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Thanks Joe! Do you know if the others that participated in the boo buy would have some project rods that they might want to sell to the rod swap participants? I would like to give people a variety of options for projects, either ones that they find themselves (which is always fun), or ones that they can easily obtain via this forum. Who else participated in your purchase?
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Now HERE's a great candidate for a restoration rod swap! It is a Horrocks Ibbitson 9' 3 piece with extra tip, all sections the same length, good ferrules, lousy guides, needs cork and, (now don't get wrappers shock) 295 total intermediate wraps!!!! Whoa!!!
Folks this is the kind of restoration project that will have you climbing the walls!! The intermediates alternate between green and red. the 2 tips alone have 176 intermediates on it.
(a real rod that I have, but just a joke about using it as a candidate....this many intermediates will turn you completely against restoring a boo fly rod) I will take some pictures of this old rod and post them later...you will really enjoy looking at it.)
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rod swap
:roll: Leo aint kiddin! I refinished an old Chubb with a ton of intermediates. Its a pain but Im nuts cause Im doin an old Monty that has a fair amount of them. If ya got patience there not too bad
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CLYDE! :D You're just the sort of chap we're lookin for! Grab a rod and hop in here. We've got a great group together so far and we are about to get this shin-dig up and running. Would love to have you in the pool! Give it some thought.
Everyone else: Unfortunately, the fella I was trying to hook up with was not able to do it this weekend. And fortunately/unfortunately, a friend of mine just twisted my arm into buying a pretty nice 8.5' Heddon boo rod that needs some work (replacing the ferrules and some wraps). Should be a sweet rod when I am done, but it set me back $200 that quite honestly, I do not really have right now with the holidays approaching (can't tell you how thrilled the wife was I told her I bought another rod :cry: :x :evil: ). Anyway, I would like to get this thing started, and with the holidays and all I am not sure I am going to get a chance to get out to this fella?s place on a weekend anytime the rest of this month. So I'm afraid everyone is sort of on their own to get their own project rods, unless someone would like to take a crack at one of the two project rods I currently have.
The first is a 4 piece, 9? Heddon #10 Bluewater 2-1/2F (bass taper) rod for HCH or D (7 or 6 wt). All the sections are straight, and the ferrules are in good shape. Comes with original bag and metal tube (no cap). This rod was in excellent shape, until a mouse decided to make his home in the tube and pee all over the rod! :evil: The butt section is okay, but the previous owner started rewrapping it for some reason. But the mouse pee destroyed the finish on much of the mid and tips along with most of the guides (stainless steel doesn?t hold up at all to mouse pee). The mid is still solid, but the tips have both become delaminated in the areas that were most affected. Great rod that would be a lot of fun to redo and a great learning experience. I think I paid plenty for it given the condition ($150). Restored, Banjo?s site has the rod listed as worth $200. Would be willing to sell it for $125.
The other rod is the one that I described above. It is not a labeled as a Heddon rod, but is very obvious that it was a rod built by Heddon for another company. Says #110 ? ?Sydenham? on it. Not sure who originally sold the rod, but with some detective work, I am sure this can be determined. I am guessing that means it is the same as a Heddon #10. It has the exact same wraps and hardware as the other #10 I described above, although the ferrules appear smaller. The finish is in good shape, and the hardware is all present and in good shape, except for the ferrules. They all bump and are in need of replacement. So not as much work, but still a good learning experience. Comes with a sock and tube, which I believe to be original, but not certain. Banjo?s site has the 8.5? Heddon #10 listed for $200-$250 depending on the ferrule size, so once again, I probably paid plenty for it given that it needs some work. If someone in the swap wants to take a try at it, I would try to recoup some money. Say $150.
If no one wants to take a crack at either rod, I will redo the 9? rod for the swap and restore the 8.5? rod probably to keep for myself. If the 9? goes, I might do the 8.5? for the swap and include a bunch of research, or I might leave it and try to find something else a little more challenging. We?ll see.
Otherwise, let?s start looking for rods and getting going. If anyone knows of someone else who would like to participate, please encourage them to commit by the end of this week. Let?s try to maintain most of the swap communications here on the forum, especially those communications related to techniques and methods. Those posts are valuable information that can be of benefit to us all, and at the end of the swap I will print off all the posts and include them as an appendix to the compiled stories.
Again, rods are due April 30. So let?s break out the old sticks and have some fun! Thanks for participating with this. It should be a blast!
