# In need of some wisdom



## Lakeside_TXN (Mar 18, 2014)

OK, I've been pounding my head against my computer screen for the past few days trying to get as much information as I could find before I posted any questions here, and I think I've got the exact shopping list for my first rod build picked out. The operative word being "think." I've still got some questions that I haven't been able to resolve on my own though.

1) My blank butt is roughly 13mm, the smallest reel seat I want to use is 16mm, can I shim that up no problems, or do I need to find a seat with a closer ID to the rod?

2) How do I select the size of aluminum winding checks? By the size of the seat or the size of the rod?

3) Is there any reliable method for pre-calculating the number and placement of guides before buying, or is doing the critical load fit the only way to get it dead on right?

4) I selected a skeleton seat, do I have to get an insert for it? I thought the whole idea of the design was to eliminate all the extra material?

5) Do I have to buy a reaming tool? Is it neccessary?

These are the questions that I either can't find the information on, or there's 100 different sources all saying something different and I don't know what to think. If you have any advice at all though I'd like to hear it even if I didn't ask for it; first rod I could stand to take all the wisdom I can get.


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## red34 (Jun 2, 2004)

Lakeside_TXN said:


> 1) My blank butt is roughly 13mm, the smallest reel seat I want to use is 16mm, can I shim that up no problems, or do I need to find a seat with a closer ID to the rod? size the seat to the style of fishing and intended use/reel. You can shim them
> 
> 2) How do I select the size of aluminum winding checks? By the size of the seat or the size of the rod?use your caliper to measure just below where you want the checks. Their id is measured in mm
> 
> ...


The videos from Mudhole and Angler's Envy on YouTube are great guides. Take your time, go slow, and learn something new on every build


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## Sisco Kid (Mar 19, 2008)

All I can say is take your time. Watch the videos

Sent from my SCH-i705 using Tapatalk


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## Lakeside_TXN (Mar 18, 2014)

Thanks guys, that helps a lot. 

Thought of another question already. I've been shopping online, but are there any supply retailers in the NW Harris County/Southern Montgomery County? If anyone from the area sees this, let me know who you use.


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## cfulbright (Jun 24, 2009)

4. Are you talking about the Fuji SK2 seat? If so it comes with an arbor insert(this is the lightest way), and yes you do need it, none of the sk2 are fitted. Some of the others split seats are. 

5.Yes you need a reamer for all eva or cork, even for the Fuji SK2 arbor you will need one. I suggest the Batson Dream reamer set.(I found a sale for $50)


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## alldaylong (Mar 6, 2011)

*FTU*



Lakeside_TXN said:


> Thanks guys, that helps a lot.
> 
> Thought of another question already. I've been shopping online, but are there any supply retailers in the NW Harris County/Southern Montgomery County? If anyone from the area sees this, let me know who you use.


Other than online suppliers, FTU (Fishing Tackle Unlimited) has the store off I-10 and Campbell and the location off I-45 and Fuqua. This is the location that I use whenever I purchase rodbuilding supplies and components. There are two guys there one's named Terry the other is Alex, they are both very helpful and knowledgeable. They can set you up with everything you will need for your project. Hope this helps. :cheers:


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## Lakeside_TXN (Mar 18, 2014)

cfulbright said:


> 4. Are you talking about the Fuji SK2 seat? If so it comes with an arbor insert(this is the lightest way), and yes you do need it, none of the sk2 are fitted. Some of the others split seats are.
> 
> 5.Yes you need a reamer for all eva or cork, even for the Fuji SK2 arbor you will need one. I suggest the Batson Dream reamer set.(I found a sale for $50)


Thanks for the input man, I'll look into some reamers, but I gotta get some clarification on what you're saying about the reel seat because I am getting the SK2.

When you say "insert", are you talking about a spacer to tighten the fit between the seat housing and the blank? Because that's what I call a shim (only word I know for something used to wedge between two objects to improve the fit); that's what I was asking about with sizing the reel seats.

What _I_ saw referred to as "inserts" were tubes of different materials and designs. They had the general appearance and descriptions of being optional and decorative, but I'm the one asking questions becuase I don't know what I'm doing yet, so I may very well be totally wrong.

I just want to be sure we're using the same words the same way before I end up sticking something I'm really wanting to skip over on my rod if I don't have to have it.


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## Sisco Kid (Mar 19, 2008)

FTU is on Katy frwy

Sent from my SCH-i705 using Tapatalk


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## Sisco Kid (Mar 19, 2008)

Phoenix is the other option, no arbor needed. 

