Need Help Spining A Rod Blank

[okieflyfisheman]

I'm building my first rod and need a little help spining the rod blank. I am building a 7'9" 3Wt H&H. When I place the butt of a section on a table and roll it to determine the point that it gets stiffest then soft I am assuming that the spine will be facing the table at this point. Is this correct? Also I cannot feel this point on the butt section, possibly because of its stiffness overall and the section being only approx. 24" long. Here I am assuming that if I can't feel where the spine is on this section that possibly it won't be overly important in the final performance of the rod. Is this correct? And finally on a 3 wt do i want to install the guides on the spine (stiff side) or the soft side (180 deg. opposite the spine? I figure that installed on the spine the rod may cast a little better but be softer fighting a fish with the reverse true if guides are placed opposite the spine. Which is preferrable in your opinion on a light rod? Any help from my friends will be greatly appreciated.

[TampaJim]

Rod spine is an old myth that just won't die. There are many issues ... #1) the primary and secondary spines are most assuredly NOT 180 degrees apart, if they even exist; 2) even if one or two spines existed, and they are pronounced enough to determine, it won't be a factor during a cast or fight; 3) no matter what, you will have a better rod if you build it on the straightest axis, this IS a fact.

So ... build it on the straightest axis ... I like the curvature, if there is one, to be UP.

TJ -

[ducksterman]

TJ...please define ..."the straightest axis ".

[TampaJim]

Hold blank up horizontally in front of your face, kinda right between the eyes ... look down it and slowly rotate it looking for the "straightest" line - where the curvature, if any, is upward - not turning left or right ... obviously, if at some point it did curve to the left or right ... get that curve pointed upward and not downward.

TJ -

P.S. You will be doing this section by section, until fully assembled.

[ducksterman]

Thx

[Joe Valencic]

I'm with Tampa Jim on the straight axis with the curvature up. I built my last two rods using this method and they both cast straight and true without any sections "twisting" out of position when a fish is on. I have one rod I built and spined the "old fashion way" and the top section always twists to the left after catching a few fish. When I sight down the rod along the spine, the tip is curved to the right even though the spine is true. It will find it's own straightness after a few fish each and every time.

Joe

[Jerry]

I'm with the group on this one. I've spined rods wrapping the on the spine, off the spine and paying no attention to the spine whatsoever and could tell absolutely no difference in the way they cast.
Most rod manufacturers wrap um for straight because they want um to look good on the rack.

[ducksterman]

I'm not a rod maker but I find these discussions of a spine in fly rods to be interesting in that I am a believer in what used to be called spining of golf shafts and now has advanced to checking for the overall principle plane of oscillation of a golf shaft...more complicated than just the "spine" but is a result of finding the most stable orientation of the shaft...especially graphite....using computers and oscilloscopes.

You can't make me believe there isn't such a plane in fly rods but having said that it may well be not that important in casting a fly line...also not worth the time ,energy, and money but it also could be if the technology was applied it might be that some few folks could appreciate the "sweet casting" it might provide .

[dleo6446]

I certainly entertain the same thoughts as Tampa Jim. At the same time, there used to be a time when spining a blank was a necessity, but fortunately, technology changes and the result is a "better mouse trap". Todays technology and advances in rod "making" have moved beyond the need for spining.

[Rev Craig]

To be clear here, should the guides then be placed on the side of the blank that curves upwards?

Craig