I would like to turn some ice rod grips and looking for wood specie recommendations. They will be painted. Light and durable. Scott
Forum: rodboard

I guess with the new "stick-to-itself tape" Reel seats are being eliminated from ice rods. Just had some high school seniors come in and order some Walleye ice rods with no reel seats. They want a butt a split and and a grip that they can tape a handle to. I started making them and am questioning the length? I made the platform 4" long and now it seems too short. thankfully I can r
Forum: rodboard

I am thinking of making some wooden handles that are etched with a CNC machine. I would like to highlite the etchings by filling them with a contrasting color. 1. What would you use to fill in the etchings, paint, ink, tinted epoxy, or something other? 2. How do you prevent the filler from bleeding over into/onto other areas of the handle? 3. What would you apply for an overall finish to
Forum: rodboard

Phil Erickson recently introduced me to Australian Banksia nuts for turning into rod handles; they are stunningly, intriguingly and uniquely gorgeous. Using the search function here, the last post involving Banksia nuts was from Phil over 12 years ago so I thought re-posting might be of interest to those unfamiliar. They may not be of interest to those who consider the lightest weight top priori
Forum: rodboard

What is everyone doing for cork handles…do you buy your handles already made or are you using the cork rings and shaping your own? I don’t do a lot of builds but am getting tired of suppliers not having stock available so was looking at mini lathes and cork rings. Also, for those of you doing your own handles, what grade cork are you using? This is a hobby and when I do build a rod, I am gener
Forum: rodboard

I'm replacing all the wraps on a G Loomis spinning rod (SAR1084S) that has been heavily used by a local guide. All the wraps are cracked. The question is, how can I clean up this blank without sanding and recoating it? I've wiped it with denatured alcohol 3 times and acetone twice. It's getting better but it is still funky. Just keep wiping it down, or does anyone have a secret sauce to spee
Forum: rodboard

Hello rodbuilding community, I’m building my first rods for me and my grandpa, and I picked up a few of the iconoglass blanks from North Fork Composites while they had the sale going. My grandpa lost my grandma after 70 years of marriage last year, and Christmas is an especially hard time for him. She was the matriarch and took care of everything. I live in Europe now, and I haven’t been a
Forum: rodboard

I'm working on handle options for a couple ice rods I'm working on. I wanted to use a composite reel seat but all the arbor options I'm finding are pre-drilled too large. I prefer not to use tape as I feel it ends up dampening the feel of the rod. So here's my question, has anyone ever experimented with filling the space with a rigid closed cell expanding polyurethane foam? I've seen pre-made
Forum: rodboard

I am gearing up to try my hand at carbon fiber grips. I have RM Volume 10 Issue 6 which stoked me further. I've watched Capt Mikes and of course Tom's video's and found them very helpful and searched this forum for info. - in the video I watched, Mike seals the foam core prior to sleeving and that makes total sense to me but what is he using to seal it? Is it the same epoxy that he wets the sl
Forum: rodboard

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!! After reading the article on Birch Bark Handles in the latest issue of RodMaker, I am very intrigued with the concept and would like to give one a go myself. The problem is that I do not know what to look for and where to obtain quality birch bark suitable for a rod handle. Have any of you fabricated such a handle and/or can suggest a supplier? My calculations suggest a
Forum: rodboard

Just wondering if anyone has any ways to get old wood looking good again. I tried once, but after sanding on my lathe it was still that weather worn wood color of grey.
Forum: rodboard

I remember reading about using titebond for a cork handle build, which one is best. Thanks in advance.
Forum: rodboard

What is your preferred finish if making grips from hardwood? I normally prefer to only use stabilized wood. I turned a grip from walnut with pecan inlays but it is not stabilized. It is already turned so I don't want to send it out to be stabilized now. Do you have any products/methods you've found to provide good, long-term protection?
Forum: rodboard

I have a brother who is wanting to make a couple wood handles in a shop class. I have no experience with wood handles. First question is what is a good type of wood to use for handles? Second is what is the proper way to finish the handle to seal it completely? Third question should i have him bore a hole to the largest diameter of the blank that each handle will mount too and use tap
Forum: rodboard

