To Build or Buy

[kayakbuilder]

What are the general costs involved with 1st time building a rod or two vs. buying new?
Who's how-to video is good?
Craig

[jeffzou]

You lose big time if you are building one or two rods. Plan on doing many and you might do OK.

For a first rod you'll need to buy threads, adhesives, some ridumentary tools, etc...You don't really need a wrapping machine cause you can simple make a cardboard box and wrap everything without power the first time. Drying the rod will be problematic however without some sort of rotating dryer...got a rotisserrie on your BBQ?

Anyway, Ken Preston makes a pretty good DVD to cover the basics. The actual build is not hard to understand - the crafting and customizing that you can learn is what will take time and money from you.

Anyway, one or two rods --- you lose.

My 2 cents.

Jeff

Originally Posted by kayakbuilder

What are the general costs involved with 1st time building a rod or two vs. buying new?
How's how-to video is good?
Craig

[CALCOfshr]

While I somewhat agree with Jeff's response,overall you can do ok.
The basics,you can learn o/l or save money renting a DVD or video. There are infrequent get-togethers posted here and on the ST board where you will find some others doing what you are attempting.Building a "first" rod. You can pool money for epoxy,finish,and thread with the others. I understand these get-togethers are alot of fun and a great way to make new friends and contacts for fishin too. As for finishing a rod you wrapped,you could check arould your local tackle shops that do rodbuilding and they may coat the wraps for a reasonable fee.
Start simple and you will do ok. At the worst,you may decide its not for you.
Good luck and best wishes,
Chuck

[kayakbuilder]

Yes, after Goggling "rod building" the first half dozen sites give me a general feel for the tools, material cost involved. I'm familiar with the rod building party's in SD area. I'll keep them in mind too.
Thanks for your advice!
Craig

[bigjake]

blank- 60$
guides- 25$
flex coat- 15$
thread (one color)- 6.49$
cork tape- 12$
butt caps- 5$
hot glue- 3.10$
losing your eye sight, while getting arthritis form turing the rod on 2 boxes with v's cut into it and catching fish on a rod you built- Pricless

not to bad huh

o and Doc's video is good

[ACIronMike]

KB

Heres the thing. Rod building for the occasional rod builder (like me) is a rewarding hobby. Like most hobbies, its about the the fun of doing it. Most importantly, its about the fun cathcing a fish on a rod YOU BUILT! It enhances the experience.

I have been building rods for about 5 years. I built my own rod building maching for a sewing machine motor and flywheels. Nothing fancy, but it works. When I first started, my wrapping was SLOW. Lots of mistakes and do-overs. Now I can build a rod start-to-fisning is a few days (10 hrs) where it used to take me a few weeks (40 hrs). Once you get your speed up and you technciques down, it progressively becomes a more fun hobby as you learn to do more things like diamond wraps, etc. The first few rods you build are usually quite frustrating.

Now as for the money part. It is cheaper to just buy a rod when you consider your time involved. But it is better catch a fish with a rod you built, with your colors, your blank choice, your guide choice, your name on it, knowing where all you mistakes are under the epoxy!

Good luck.

IM