I finished last Friday. As soon as I can figure it out I’ll post pictures.
Hello All
I have edited the first post on this thread with the list of swappers. As you finish your rod, shoot me a PM and I will add you to the finished list. Once everyone is finished, I will draw the names and send you a PM detailing who you need to send your rod to.
Thanks
Brad
Got my rod finished yesterday… Spigot ferrule, dark blue wraps… black snakes and tiptop, chrome stripper with black hiloy center, black uplocking reel seat, custom turned black delrin buttcap, cork modified cigar grip. will post pics this weekend. Sure is light, can’t wait to see the one I get back & fish it ! I got a vintage Medalist waitin’ for it fulla 4wt and backing …ModocDan :)
I’m using a Medalist on mine also. a 1494 loaded with a 4/5 triangle taper. I think it will work just right. The weather is supposed to be in the 50’s this weekend. I may just have to take it out for a test drive before it goes off to whomever.
I finally got the last coat of finish on mine. I tried using the last of my flexcoat light on it and I’m not terribly happy with the finish. I will stick to the regular flexcoat in the future. I’m just used to the regular, I guess. It seems like the light really forces you to overload the finish to get a good coverage without areas with voids, both on first and second coats. The regular hasn’t ever given me the same problem. It isn’t terrible, but certainly isn’t perfect. Aside from that, the black metallic really looks great. It disappears into the blank with finish on it.
I’ll cast it in a couple of days after letting the finish get a complete cure. I’ll let everyone know what I think.
Blue
I’ll add you to the list of completed…
Brad
Brad;
Mine is complete too. Not to happy with the out come as at some point I actually Super Glued my finger to the blank while placing a guide in position!!
I learned the method from a rod builder here and have been using it for some time now. Dip the tip of the guide foot in a drop of super glue and hold it in position on the blank for a few seconds while the glue sets. The guide will stay in place while being wrapped but can be broken free to be aligned. Well, some how I got my pinkey finger in a drop of super glue and yep after a few seconds it was stuck!! :oops:
I now challenge Ol’ Blue as to who is the “Dumbest Rod Builder”!! :rolleyes:
After considerable polishing the spot is almost invisable but I want whoever receives this rod to know that there was a good deal of pain and anguish involved in the build! 
P.S. It is a dream to cast!!:mrgreen:
As long as it casts nice, that is the most important feature.
And I’m glad I screwed up and glued up the handle on the wrong part of a 4 piece rod and not a 2 piecer. That would have been even worse!
Jack
Glad you got your finger off of the rod…the shipping with you attached would cost a fortune!
I must be off…
Brad
Brad;
Come one down here this April and we can have a Tad Pole Rod Shoot Out! Fishing will be really good then, of course it’s pretty good now! 
Jack
Thats the plan…if I can keep everyone well and the Grand baby arrives on time! We are expecting our first on April 12.
Brad
Brad your to young to be a Grandfather. Thats what I thought when my first arrived about 4 years ago.
Brad;
They usually stock the rivers toward the end of the month just after your daughter has stocked the Sherrick family tree. Would it be ok for you to bring home a XXXX small Jack Danial’s T shirt? Maybe a crib made from a JD Oak Barrel? Ah!! A JD rocking chair for you to rock the grand baby to sleep in!! Now that would be a treasure!!
you guys are too much fun!
Easy way to find the spine…I used two techniques: 1. bent rod and slightly turned it looking for the kick to the spine…no luck; 2. put rod on flat surface and slightly bounced rod…when you have the spine the rod should bounce straight up and down, not side to side…again no luck.
What you guys do?
Look for the straight axis and tie with that. If it looks good, the owner will like it better. I don’t think spine has any effect on casting.
In your case, if you can’t find it, it can’t really be an issue. Place them as seems best to you.
Mine is done and will post pics tonight
I test cast mine this morning. It was a different casting stroke than I am used to, but nice all the same. It won’t take power like some of the rods I’m used to, but if you stay with a light even stroke, it will cast the line out nicely. It will be a nice rod for my daughter to learn on.
edited still a month to go. <sigh>
A few days from mailing?! I am nowhere near ready. I thought I had till April 15 to finish this. And I am swamped at work to. I don’t want to hold up the show here though. If I dropped a ball here I guess I will have to bow out and all of you can swap without me. As it stands I will have to push to be done by the 15th!
Jim - I am in the same boat. I was planning for the ship-out on April 15th. I will be traveling to San Francisco for the next week. Can we get a consensus on dates?