Sent from my SCH-i705 using Tapatalk


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## Goags (May 28, 2004)

Here's a couple of threads that might be helpful before doing your first split seat...

http://rodbuilding.org/read.php?2,399602

http://rodbuilding.org/read.php?2,395480,395497


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## jaycook (Sep 13, 2007)

Lakeside_TXN said:


> Thanks for the input man, I'll look into some reamers, but I gotta get some clarification on what you're saying about the reel seat because I am getting the SK2.
> 
> When you say "insert", are you talking about a spacer to tighten the fit between the seat housing and the blank? Because that's what I call a shim (only word I know for something used to wedge between two objects to improve the fit); that's what I was asking about with sizing the reel seats.
> 
> ...


With the Fuji SK2, you will need arbors. It will come with two, but they generally dont fit the seat all that well. But they still work. The arbor works as a "shim" as you called it. It fills the space between the blank and seat. And in doing so, you will need a reemer of some sort to fit the center bore to the blank where it will be epoxied. You can make a reamer out of a broken rod, or anything that is close to the same size of the blank you are working with, and it helps to have a little taper to it. Care needs to be taken to keep the reemed bore as centered as possible so that the seat will be true to the blank.

The insert you are speaking of, is a decorative piece that spans the distance between the rear and front sections of the seat. Some are aluminum, carbon fiber, or whatever. Completely unnecesary.

You can get by without winding checks, about half of my builds are that way. A little planning and extra time makes a clean build without worrying about getting the correct size checks. The only way to be 100% sure of the size you need is to measure where they will go. The supplier can do this, but you have to tell them grip length, seat distance from the butt, length of foregrip if there is one. And you could change your mind when you start building it. Another option is to buy one of every size from about 10mm to 14mm and that would just about cover it. Chances are, you'll use the extras on other builds.


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## jaycook (Sep 13, 2007)

Here is one built without winding checks. But, there are arbors inside the two sections of the seat. I prefer to throw away the ones that come with the seat and use the white Flexcoat brand arbors.


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## Lakeside_TXN (Mar 18, 2014)

Awesome, came back yet again to more great advice; Thanks for the input everybody, and those links were particularly helpful Goags.

I've noticed one more thing while I've been reading up on assembly processes that's giving me a little bit of trouble about installing grips. 

I'm using a split grip, and so far everything I've read starts the grip installation by reamimg the handle to fit snugly in position, but nothing's mentioned how that position was determined in the first place. Is there a trick I need to know to find a "sweet spot," do blanks come marked for optimal reel position, or do I pick whatever handle length I want and set grips/seats accordingly?


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## kneekap (Nov 13, 2012)

You will learn a lot from your first build. Don't freak out if everything
does not turn out perfect in your eyes.

I construct my own reamers by wrapping a sanding belt around a tapered
wooden dowel.

Finding the correct reel position for you can be difficult for the first timer.
I can only say it depends upon the rod action and lure weight you will be throwing. Try taping it on and flexing the rod. This will give you an idea of how much leverage you want.


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## cfulbright (Jun 24, 2009)

To find the correct reel seat placement, depends a lot on what you like, long or short butt, and how much the blank weighs and lenght(balance is key) most are set at 9-12". 
For me a 6'6" I set at 9"
7' I set around 10" 
High mod(light rod) I might take an some off. 

Go measure the factory rods you have or go to Academy and see what you like.


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## BRH (May 11, 2011)

jaycook said:


> Here is one built without winding checks. But, there are arbors inside the two sections of the seat. I prefer to throw away the ones that come with the seat and use the white Flexcoat brand arbors.


I do the same... the graphite ones that come with the kit never seem to fit snug.

You'll also find that if you buy the seat parts seperate... as in barrel, hood, and trigger... that its actually cheaper than buying the "kit" that has the arbors with it.


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## Lakeside_TXN (Mar 18, 2014)

Thanks for the heads up about the Arbors, I was going to buy a few extras in case I screwed up, but I'll be swapping those out for a different product now. And taping the reel on sounds like just the kind of trick I needed. I've got dozens of rods and they're all different handles because I've always bought what felt right in my hand. Makes sense I should play with it and find the balance I'm looking for; that's the whole point of building a rod right? Great, great input guys! I'm nit picking around on the last few pieces right now, but I'll be updating with the parts list tonight, probably with a couple more questions, haha!


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## Lakeside_TXN (Mar 18, 2014)

So I decided on a St. Croix SC-IV blank. 7'2" Med-Mod, purpose built shallow/small cranker. .422" at the butt, size 4.5 tip, cobalt blue gloss. It's backordered, but I've been looking for _EXACTLY_ that rod, for _EXACTLY _reason so I'm waiting on it; might have to build my second rod before the first if it's a long waiting list though haha!