This is my first post and I was hoping to get some good advise from you guys. I have been building rods for about a year now and love it , there is nothing more therapeutic than working on a rod and thinking of nothing else. A guy in my fishing club has asked me to completely gut one of his rods and replace the handle, grip and eyes. My question and what I need help on is the blank itself, there
Forum: rodboard

I picked up a GLX drop shot spinning rod (820S) a while back and I'm toying with the idea of stripping it and making it into a trout casting rod. Does anyone have any experience stripping one of these blanks? If so, when you pulled the guides off, were you able to do it without damaging the finish on the blank? If I do this, I'm going to make it a simple spiral so I'll probably be able to use the
Forum: rodboard

I searched the forum concerning cord handles-specifically paracord handles, and have decided to finish the handles using Perma-Gloss. I've never used that before, and while I intend to test finish on a scrap blank, I was wondering if I need to apply CP to the cord before the finish? I'm not worried about how the finish will affect the color, just how it will adhere to the cord. As always, th
Forum: rodboard

So I have a red cedar handle unfinished that I am having laser engraved with Initials. My question is, what is the best way to paint the engraving? Do I stain it first? I was told not to stain it and just epoxy the entire handle but that was before I decided to have it engraved and wanted paint in the engraving? Any help? Thanks !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Forum: rodboard

Hello all, new to this forum, and looking for some help. Last year I started putting some Hwd's into my handles along with cork, I glued the rings (Wood / Cork Combinations) using 5 min loctite epoxy like I have done with most all of my cork handles and then clamped the cork/wood with a wooden block all thread clamp. Several of the wood to wood glue bonds have failed on the first rod I built, w
Forum: rodboard

Hi to all you happy wrappers, thanks for reading and hopefully assisting to resolve my Perma Gloss issues. Without using PG before, I read the application directions and purchased a couple good quality, 3/8in artist brushes. The first coat applied to the rotating butt section resulted in a slightly streaky, lumpy finish, obviously from my “thin” coat being thicker than what PM considers thin. Al
Forum: rodboard

Has anyone made handles from cork and eva foam? I think it should work OK, but was wondering what glue to use and how to turn with the different densities.
Forum: rodboard

I've never painted a rod before and am wondering which paint is best to do it? The rod I'm rebuilding is a very old (45 years) 6'-9" fiberglass rod I bought years ago for mainly Bluefishing Bunker (Manhaden) cut bait on a boat. I'm in the process of using a citrus paint/varnish remover (per this forum) and am amazed how easy the citrus remover works,doesn't stink up the whole neighborh
Forum: rodboard

Has anyone tried tung oil on cork handles and is it wise to do this? Thanks,,, Tom Kuzia
Forum: rodboard

Hello, I have yet to actually turn the grips yet, but I'm building 2 rods that have .5 -3.5 inch sections of red cedar as accents. What are some good finishes/sealers I can use on the wood? The rods will be fished quite a bit so my main concern is protecting the wood from swelling or anything else that could happen from heavy use. Anything that brings out the natural color and protects it will be
Forum: rodboard

want to start turning cork and eva handles, want to know what to get as far as a beginner lathe? what will I need as far a chuck, tools etc.
Forum: rodboard

This is my first build and I am replacing my most used (and recently broken) BPS Extreme M spinning rod. I fish mostly 4" tubes, creature baits, and soft jerkbaits with this rod. I am considering the MHX SJ843 for this initially build. I'm having a hard time understadig the rod blank to commercial price difference. Can a $60 blank really produce a rod comparable to a $200 commercial bu
Forum: rodboard

I just fit the birch handle that I made onto the blank. I have a great fit and now its time for me to think about finish. I do not mind a darkening of the wood, I do not however, want a glossy finish. Any suggestions/insight are greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Forum: rodboard

What is the best way to apply rod finish to a wood grip?
Forum: rodboard

Working on a handle that has 10 coats of Formby's on it. As a final coat, can I use guide finish (Pro Kote) over the tung oil, or am I asking for trouble? Thanks!
Forum: rodboard

I'm refinishing a heavy offshore rod for a friend and have to strip the paint off the wooden handles. What is the best way to repaint the handles; including priming, painting, and any protective coating?
Forum: rodboard