I need some guide placement help......

[socalkid]

Hello,

I just started on my newest rod but I'm having some problems with guide placement. Its a 10' 12-30lbs 2-5 oz. casting surf rod. I 'm going to use 12 guides- 1x25, 1x20, 2x16, 2x10, and 4x8. The blank is a surf rocket from mud hole and I put a cork tape grip on it. Any ideas on guide placement for this particular rod?

Thanks,

Chris

[Its A Keeper]

I do not use any standards what so ever...

I put the guides on the rod ensure the line doesnt touch the blank when bent over.

Tape teh guides on were you think they need to be...clamp on a reel, tighten up the drag, pull line through the guides and start torgueing on in...watching the line and how close it gets to the blank.

Move the guides into the correct spots...

Keep this up until you are satisfied.

[sealtaco]

This will get you in the general area. From there adjust.
Rod Guide Spacer Applet

[Zombie]

Bryan's right, he has no standards.

Sometimes, you might have to add that extra guide if you just can't get the layout right. I usually add the smallest size and redo the layout. Sometimes it takes just 5 or 10 minutes but I've had some that took as long as like 3 hours to get the set-up just right. Tweak here, tweak there to where it's acceptable. Play with it a bit, you'll get there. Randy.

[Lend-a-Fish]

....And depending on the thickness of the blank at the tip, i might even leave the #8's off that rod and go down only as small as 10's. But i wouldnt know that until i saw the blank.

[socalkid]

I put the guides on with tape and tested the action. Right at the sparpest angle on the bend the lines about an 1/8" off the blank. Is that ok?

[Zombie]

That's probably fine if the blank has got a good stress on it. What's the distance between the guides at this point and how far down from the tip? Randy.

[Comedie]

1/8"? Well like Randy says, depends how much load you have on there. On that blank, you should ensure that 8 pounds doesn't bottom it out (roughly .25 * high_rating).

What you are looking for is clearance, but also curve uniformity. Easier to see than describe, but basically the line should form a smooth curve just as the blank does. So your point of being closest to the blank would be at the tip, furthest from the blank at the reel, and graduated in between. My ideal anyway. What uniformity of that curve gives you is more even load distribution.

[socalkid]

I think I need more guides. I have 12 right now and it looks like I need 2 more.

[Comedie]

Originally Posted by socalkid

I think I need more guides. I have 12 right now and it looks like I need 2 more.

Because guide layout is so hands on, it is difficult for anyone to assess via the internet. But for you to make that stmt means that you have reasoned out how to do layout via static testing. Good job.
The one additional thing I ensure is that when applying increasing load to the rod, that the guides load sequentially from tip to butt.

[socalkid]

Hello,

I said f@ck doing it old school and did a O'quinn spiral wrap. Its the first spiral I've done so I still need to test cast it. The line transition from guide to guide looks great. If you've never built one you'll be amazed with how simple it really is. The rod feels rock solid under pressure compared to the conventional way and I think I might start doing the rest of the casting rods I want to build this way.

Thanks,

Chris

[Capt. G]

If the rod feels solid/good to you that is all that matters. Satisfaction to the end user is what custom is all about. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I have built and sold over nine thousand "Downwrap" or spiral wrapped rods, so I have went through a lot of "mistake and re-engineer it" . But I think you have the concept down. Like you said, it is simple; most good things are.