hey guys/gals,
i built a rod tube today. 
it was pretty easy i just hadnt set aside time for it yet.
well it was dirt cheap really, all i had to purchase was the caps and sand paper. a total of all of 5.00 :lol:
i already had the spray paint, and the pvc piping.
i painted it a nice satin green finish, with two coats.
hope ya like it.
any questions about how i built it just ask 
and yes, i am wearing a pink striped polo in one of the photos :lol: :lol:
More details. I take it you roughed up tube first? The paint you used was it for plastic? Looks good, I got some plain Jane tubes Id like to dress up
i epoxied the bottom cap in, and the top cap has holes in it so that the tube does not get airlock.i did this in my shed/workshop.
ok,
step 1: rough up the whole tube with 150 grit sandpaper.
step2:make sure there is no sandpaper dust left on the tube
step3:drill some holes in the cap.
step4:get some heavy duty wire(enough to support the tube weight) and put through hole and kind of bend it up on the other side so that it will not slip off
step5: hang the tube up in your garage or tree whatever you have. by wrapping the wire around a nail.
the tube is now freefloating.
i put a piece of tape over the cap so that spraypaint doesnt get all over the cap.
step6:now give the whole thing a coat of spraypaint.( i used rust-oleum american accents hobby enamel in green.)
step7: let this dry for one hour.
step8:then give the tube a second coat of spraypaint.
step9: let this dry for around a hour or 2
step10: take down your newly painted tube, take off your tape, and admire your work.
step11: put some vaseline on the gasket of the cap that you remove so that it comes off easily, and you dont have to use a gorilla grip.
hope it helps you!
while i have made tubes from schedule 40 PVC, they can be pretty heavy but are virtually indestructable. I will not hesitate using these tubes made of this material to protect rods when shipping, especially bamboo rods.
Hey Chris,
Would you say more about the end caps? Are they PVC as well? And can I get them at Home Depot, etc.?
Thanks
Craig
Nice job Chris. I made similar tubes back in June for a couple of rods, but made them a bit more secure with a PVC cleanout & threaded plug from Home Depot (also available at any plumbing or hardware store). I get a bit concerned about caps that can come loose while bouncing around in a vehicle, so the threaded plug resolves that issue for me. Also, there is a thinner tubing available from plumbing supply houses called SDR26. It uses the same schedule 40 fittings, but reduces the overall weight of the tube. Here’s the link to that thread which might be of interest to you. Also shown is a picture of the paint made specifically for PVC.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=18913
Joe
and yes, i am wearing a pink striped polo in one of the photos
Hey, REAL men wear pink!
Nice tube. I’m curious about the dimensions. How long it is, what size PVC, and most importantly, how much does it weigh?
Joe, I remember yours, and had the same thoughts about the threaded caps. Thanks for sharing guys!
and yes, i am wearing a pink striped polo in one of the photos
Not that there’s anything wrong with that. :lol:
thanx for the comments guys.
The permanent bottom cap is called a test cap. it fits flush to the hole and you knock it in with a mallet.( i also epoxied that to make sure)
the cap on top is just your average pipe cap from the hardware store. it is made from ABS plastic.
i got everything i needed for it at the hardware store(OSH) but home depot has all of this as well.
about the length,diameter, and weight:
LENGTH: varies greatly depending on what rod your building it for.
this one is about 1 inch over 4 feet long. im putting a 2 piece 8foot fiberglass rod into this one.
DIAMETER:1 1/2" pvc schedule 40
WEIGHT: 2pounds 6 ounces with no rod in it.and2 pounds ounces(glass rod included.
thats pretty heavy. but it will work for me because all it has to do it lay around in my room or go into the car to go fishing! but i couldnt find the same tubing joe valencic is talking about, i looked but to no avail.
joe,
i saw those threaded caps but though they were a little overkill for what this tube will be doing. and yes i did read that thread a while back, nice job!