About to begin first build

[Fish_4_Five]

Ok I'm about ready to order my first rod to build for my father in law. Going to be a December gift so I have time to do this right. Going to me a light crank rod. Thinking of getting the North fork sm-cb-661-1. Specs say tip is 4.3. So when ordering the tip I can't tell what to choose. Can someone break down the pic and inform me which number to look for? Also I don't see anywhere for the number of guides and spacing. Is there a formula? Also everyone has butt dia listed so how do you know what size handle, seat, and fore grip to order?

[willwork4fish]

There is no tube size 4.3, there's 04/64ths and there's 04.5/64ths. The first number for the tip is the ring size and the second is the tube size so a 06 (04.5) has a 6mm ring and a 04.5/64ths or 1.8mm tube.

Probably one of the best things you can get for building is just a cheapy caliper (like $10-15) from Home Depot or Harbor Freight. They're accurate enough to use to measure the blank OD and such.

Watch some Youtube vids on rod building and such, there's a lot of different ways to do things.

What you're basically asking here is "I want to build a rod but what do I order and how do I do it". That'd be a pretty long explanation with a lot of different factors.

[Bassbme]

For tube size for the tip top I'd order a 4 and a 4.5. The 4 may fit, but if not you have the 4.5. Tip tops aren't crazy expensive and in my book it's better to have both sizes, rather than have to order a different one and wait on it. As far as your picture goes, the number on the left is the ring size, the number on the right is the tube size. The tube size is what you're matching to the size of the blank's tip. Also, tip tops are given in 64ths of an inch. Ring sizes in mm. And the size of a guide is the OD of the ceramic ring, not the ID.

As for guide spacing, there may be a "recipe" (a blank spacing chart) for the blank you order, but I personally wouldn't bother with trying to find one. Guide spacing is not hard to do. You are going to most likely set your butt guide anywhere from 19 - 21" from the face of the pawl guide on the reel. After that you're going to want to use static load to place the remaining guides. I'd suggest going to Rodbuilding.org and look at their library, they have an article on static load guide placement. I do it a little differently than their article explains, but it isn't hard. Just join the site and you can do searches for threads that mention static load guide placement. It's also hands down the best place on the web for asking questions about rod building. It has a great bunch of members that are more than willing to help.

Handles and fore grips you ream to fit, so just order ones that have a smaller ID than the OD of the butt and the OD of the blank where the fore grip will be positioned. As for reel seats ... the type of reel seat you choose is going to determine if you need to order it to fit the blank, or if you need to arbor it to fit the blank.

Definitely join Rodbuilding.org ..... it will make the process of doing your first build much much easier.

My one suggestion on doing the build is ........ don't be in a hurry to get it done .... be in a hurry to get it done right. Let it take you as long as you need take to do it right. And be prepared to make some mistakes .... we all do and have.

[VanderLaan]

Have you been to Angler's Workshop? They are on North Street, just east of Charlie Parker's. Stop by with your blank and have them set you up. Good crew working there.

[Fish_4_Five]

Have you been to Angler's Workshop? They are on North Street, just east of Charlie Parker's. Stop by with your blank and have them set you up. Good crew working there.

That's funny. I was just there this morning picking up some items and didn't even think of doing that. lol

[VanderLaan]

FYI - AW is having a rod building open house/workshop this coming Saturday and Sunday.