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IM6 9' 5wt 7pc fly blanks...

3K views 8 replies 4 participants last post by  BobK 
#1 ·
... on ebay for $55; 43-million mod graphite, medium-fast action, matte-gray, 17" sections. I figured that for that price, I'd try one out; the guy's got 12 left at the moment. Looks like the Cabela's FT blanks, which I believe are PB. Been looking for a 5-wt. rod to build, this is it, now just need to order the rest of the components.
 
#2 ·
Just received the blank... more like a 6-wt. Butt diameter is about 0.410", very fast action , but one thing scares me as I look at it... 7 pieces! Does anyone have any comments on whether or not rods with this many pieces are more prone to breakage? A little sheet that came enclosed with the blank says to wrap the ferrules at least 1.5" up from the female section... that seems excessive to me. I've built three- and four-piece rods in the past and have never wrapped that section more than 1" (sometimes 0.75", as a matter of fact). The thing that concerns me is the added weight of all of the extra wrapping and finish, considering there are 6 ferrules to wrap. The blank weighs a mere 1.56 ounces (weighed on a lab scale), so I'd like to keep it as light as possible. Anyone care to share an opinion on this? TIA...
 
#5 ·
The rod is finished; wrapped it yesterday and starting putting the Perma-Gloss on last night, finished it today. Some thoughts...

I used a carbon-fiber-insert reel seat, but wanted it recessed. Since no one seems to be able to get the new Pac Bay model in, I had a guy at the local fly shop lathe a full-wells out for me, and I was able to use a standard flush-mount seat. Looks nice, and is unique.

Opted for the new REC nickel titanium single-foot snake guides on this one. They were about $0.30 more expensive than the TiCH guides per each, but I have seen them on a couple of rods and liked the idea of their being practically indestructible. My complaint is that the actual foot of the guide (where the wire is fused to itself) was "off" on a couple of them, which makes the guide lean to one side when mounted. Next time: back to TiCH; I've never had that problem with them before, they're cheaper (if only by $3 for the whole set), and I'm careful enough with my tackle that guide-breakage isn't much of an issue... yet... we'll see how this rod does on the 'yak, I may change my mind. ;)

Back to 2-part finishes on the rest of my rods; they seem to dry more quickly, give off less fumes (so far as I can tell, but I may have suffered mild brain damage from using the Perma-Gloss, so I can't really say with any certainty :eyecrazy: :whoa: ), and build up a nice glossy coat with two or three applications max., whereas I had to do 5 and in some cases 6 to get the same result with PG. The finish is nice, but the excessive fumes combined with the number of coats required has made up my mind for me: next time it's FlexCoat Light.

Although this rod is fast and light, and I think it will be a great casting stick, I've found that 7-pieces is too much to build and will probably stick with 4-piece and under from now on.

So overall, the rod cost me around $125 to build... not too shabby. I think the next rod will be a 10' 8-wt. for the yak.
 
#6 ·
it".. 7 pieces! Does anyone have any comments on whether or not rods with this many pieces are more prone to breakage?"

I don't believe that a large number of pieces in and of
itself is a problem. I've had three 6-pc rods and none
broke at a ferrule. I just ordered the penultimate multi-
multi-piece: an LL Bean 9 pc.
 
#7 ·
I agree, Greg -

Multi-piece "travel" rods are very common now - they seem to have the technology down well. And they are durable. I would have no reservations on one - and I love the convenience (and action) of my traveler.
But I DO have one question - How in hell do you find the "spine" in 'em - one piece at a time?????:hehe:

BobK
 
#8 ·
Bob, I actually rolled each piece (17" long) on a flat surface and found the "lump", which I took to be the spine, then checked this against the normal "spine test" for the thinner diameter sections and found it to be close enough. For fatter butt sections, particularly on a fast-action blank in which nearly all of the flexing occurs in the upper 1/3 of the rod, I don't think that spining the lower sections is as critical; they're not really bending at all, so what does it matter? The tip sections, on the other hand, require the same accuracy with spining that any other rod would. I don't know, maybe I've got it wrong, but it seems to make sense. :confused:
 
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