single foot guides

[Plain Old Jim]

If you read Al Campbell's rod building series I think he explains completely a technique to use with very cheap elastic thread. I think one could use the very small nylon tyraps also....but I haven't tried it yet. I haven't done one yet...but I am going to wrap something above the guide to keep it from sliding up as I tie it down.

Gem

[RCaillouet3]

Rick,

I had an old friend give me some advise on lining up rod guides.

First, mark the spline as you normally would. BUT use some masking, or other form of visible tape, mark the spline next to all ferrules so that when all of the sections are put together, you can see where the spline is for ALL sections (this includes making a marking on the butt section above the grip area.)

Once you have glued on the reel seat and grip, you should have some tape above the grip, below AND above all ferrules, and just below where the tip top sits. Now is the time to mount the tip top. Mount in in line with your markings for the spline of the blank, or where you want your guides to sit.

Take the tip section off the rest of the blank. Tie a section of 4X tippet material to the DEAD TOP section of the tip top. You want this line to mark the dead center of the tip top and the blank where you want your guides to be aligned with. You want your tippet material to be as long as the rod!!!!! This is important as you don't want to have to add line to it later on!

Now slide on your SF guides in the roder you want them on the rod from the tip back to the last guide on the tip section.

Carefully pull the tippet to until it straightens, then tape the line EXACTLY On the spot that you have marked at the bottom end of the tip section. Do NOT pull hard enough to make the tip bend!! All you are going to use the tippet for is to have a guide to seeting your rod guides straight! Simply place the first guide in the spot that you should have marked for the guide spacing you planned on using.

This is the fun part. Using the tippet as a guide for your rod guide, make sure that the tippet passes through the EXACT center of your guide and the blank WITH NO PRESSURE ON THE TIPPET!. I tend to double check and make sure that everything (tippet to tip top and spline marking, tippet straightness, AND making sure the tippet goes through the middle of my guide.) I then use my fly tying bodkin, and place the SMALLEST drop of CA type glue (Zap A Gap type glue) to tack the guide to the rod.

Then move onto the next guide and repeat process. If all goes right, you should have all of your guides in an exact line going the way you want and the spacing right for your rod. Using this method I take out the chance of "guide walk" tendency on rods. To finish the rod, re-attach the tip top to the next section of rod, remove the second section AND tip section, remove tape from bottom of tip section, place more guides on the tippet, tape the tippet to marking on bottom of second section, and continue as before! Just make sure that the tippet does stay going directly over the marking on the bottom of the tip section.

I use a VERY small amount of CA just so that it sets the guide in place long enough for me to get all of the guides on the blank. After I have all of the rod guides exactly where I want them, I check everything by sighting down the rod like we all do. I then go back and place a little larger drop of CA to on each guide so that I know they won't fall off during wrapping.

I have not had a problem with this trick, and I find it takes some of the worries out of making sure to get the guides in a straight line. It also gives you an idea of how the line will run through your guides! Sometimes, I even put a reel on and GENTLY pull my fly line though the guides to make sure it all looks right before wrapping them.

Well, I hope that this hasn't been to boring. I hope it helps.


Sincerly,
Reg

[This message has been edited by RCaillouet3 (edited 12 February 2006).]

[This message has been edited by RCaillouet3 (edited 12 February 2006).]

[Rick Z]

Got all of the line guides on now.

Will need to put the tip on and the hook holder after I get the reel seat set.

Thanks for all of the help.

Rick