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rod swap
Jim, Thanks for the vote of confidence, but at the moment I believe I will have to defer. I dont feel Im that good yet and I wouldnt want someone to feel they got the short end. This old Monty is the third full on refinish Ive done. Depending on how it turns out I will be up for the next one. Regards-Clyde
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No problem Clyde, but please do not feel as though you don't have enough experience for this. If you have done three rods that is one more than I have done, and three more than some people in the swap have done. And don't worry about the quality, there is plenty of help here on the board to be shared, this is all about refining and improving techniques and getting people into a great past-time. I have been able to pick up a lot of great tips here and elsewhere, and as I am wrapping up my second refinish job, I can already see that this second rod is going to turn out A LOT better than my first rod. My first job looks pathetic next to this second one, and I am more than willing to share what things helped make it turn out so much better. So are others. And Monty's, Shakespeares, and South Bends are just the kind of rods we are looking for. Those Monty's have plenty of fish left in them, and deserve to be refinished and taken back out. Some of the rods in the swap may be worth a little more money, but that is entirely up to those that are doing the project. I am choosing to do a Heddon (closer to the upper $ limit of the swap), just because that is what is I have been able to find recently, and they present an interesting challenge to me. Had we done this swap a few months ago, I would have submitted a South Bend 59-9 that I am currently finishing. I paid $50 for it, and at best, it would probably be worth around $150 restored. The biggest thing is that we all pick a project that is a fun project for us and that we learn something and our techniques improve.
Having said all that, please don't feel as though I am trying to twist your arm specifically with this post. If it doesn't work out time wise, etc. for you to participate, no problem. But I think others may have similar concerns as you do, and so I wanted to address them and hopefully put other peoples minds at ease a little. ANY AND EVERY EXPERIENCE LEVEL IS WELCOME!! 8)
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I see this as a tremendous opportunity to learn and to share, much more so than seeing who can do the best job. I have been doing this a long time and I learn something new about it all the time, and think that I will for as long as I work on rods. I hope you do join in this Clyde but I understand if you don't. We could have some fun with it and actually could build a nice chron of some of the processes and techniques used that could enhance everyone's knowledge and would fit right into the FAOL Archives as an information source.
Just a thought...
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rod swap
Jim, If ya want more Ill jump. The Monty is stripped and has one coat of varnish. Needs one more and then the wrapping. This will not be original. Im tired of red and green wraps :lol: Do you want us too provide as we go pictures? Ive got some begining and then the strip. Leo I hope I can do better than the Chubb. Not gonna try and wrap up on ferrule :( Regards-Clyde
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Hey that's great Clyde. Sorry if you feel "pressed", but I just didn't want you or anyone to feel as though they weren't experienced enough to do this, or couldn't afford a rod worthy of swaping. Any rod within the description set forth in the rules at the beginning of the post is welcome and desired as is anyone eager to do a project rod and ready to have fun with it.
Yes, try to get photos throughout the process that show techniques or progress along the way. Don't forget to log in the rod, and maybe even trace it to a long sheet of wax paper hopefully before you start, to describe the initial condition and locations and numbers of wraps. Not quite as important if you are completely changing things, but still handy information to have for reference in the future. When it is stripped, you also might want to measure the rod diameter every five inches from tip to winding check to record the taper. Just good info to have stored away. If anyone has never done this before, just post a comment and we can send out some of the log forms that some of us have made. I put together a log-in spreadsheet for Excel that has most everything in it (that I could think of at least) and also graphs your taper.
Again, try to post lots of questions so that we can get a good discussion going. If the threads get too long, we can always start another string, but at least it is available for all to share. Perhaps the first of next week we can start posting photos and info of general equipment used in refinishing. Also think about picking up Mike Sinclair's Bamboo Rod Restoration Handbook that is just getting reprinted (highly recommended) or checking it Stuart Kirkfield's "The Fine Bamboo Fly Rod" out from your local library (you can buy this on Ebay, but they are spendy). They are both very helpful.
Man! Nine guys, that's cool! We'll take more if anyone wants to jump in, but if you can, please try to commit soon. Perhaps at the end of the week we can start a list of each person and the rod project that they are planning on using. If you don't have a rod picked out by then, don't sweat it, there is still time, but at least we will know who needs a rod and what type of projects they would like to do. Then all of us can keep our eyes out for something.
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Jim, Im part way there already. Before I stripped old wraps off, I measured them out and have them all recorded. This is a really old Monty. May have some Chubb in it also. The only reason I know its a Monty is the Montague name stamped on reel seat. Its a metal slide band and Im pretty sure the grip is sheet cork. Very slight swell in butt. Been having puter problems, but will try and get some pics posted. You didnt twist my arm too hard :lol: Been debating this and now that Ive jumped Im gettin wound up. Will also try and take pics of thread Im going with. As I said before, Im redoing her to fish not restore. Joe has seen the thread and Ill have to get together with him too mic it. Later-Clyde