Started my first rod

[Bucky]

I was on here about 9 months ago asking advice on how to get started on building my first graphite rod. Well, I got really busy with work, moving, and then starting a new job, but now, I have the parts and have begun building my rod. I am using 9ft 8wt TFO TiCrX blanks to make a rod suitable for steelhead and salmon fishing. I am trying to shape my own handle and glued together the cork rings yesterday. We'll see how the shaping goes today. I'll try to post pictures when I finish the rod.

[Betty Hiner]

I like that the project is underway ... like the idea of posting pictures when completed ...BUT ... for yourself, take pictures of each step of the build! You can look back and enjoy the process after it's completed! If you have questions along the way, please ask! Have fun!!

[hardhat]

Best of luck,
Looking forward to watching your project progress. Doing the dilegence like you did before hand, should help you if there are any bumps in the road.

[Bucky]

Just put the final coat of thread finish on yesterday, and I am really pleased with the way this rod turned out. There's definitely a few things I can improve on for my next rod, but on the whole I am very happy with my first rod and had a blast building it. Now I just have to get out there and catch some fish with it.

TFO TiCrx 9'0" 8wt

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[Midwest Custom Fly Rods]

Nothing wrong with that Bucky it looks good. Nice job on the first of most likely many! lol

Steve

[Goduster]

Looks like a pretty fine build, never know it was your first. Keep up the good work.

[NCVirginian]

I love the handle. How was it putting it together and where did you buy your cork?

[kbproctor]

Looks very good to me!

[Bucky]

Thanks! The handle wasn't too bad to put together (although getting the right shape was a little difficult). I got all of my cork rings from mudhole. They have a good variety of colors. I just placed the rings in order on a threaded 1/4" rod, used wood glue to attach them to each other, and pressed them together with wingnuts and washers. Then I placed the set-glued rings on a 1/4" un-threaded rod, placed this in a power drill, and used this to sand into shape.

[NCVirginian]

Thanks! The handle wasn't too bad to put together (although getting the right shape was a little difficult). I got all of my cork rings from mudhole. They have a good variety of colors. I just placed the rings in order on a threaded 1/4" rod, used wood glue to attach them to each other, and pressed them together with wingnuts and washers. Then I placed the set-glued rings on a 1/4" un-threaded rod, placed this in a power drill, and used this to sand into shape.

It looks really nice. I got an e-mail from Mudhole this morning advertising their new verigated cork rings. I think I'm going to get a rod under my belt before I try to piece together a handle like the one you did, although you've only made the rod building bug burrow deeper in my brain now.