I’ve been dinking around getting parts for this thing all winter. I finally got the last of them a week ago when I was making a “home” visit to Michigan last week. I wanted this rod for the Fish In and time was starting close in, so I stayed indoors during this beautiful weekend AND our Bass opener (Ontario) so I could get it finished.
Here she is. I call it “River Dance”.
Now I hear those bass calling.
Mato,
I’m getting ready to build a couple of rods for my new wife and I. I like the inlaid JC on your “River Dance” and am curious how you applied them. BTW…nice build. Thanks for sharing.
Good question. It’s also a tough one to get someone to tell you how THEY did it. …at least it was when I was looking for info.
What I did was to take the CP (color preserver) and coat the threads first, then soak the feather with it before laying it in place. After you lay it down, take a small brush and gently move the feather fibers back to a more natural possition. They will have closed up tight like any wet feather. Once it is flat and the way you want it, let it dry. While you are working with it, keep it wet with the CP. I use Flex Coat Color Preserver and Thread Sealer but any water based preserver should do the trick. I thin it out a little with water first.
I would suggest practicing on some old rods first. If you don’t like using CP on your threads, I don’t have any other solutions. I wish I did.
If you don’t want CP on your threads when doing feather inlays, put a thin coat of Flex Coat (Threadmaster is fine also) on the threads first. This gives you the transluscent effect that some people prefer. Then, after that dries, apply the feather inlays as Mato described using CP. The CP will not bother the base layer of Flex Coat. After the feathers have dried, you can seal them in with Flex Coat to the level desired. Remember, multiple coats of thinner materials will give you a better job, even though it will take more time. Touch-up and sanding out imperfections between coats is easier with a lighter coat of thread sealer. Consider using Flex Coat Lo-Build for this application.
Good luck. As Mato said, try this method on an old rod to get it figured out before committing to a new rod. If you know someone who’s into archery, you might be able to get broken graphite arrow shafts to practice on as well.
Joe
Pretty, very pretty. I can only make rods that nice in my dreams.
jed
Joe,
Thanks for the tip. The Gudebrod thread that I have requires CP to keep it from turning dark. I thought that I had seen an article here on FAOL regarding this inlay technique, but I can’t locate it. I would also be interested to know if there are some special tricks or techniques to put on those narrow accent wraps. Is it the same process as the regular wrapping or are they tacked down with super glue on top of the wraps? Thanks in advance.
Mato, Joe and others interested,
I fount the article regarding doing feather inlays that I mentioned to Joe. I had it saved as an Adobe PDF file. If anyone is interested in having it, send me a PM with your e-mail address and I will be happy to forward it to you.
To answer the question about the accent threads…NO I do not use glue to hold them in place. It’s done by trapping the accent thread under the regular wrapping thread…very carefully! LOL. This can get somewhat frustrating if you don’t leave a big enough tag under the main thread. I’ve had the whole wrap done and then had the accent pop out while burnishing the wraps. If you don’t want to use some sort of CP, you’ll more than likely see any of those hidden tags under the main thread so think about that before trying it. It’s also frustrating as he!! when you go to trim them and you accidentally cut something you didn’t want to. PATIENTS is really an asset.
Mato,
The article is on its way to you.
Regards…
Thanks Joel!! It came through with flying feathers. LOL
Just a post script on this rod. Now that I’ve had it out for a while, I’ve been having a heck of a time getting this rod to balance properly. It’s mid line heavy and unless I go up to a 7/8 reel, it doesn’t feel as comfortable as it should. In truth I’m not crazy about the blank…mainly because I got spoiled on the really light blanks such as the GLoomis IMX and the Shikari SHX.
I think I finally have the problem figured out and though it’s probably too late for me to fix it…I would suggest that if you are building one on the SCV 9ft 5pc blanks (I got this off cut blank from H&H) , you seriously think about using a down locking reel seat. That would have made a big difference in the feel of this rod, for me anyway. I tested it by taping the current reel I have for it (Battenkill III Mid Arbor) into a down locking position and it was perfect.
Mato,
I’m sorry to hear that your rod isn’t what you had hoped. It’s a beauty. I just finished the inlays on an 8’6", 4pc., 4 wt. St. Croix Ultra Legend for my fiancee. I used Golden Pheasant and JC. We’re getting married on the 24th of July. She’s anxious to get on the river together with her first custom made rod. A big thanks to you and to Joe for the tips on doing the inlays. Good luck getting the reel seat straightened out, maybe add weight to the butt some how… again, THANK YOU! Best Regards…
Hello Mato Kuwapi, is it too late to remove the plug from the reel seat at which point you could add some metal putty to help balance things out? This isn’t anything new and it works. Just a suggestion !
Cheers,
MontanaMoose
that is a stunningly beautiful rod!
wheni saw it all i could say was wow.
VERY nice job.