# I'm building me one..



## JOHNNY QUEST

Throughout the years, I have only built myself 2 rods... I still use 1 of them religously. Its a split grip bait caster fashioned on a 7' med. lt. CTS blank. Super light and easily casted all day.
So I was diggin thru my stash of blanks and found a Loomis Mahogany C722 / GL-26750-01. Its a 8 ta 14 lb rod for me some trouts and reds..
I did the glue up for the real seat section of the split grip handle..
I had a nice piece of real Amber for an insert and some exotic burl cork in different shades.. Its in its rough form now but will start to take shape and looks in a couple hours when the epoxy is good and hard.. I have it chucked up in the lathe and squished together with the tailstock.. Its on a 3/8th mandrel.
Its been a while since I built one here, but I enjoy doing it, so here we go guys...
JQ.


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## JOHNNY QUEST

Shaping the grip has begun... The blank is a beauty.


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## monkeyman1

looking great so far!


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## JOHNNY QUEST

Thanks MM.
I think this is gunna be ok for the top half of the split grip...

Its kinda like a carpenter always works on other peoples stuff and never gets to his own...
Its my turn..


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## Goags

I likes it so far! REAL acrylic amber?


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## JOHNNY QUEST

Goags said:


> I likes it so far! REAL acrylic amber?


No Jerry!!! This is actually the real stuff i got from a gun show.. Its beautiful.. Amber is used in some knife handles and I thought' what the hey, it should look good in a rod handle... I'm thinkin yellow and black, Yellow Feather's cousin..


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## JOHNNY QUEST

The butt section glue up is done now.. I think the match up is gunna be superb....


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## JOHNNY QUEST

Well ain't that a peach.. The rear portion of the handle is done now...
I am drinkin and grindin so I better quit while I'm ahead...:brew2:


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## fishingtwo

*very nice*

*very nice indeed-drink one for me:brew2:*


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## dbuswell

All of those beautiful cork materials, amber, etc and then a black foam butt. I would keep the look consistent, but hey it's your rod! It looks awesome so far.


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## JOHNNY QUEST

dbuswell said:


> All of those beautiful cork materials, amber, etc and then a black foam butt. I would keep the look consistent, but hey it's your rod! It looks awesome so far.


Input noted:
Remodel in progress..


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## JOHNNY QUEST

New and improved butt cap.. the brass end will match the gold cervet guides...


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## JOHNNY QUEST

The first wrap of the tiger wrap is applied. I used Gudebrode black and white size d. wound left to right.. Tomorrow I will use black and yellow, from the right to left, with the black being the sacraficial color.. 
Thanks Jerry for the walk thru.. We'll see how she looks tomorrow... Oh and remember, superglue is your friend...


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## dbuswell

Wow, it looks better than I could have imagined. Excellent work! Don't cheat yourself, treat yourself. Just sayin'!!!!


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## FOUL HOOKED

Darn JQ that looks nice! I need to get a lathe. Sure make turning a lot easier. Cant wait to see it coming along.


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## JOHNNY QUEST

Thanks guys.. A lathe makes all the difference in the world.. Its not just for cork. I make ferruls, winding checks, reelseats and all kind of cool stuff with it..

Here is the tiger wrap. Its my first one, so don't laugh..
I used rainbow size A and black size d for the sacraficial thread....I coated it and will add the end wraps in black later..


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## JOHNNY QUEST

Question for the tiger wrapers... If I go left to right again with a tiny yellow and a large sacraficial. What are the odds of it being ok...I want some yellow in it but not overpowering...
JQ.


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## JOHNNY QUEST

I tore all that Rainbow gay **** off it... Its back ta black and white again.. Going for a more Yaller look tomorrow...:rotfl:


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## JOHNNY QUEST

There, thats more like it... It matches the Amber inserts better now..Yellow size A and size d thread removed..


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## FOUL HOOKED

Yup that's B.A. JQ. Looks nice. And how do you make reel seats and winding checks with a lathe?


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## JOHNNY QUEST

Mark, If you look at a few of my flyrods you will see aircraft aluminum winding checks, butt ends, and seats that are for flyrods.. not casters tho... Here are a couple pics for ya.. I can't explain how to do it.. I was a machinist for a while in my earier years.... This is Flatfish charlie,s flyrod..

















This is Nurse debate's rod, All the parts are made on my micro lathe.. 
























Its just something I do..:cheers:


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## JOHNNY QUEST

This is a reel seat skeleton.. Its about $7.00 from most suppliers.. I don't make that part...


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## Terry G.

J.Q. if you speak or see "Nurse debate" tell her i have not ever forgotten her picture i just cant get the picture right with the well , the boat and the fish.

i'll get it its just taking time to get the right placements.

oh and "killer" rod your making for her.


