O'Quinn designed RodBond so that it would cure even at a 40:60 ratio (still recommended 1:1). Ralph knew that most would measure by eye so he allowed for such a wide variance in mix ratio. Not so with his (or others) epoxy thread wrap finishes which only have about a 5% window variance. On a 3cc t
Forum: rodboard
21 days ago
Tom Kirkman
Do you remember which vendor you bought it from? I suspect they'd know what they brought just about any particular year. .............
Forum: rodboard
21 days ago
Tom Kirkman
Mike Hubbert Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > I certainly didn’t mean to create such a > discussion on the attributes of volume versus > weight. > > As a career bench chemist, weight is much simpler > and more accurate than volumes, that being said, > the margin of error with these products is large > enough that a syringe system i
Forum: rodboard
22 days ago
Tom Kirkman
They're fine. Consider how many rods, decades old, still have the original cork grips on them and more often than not they're still going strong. Save for a dog or something chewing them up, cork lasts a long, long, long time. ............
Forum: rodboard
22 days ago
Tom Kirkman
david taylor Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > As to weight exactitude: Who knows if the resin > and catalyst are the same weight by volume? One > is potentially lighter than the other. They are not the same weight by volume. ..........
Forum: rodboard
22 days ago
Tom Kirkman
..........
Forum: rodboard
24 days ago
Tom Kirkman
Rod wrapping epoxies have been formulated to be measured and mixed by volume. This greatly simplifies the process and does not require the purchase of any special equipment such as a scale. I suppose you could call a pair of syringes special equipment, but they're terribly inexpensive and can be used over and over. ..........
Forum: rodboard
26 days ago
Tom Kirkman
Les Cline Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > After reading some recent posts about The Oddball > guide layout, I swear I saw a modified version of > it on a particular Expride rod. The last two > guides of the Reduction Train were not the same > Size rings, but they were the same Height. They > used two different guide frame types: two
Forum: rodboard
26 days ago
Tom Kirkman
That's not the MudHole most are familiar with. I'd be cautious of any company using another company's name to obtain sales. ............
Forum: rodboard
26 days ago
Tom Kirkman
A commercial manufacturer has limited personnel from which to draw ideas for the "next thing" that will be a market success. Conversely, there are thousands of custom rod builders, all working in various directions, that results in a myriad number of new ideas each year. It's only smart for the commercial makers to "borrow" what they see at the Expo each year. My only complain
Forum: rodboard
26 days ago
Tom Kirkman
For many years I've watched rod company personnel browse the floor at the Expo to find ideas for what they'll be producing in one or two future model years. Most anything you'll see on commercially made rods this year, was displayed at the Expo a year or two prior. Most of this stuff originates with the custom builders. ............
Forum: rodboard
30 days ago
Tom Kirkman
On wire guides yes. On ceramics, no. .......
Forum: rodboard
30 days ago
Tom Kirkman
The opening on the tiptop should be at least as large as the opening on the smallest guides. Larger will work as well, but isn't necessary. ..........
Forum: rodboard
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