Getting started rod building

[Fish_4_Five]

For years I've kicked around building rods and I think it's time. Going to the sites and seeing the kit (equipment) options to get started is confusing. What do I need vs what is just nice to have. I don't anticipate building a lot of rods but enough that I want to get started right.

[Batson-Brands]

All you need is a hand wrapper (you can make one out out of a box if you want to keep it super cheap), rod bond (for grips and reel seat), masking tape and finish coat for guides, plus some wrapping thread which you can run under a phone book for "tension", then brushes and a burnishing tool (Popsicle sticks work). Though I would recommend getting a dryer as it would be annoying to turn the rod with finish coat every 10 or so minutes for a couple hours.

Rather than building a cheap rod, I often say practice on an old factory rod or old broken rod. Strip off the guides and practice and rewrap. Wrapping and proper guide placement (static testing) is the biggest learning curve to learn.

[BRADVAN]

I used these instructions to build my own wrapping station. I used a plain old white pine 1x4 for the entire project. The 1x4, screws, bolts, nuts, washers, wood glue, etc. totaled $13 and change. http://www.steelheader.net/Rodbuildi...wn_rod_jig.htm. I realize that one can buy a very nice wrapping station pre-made much easier but building my own station is kind of like building my own rods; it's fun and rewarding.

If you're going on the cheap you can make a rod turner out of something like this http://www.partycity.com/product/min...h&navSet=disco light&bypass_redirect=1. Remove the disco ball and you basically have a cheap rod turner.

When I got back into wrapping I re-wrapped a couple of old Falcon rods I had. One had a stripped reel seat so I re-did the entire rod; guides, reel seat, and grips.

Lots of videos available on youtube. Not trying to pick one supplier over another, but MudHole has a lot of video info on their site.

I've also seen a rotisserie motor from a BBQ grill converted.

[Fish_4_Five]

Thanks. I've been looking that the videos on Getbit. The process looks easy enough with practice. I didn't know if the Flex coat kit was worth it but looks like can make the wrapper. Is a reamer kit needed or just a dryer? I see where I can a reamer / dryer kit together, or just the dryer by itself.

[DrewFlu33]

A set of reamers is maybe the most important thing to have aside from the wrapper and basic tools. You can get by drying rods on your wrapper if you're okay with having to pay attention to it for a few hours after applying thread finish. However, unless you're very skilled with a rat tail file and have a ton of patience or only build from kits that come with grips pre-reamed, you'll need some reamers. My suggestion is to just get the Forecast Dream Reamer set and be done with it. You can probably get by with something cheaper, but this kit is the end-all be-all in my opinion. You can ream out any grip material for any size blank and not have to worry about it. I wasted money on other options before just buying what worked. Easily the best I've seen.

"The Fishing Hobby" on YouTube is building and selling what looks to be a very well thought out wrapper right now. You could buy that for $85 on eBay, or just watch the video and make it yourself. I've got another wrapper that I built, but after using it a lot and making a bunch of tweaks, I'm going to build one like what he shows. For whatever that's worth. You can buy a piece of the HDPE you'd need on eBay for under $30 and probably have enough to make two of them, piano wire at Hobby Lobby, and get an aluminum or stainless tube and the rest of the hardware at your local big box hardware store. '

Whatever you do with the wrapper, be sure to build it so that whatever you use to add/adjust thread tension adds it to the spool. The sewing machine types that add tension to the thread after it leaves the spool are really hard to adjust and not good for much aside from fraying thread. This is another lesson that cost me money to learn.

[Fish_4_Five]

Thanks everyone. This is exactly the information I needed!

[Roger Ross]

I was curious about the MudHole kits, I've been thinking about getting into it for a couple years now, they are having a %15 off sale thru the weekend.

[Bassin Dude 365]

Don't be afraid to reach out to Mudhole, Get - bit, and any others I'm forgetting. In the last couple days between the excellent customer service I've gotten from both of the aforementioned and all the help from folks on this site I feel I'm well on my way to building a great rod.

[Bassin Dude 365]

Also, if possible, practice wrapping some old or broken guides on an old or broken rod just to get practice so when it comes time for the actual build nothing will be unfamiliar.

[BRADVAN]

Reamers are super important. I've made several in different diameters by gluing 40, 60 or 80 grit sandpaper to sections of old broken rods. Cut sandpaper about 3/4 inch wide and spiral around the rod without overlapping. Making your own costs pennies and depending on the quality of the sandpaper used, I can make 3-4 handles per reamer.

[Champ2005]

When I started I built on a kit Mudhole sold. As time went on I discovered many great suppliers out there, with excellent support. I also practiced on old rods that I would redo with new guides. You'll need to practice to develop any level of proficiency, but I found it very rewarding to catch fish on a rod I built! Plus, I get the rod I want, tailored to me and not what a company builds to fit most anglers. It's a creative endeavor as well, as you can choose colors you want, designs that are unique to you, etc... Now I build for others as well and that is rewarding too. One warning I would add is this hobby can be addictive, so keep that in mind. Good luck and happy building to you!

[TrackerPro16]

This sounds like another hobbie I would get addicted too and spend more time messing with instead of fishing...

[texasbassdude]

I bought the below wrapper / dryer kit off eBay. The guy makes them at his house in Wisconsin, and I found it to be a good compromise between designing/building my own and the expensive ones that are sold by places like Mud Hole.

I've really liked it; repaired 5 or 6 rods and am building one now. He even includes some pages on rod building tips that he's found.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rod-Wrapper...8AAOSwsFpaDH9M

[Bassin Dude 365]

I just finished building the rod wrapping station that BRADVAN posted the link to. Super easy and if I can make it right than anyone can.