# Getting crooked



## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Have any of you had a blank that is straight as an arrow when you get it and after wrapping guides it is crooked as a dog's leg? I double checked this blank before I built on it. Is there anythig that can cause a blank to get crooked after three weeks?


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## troutalex33 (Aug 21, 2012)

Sometimes if you lean a rod in the corner it gets crooked . Some blanks depending the make do this considerably . Especially the older blanks , but if you put them in a rod holder and left alone they usually straighten out . My fenwicks are notorious for this but I have a rod holder that keeps them upright now and they are straight now . Old schoolers will tell you to take a hair dryer to it and then keep in upright position ,but I have yet to try it .


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## Phantom (Feb 6, 2005)

Yup.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

I guess I will put all of these in vertical rod holders and see what happens. I got to looking at all my rods and not one of them is straight. I guess I need to build a rod rack!


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## Whitebassfisher (May 4, 2007)

I was told by a guy that I really think knows his stuff, that leaning them in a corner or something similar can cause it. He suggested if you must lean it (no rod holder) then keep it near vertical and have your point of contact further down toward the butt, like against a desk or something not too tall.

You can build a rack, or for the price I thought this was good:
http://www.mudhole.com/MHX-Rod-Rack?quantity=1?quantity=1


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## patfatdaddy (May 29, 2004)

I lean mine ain a corner but I usuallt have several together and they sort of support each other. I used to keep them in a rod rack but it took up to much room.


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## katjim00 (Jan 8, 2009)

I have not got one totally straight yet. Been close on a couple of blanks though. I keep mine in a rack but I don't do that many so I am good


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## sergeant69 (Sep 24, 2015)

Whitebassfisher said:


> I was told by a guy that I really think knows his stuff, that leaning them in a corner or something similar can cause it. He suggested if you must lean it (no rod holder) then keep it near vertical and have your point of contact further down toward the butt, like against a desk or something not too tall.
> 
> You can build a rack, or for the price I thought this was good:
> http://www.mudhole.com/MHX-Rod-Rack?quantity=1?quantity=1


ya know, i have done all types of woodwork for years. and for $27, even from mudpit w/shipping, thats not a bad deal at all. i sure as heck wouldn't build that for 27 smackers. materials alone would cost that easily unless ya had scrap. things that make ya go hhmmmm............


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## Goags (May 28, 2004)

Whitebassfisher said:


> You can build a rack, or for the price I thought this was good:
> http://www.mudhole.com/MHX-Rod-Rack?quantity=1?quantity=1


That's an awesome price! I agree, you can't build one for that. I bought 2 similar rod racks off of ebay 15 yrs ago, tho wood and hold 20 rods each, for more $.


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## Fishsurfer (Dec 14, 2014)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Have any of you had a blank that is straight as an arrow when you get it and after wrapping guides it is crooked as a dog's leg? I double checked this blank before I built on it. Is there anythig that can cause a blank to get crooked after three weeks?


Yep, I bought a blank when I was drunk before also.


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## Fishsurfer (Dec 14, 2014)

It seems like it is getting harder to find a straight blank these days, about as hard as finding quality cork. The thinner the wall of the blank the more likely it is to have a variance in the straightness. You are lucky to find a bend that is close to the spine that can be matched up with guide placement in the bend. This is the main issue with buying a blank online (same with cork), you can't cherry pick from a group of blanks.


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## Batson-Brands (Jan 22, 2015)

When guides are wrapped on, the weight of the guides can certainly make a blank curve but it doesn't sound like this is what you're referring to. 
Modern blanks (newer glass blanks and certainly all graphite blanks) should not retain a curve (take a set) after being bent in a rod holder or leaned in a corner. I have heard of blanks/rods being left bent in extreme heat conditions and retaining the bend afterward. If this is the case it's likely that irreversible structural weakness has been caused due to the resin having been heated enough to flow out of areas of the graphite.

-Geoff
batsonenterprises.com


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## Smackdaddy53 (Nov 4, 2011)

Batson-Brands said:


> When guides are wrapped on, the weight of the guides can certainly make a blank curve but it doesn't sound like this is what you're referring to.
> Modern blanks (newer glass blanks and certainly all graphite blanks) should not retain a curve (take a set) after being bent in a rod holder or leaned in a corner. I have heard of blanks/rods being left bent in extreme heat conditions and retaining the bend afterward. If this is the case it's likely that irreversible structural weakness has been caused due to the resin having been heated enough to flow out of areas of the graphite.
> 
> -Geoff
> batsonenterprises.com


No sir, this blank was a replacement for one that did the same thing. This one was visually inspected by me as soon as I recieved it and it had just a slight bend but nothing out of the ordinary. I left it upright in the corner of my rod building room along with about 7 other blanks and it was there for maybe a month but it never gets above 74 in the house. I spined it, taped guides on and when I sighted them I could see there was a hitch about two feet from the reel seat and then it bends down with the spine. I'm not too worried about it but it is the in the back of my mind every time I hold it. I would have noticed this when I sighted it the first time because I really looked at it hard to make sure it was an acceptable replacement. 
Those Immortal blanks are on my to-build on list, I will be picking several very soon. I got the bug bad!


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