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## FOUL HOOKED

JOHNNY QUEST said:


> This is Flatfish charlie,s flyrod..
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> This is Nurse debate's rod, All the parts are made on my micro lathe..
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> Its just something I do..:cheers:


That's nice! And you do do well sir, nice work!


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## JOHNNY QUEST

Well thank ya Mark..
I had ta do some clean up of the mess I was makin with the remodel of the tiger wrap.. Things were gettin sloppy so I cleaned all the excess flex coat off and sealed the cork so I doesn't get stained later...Its still wet butt will dull a tad when dry...
She sure is lookin sharp.. I need ta do the tag ends in between the grips in black as of yet.. Then try and duplicate it to the front of the rod handle... Still thinkin about what I want the guides to look like...


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## FOUL HOOKED

What happens if you dont seal the cork? Will it ruin?


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## JOHNNY QUEST

Well when your drinkin and buildin and ya get a bunch of goop on your fingers , Its entirely possible to transfer it to the raw cork and stain it perminatly.. I went ahead and sealed it so THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN...


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## JOHNNY QUEST

With fingers and toes crossed, I'm gunna try and duplicate the tiger wrap up front.. 7" of black and white size D. I hope it turns out close.. I will do the exact thing again with the over wrap... we'll see tomorrow if its a match...


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## JOHNNY QUEST

Somehow, without any experiance in tiger wrapin I've managed to get 7" of a great match on the front of the handle...
I guess I'm an expert now.:biggrin:


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## JOHNNY QUEST

Well instead of black tags, the yellow came out a little green with the black and white underneath , so I used green and metalic gold. It will match the gold cervet guides better anyway... I thru a little grapfics in the section I put on all my rods in gold to help... The tiger wrap is a different monster...


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## Goags

Geez, after look'n at that middle picture on post 28, I was worried that you had used some HEAT! HA!! Looks good, JQ.


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## JOHNNY QUEST

Funny dude...:biggrin: I tell ya this has been the hardest blank ta spine I've come across.. That warp is the small one...

Not really,, that pic is taken thru a magnifier.. It is decievin tho... LOL...


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## 007

You just missed my b-day bro......where's my custom rod? I'll let you come hunt on my lease here at the house for a year.


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## JOHNNY QUEST

HEY I TOLD YOU HAPPY BIRTHDAY...rosesm


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## 007

I see how it's gonna be....


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## 007

Let's go test that bad boy out Sunday AM in Chocolate in my boat.


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## Terrynj

Great project Randle! Cant wait to see it finished! I see what you were talking about on the tiger, the yellow does work better. Love the blue fly rod, beautiful color combo!


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## JOHNNY QUEST

Guides are on and the rod is rotating.. Its gunna go fish tomorrow with 007.. I realy need ta learn how ta get some better pics.. The guides were wrapped with gudebrod yellow size D and the green and metalic gold...
I thru in a pic of my homade rod buildin Gizmo.. Its a real piece of work... Rotisory motor off the grill, Viking sewing machine motor stolen from the wife's machine that she never used anyway.. Foot pedal speed controll.. It will turn so fast I can sling the guides right off the blank.. Its got a couple of surface mount berings back ta back and a lathe chuck for clampin down when needed..:work:
Anyway, here are some more pics.. I will get the money shot with it bent on a fish tomorrow...:cheers:..


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## 007

NICE!! Can't wait to see it in action. We'll see how she does with the flatties tomorrow.


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## JOHNNY QUEST

I built it in earth tones.. green, yellow, brown, the flatties will be drawn to it like candy..


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## JOHNNY QUEST

Its rigged and ready for tomorrows excursion.. Outfitted with a Shimano Calias and power pro...:cheers:


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## dbuswell

Sweet, turned out real nice. The amber in the grips is probably my favorite part. 

What are the gold cermet guides like? Are they lighter than sic? Stronger? Bling Bling


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## garybryan

Thats a sweet stik.


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## JOHNNY QUEST

I don't like it.. Loomis Mahogany's are a dawg of a blank.. It feels like a buggy whip compared to my CTS. It just ain't what I was expectin...
Rod for sale..


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## driftfish20

I'm in at $100 and you throw in the BUBBA!!:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::slimer::slimer::slimer:

Just kidding!

That's a beautiful piece JQ!

df20


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## JOHNNY QUEST

I'm startin ta like it more now.. I was throwin big tops with it yesterday and should have tied on some soft plastics first... Its fine with a 1/4 oz or less and thats what it was designed for anyway... I did a bunch of casting in the yard today and its growing on me...:cheers:


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## JOHNNY QUEST

Sold it.... Its gone... building me another one on a Shikari 702 blank.. It better be what I'm lookin for ,or I'll sell it too...


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