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Thread: How long should it take to build a rod?

  1. #1

    Default How long should it take to build a rod?

    Just curious, how many hours should it take to build a fly rod if you start with the blank, reel seat, cork grip and all guides? Figure in using color preserver when finishing the wraps. I've haven't built enough to hazard a guess. Seems like any build I've done has been spread out with days of the rod sitting on the bench with no time to work on it. Just wondering

    Thanks

  2. #2

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    a week would be plenty of time.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
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    Tennessee
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    Lawdog47,

    I have never built one, but, from what I have read on it and listening to others who do build rods, the actual assembling of the rod is not the time consuming factor. Allowing the adhesive and finish coats to set and dry properly does take time. If you hurry either one of these, you will not be happy with the results.
    Warren
    Fly fishing and fly tying are two things that I do, and when I am doing them, they are the only 2 things I think about. They clear my mind.

  4. #4

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    Do you mean wall clock time from the start of building the rod to when you can fish it, or how much time you will need to dedicate to assembling and finishing the rod?

    I have built several rods and find that I need to dedicate about 6-8 hours of time to the task. About half to two-thirds of that time is wrapping the guides. I do two coats of finish and count on an hour for each one, including the set up and clean up time. The rest of the time is for prepping and gluing on the grip and reel seat. The adhesives for the grip and reel seat should set in 2 hours or so, so that should not add much to the overall elapsed time. You need to let the first coat of finish set for 12-24 hours before applying the second coat, so there is some dead time there. You also should wait at least 48 hours for the last coat to set before using the rod. If you add up all that time, 4 days is about the minimum time to fish a rod after starting to build it, most of that time waiting for the finish to set.

    Ted

  5. #5
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    Aug 2003
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    Fort Wayne, Indiana
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    Takes me from 90 to 100 hours to make a rod. However, I make everything except the guides and sometimes I make them. This does not include drying time for glue and finish.

    Bamboo is king for eating up a lot of time.

    Jerry

  6. #6
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    Default

    My initial thought was, "Until you're finished". Time will vary from the wrapping, to the unwrapping, to the re wrapping, to the epoxy, to the removal of the epoxy, to the unwrapping of the guides, and the rewrapping, to re epoxy, to sticking your finger in the almost dry epoxy to see if it's dry, to the re epoxy .... well, you get the idea. However long it takes ... remember, have fun, and enjoy the learning process (yes, I'm still learning after 14 years of builds and how many dozen rods). It's not rocket science, nor is it a race.
    Last edited by Betty Hiner; 10-11-2014 at 03:12 PM.
    Trouts don't live in ugly places.

    A friend is not who knows you the longest, but the one who came and never left your side.

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  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
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    There are a lot of variables concerning this question.
    Grip: Custom turned= glue up, shaping, inletting, sizing to blank
    Reel seat: turning and finishing of insert if skeleton style
    Guides: prep if necessary
    Assembly: Final fitting and glue up
    Rod: Initial spacing and stress testing of guide layout
    Wraps: Complexity of the wrap to be be used
    Finish: CP applied ? Finish applied and # of coats used
    All the above plus the allotted drying time have to be taken into consideration.
    Also as Betty stated, this does not take into account any necessary re-do's on the possibility of any of the unsatisfactory steps above.

  8. #8
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    May 2001
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    my best time was 3 days.
    started monday morning with gluing the grip and reel seat. while that was drying I wrapped the tip section. Break for lunch. wrapped the butt. applied CP. later in the evening applied second coat of cp. next morning before work did 1 coat of perma gloss. second coat of perma gloss after work. third coat next morning. after work sewed up the bag and ready to go.
    granted i used a preformed grip on that one and there were no trim wraps.
    The only things we permanently keep, are those we give away-Waite Philips

  9. #9
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    And more and more, I'm seeing no CP used - controversial subject. Did that on my last one and liked it fine. That really speeds up the process. Assemble, glue, wrap, finish.

  10. #10

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    I take my time taking at least 2 weeks to complete the rod I build. I'd rather wait for a good quality rod that I build than to hurry it and have a messy looking rod that does not perform the way I want it to. As I used to do when working as a carpenter: measure twice, cut long, and question yourself as to whether it is done right or fast, erring on the side of done right.

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