Nice job on the Poor Mans Quad Brad. After making a bunch of hex Boos I had cast a True Quad built by Bob Nunley while attending a Fish In out in NY. Must have been in 2000? Anyhow I was impressed with his lil 6’Quad!
I just had to build myself one. Some how or another I got side tracked into building a couple PMQs. These rods were not all that difficult for me because I have the full blown shop with all kinds of very good equipment.
The PMQ is just two strips glued together. I opted to make myself a slave jig to hold a strip and run thru my thickness planer. I split out my strips in the normal manner that I had always used for hexes. I do not like to flame, prefer to heat treat and temper in the furnace I built especially for doing boo rods. This way I can leave them natural as I do not care for the flamed look. With my furnace I can control the exact temp and the results are very good. I found that there was a bit more work to finish plane the strips, but with very sharp, good planes it worked well.
At last I realized I had to make myself a few true Quads. I have a book written by Ray Gould, “Cane Rods tips & tapers. In this book are tons of different tapers and a chapter on how to build your own quad planning form and how to build the Quad.
A quad is 4 strips of bamboo, enamel side out, exactly the same. If properly made you will have a perfect square when completed, not a rectangle. The quad is more difficult to make because you must have a form similar to the one you use for hexes. The difference is you need a right and a left hand taper groove. Ray’s chapter in his book has measurements and very good photos of how you can make your own Quad forms. He uses Maple and polyethylene. I gathered my materials and built my own forms and they are lasting quite well and do work. He also showed how to make a roughing form. I went with making myself a power planner, using a 45 degree router bit. This gives me a strip with no taper. Then I go to the double planning form for whatever taper I am building. Really quite simple.
My first quad was Driggs River special, 5 wt, 7’1 with a bamboo ferrule. I did not like the feel of the bamboo ferrule when casting so removed it and made my own NS Quad ferrule. ( I have a lot of experience in Jewelry making so was not too difficult.) One can buy a non-serrated ferrule and make your own 4 serrations to fit a Quad.
I am presently making myself a Quad based on a Don Anderson 5 wt, 7’9”. I did the math conversion myself. This is one of my favorite bamboos and the first one I made myself years ago in a hex. Love it.
I obtained my Ray Gould book from Frank Amato Publications. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in DIY Bamboo.
I enjoy making all of my own equipment almost as much as my making my own rods. I find it relaxing and makes my inner self feel better than just assembling some other guy’s blank. True Rod Making.
Denny
Glue I use: Epon 826 Resin, Versamid 140 Hardner. I help it kick off by using the Manuf recomendation of placing in my furnace for 4 hours @ 180 degrees. This is the glue most Pro Bow makers use on custom bows and by many Pro rod makers.
I have used other off the shelf glues but always go back to what I know will not delam. It is tops in my mind.