Watched the video several times. What I’m getting is 1)spine the blank 2) apply tip top 3) apply reel seat and handle 4) apply guides. Is this how you guys do it?? My biggest concern is getting tip top, reel seat and guides aligned properly.
Thanks in advance,
bonedog
Spine each section and build out each section relative to the spine of that section. When assembled, it’ll all match up as long as everything is lined up straight when built. You never have to line up tip top to reel seat. Maybe the most challenging to get lined up is the reel seat to stripper, mount your reel when doing this.
I usually 1. spine 2. handle/reel seat 3. guides 4. tip top. Something I have found that helps is to tie a piece of thread to the tip top & run it down through the guides & over the reel seat to check for alignment. You can also look at the rod from top down with the guides facing down & look to see if equal portion of guide is visible on each side of blank, I also look down through the guides from the butt end of the blank looking towards the tip looking through guides like a scope.
The reason I apply guides before tip top is it is easier for me to start with the largest guide and work my way towards the tip getting smaller as I go & checking alignment after each guide applied. Everyone does things a little different.
Jeff
Lets Go Mets
Finish comes last! Alignment of the guides b4 finishing is a little tricky. Take yourtime and try 2-3 methods. Then some day when the fish aren’t biting you will look at the rod and say “I think that guide is a tad off”. And so it goes… Allyn