Using the same SK2 seats, and the same SK2 cork rear/butt grips, as St. Croix uses on their retail model built from this blank. Made my selections prior to checking out their stuff, but since it turned out that way, I took the liberty of using their handle measurement chart to get a good idea of where I think my handle hardware is going. Planning to experiment a little, but the better rod manufactures usually pick their hardware layouts pretty well.

I was able to pencil whip a little math using those numbers and get get what I expect to be **** close to the blank diameters where everything is going to sit at. Bought the size reamer I need to the get the grips/arbors on, and pulled the trigger on my trim pieces as well. I will definitely update about how this works out for me... hopefully with good news.

Gold aluminum checks going on top of the barrel, bottom of the rear grip, and top of the butt grip, cobalt blue grip trip ring, and and black checks for the bottom of the barrel & the top of the body. I bought the aluminum checks the half size above my calculated BDs; my thought process being that the fraction of a MM play around the blank wouldn't be noticable, and that reaming metal causes burrs, and burred metal on sensitive rod blanks + pressure = a sad fisherman.

Using a Fuji PLCSG-5 micro stripper, a couple FUJI MKOG-4.5/4 as the reduction train, and Custom Rod Builder carbon alloy micros sizes 1, 2, & 3 for my runners (these suckers are seriously small!). Made selections based mostly on setting up a consistent height drop in the train, and a really light top. Bought enough of all of them to play around a bit for the best setup I can find.

Black eyes and hook keeper, with gold thread to wrap. Only found the stripper made in polished finishes, so I'm going to decide whether to wrap with black or gold when I'm looking at it. Black American Tackle Co. micro top size 4(4.5) to cap it all off, undedided if I'm wrapping that or not yet.

Buying a Mud Hole tool/supplies kit that comes with all the adhesives I need, black/gold thread, brushes, cups, stir sticks, syringes, thread tools, and a hand wrapper. Even has a step-by-step rod building guide that I think I already read as a PDF file from another website haha!

Anyone see anything that's just never going to work, a piece of junk, or isn't going to play well with other components? I'm probably going to sit on it a few days until I hear back from Mud Hole about the wait for the backorder.

I sure hope they hurry up though! After all the research and effort I've already put into this thing I'm ready to get it in my hands and go!

Tight Lines everybody! And thanks again to everyone who's helped me and any other first timers reading every rod building forum post they can find for information haha!


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## ncmullet (Sep 1, 2010)

Jaycook on your pic there is a band at the end of the eva grip. Could you please describe what that is and how you do it as I don't like using check winds. thanks


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## jaycook (Sep 13, 2007)

Lakeside_TXN, I've never heard of anybody reaming aluminum winding checks. At least not with a grip reamer.

ncmullet, the band you are seeing is just a small thread wrap. I lay everything out so I know where the edge of the grip will be. Then I make the trim wraps and extend them to where they terminate under the grip. After the finish coats have cured, then the grip is installed, and slid down just to where I have the correct amount of wrap exposed. It's a little time consuming, but it looks very clean. The added benefit, no need to worry about the correct winding check size. I will use this technique when having minimal grip size and if they taper way down. But this is always an option if you don't mind glueing grips on after doing the trim.


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## Swampland (Mar 25, 2008)

My opinion and the way I would build the rod. Your stripper guide is the correct size but instead of all of those extra sizes of running guides I would start with the 5 then use all one size running guide either 4.5 or 4.0

I know you are looking at coming out the lightest possible but with the very small running guides you're looking to use May cause a lot of frustration while building and maybe even while fishing especially if you use any type of leader. I've never run across any situation where I would even need to drop down to any guide smaller than a sz 4.0. 

Also maybe look into the Fuji Alconites guides instead of the aluminum oxide guides you're looking to use. The Alconites are lighter than the Oxides

Model no for the stripper is BLCAG5.0 and the running guides are BKTAG4.0 or 4.5. 
On a higher end blank like you've chosen I would certainly use the Alconites over the Aluminum Oxides.


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## Lakeside_TXN (Mar 18, 2014)

Any suggestions on suppliers? I've been using Mudhole and GetBit to get an idea of what I want to use, but they seem to be very spotty about what items of different product lines they use. Downloaded the Fuji product guide, and a few other suppliers for that matter, but can't seem to find any online suppliers that carry everything I want. Is that sort of the nature of the game having to order different pieces from different dealers, or is there somebody better out there that I'm not finding.

PS Still waiting to hear back from Mud about the blank. Sent in a few questions about it as of today 3/28 with no response.


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## Silverfox1 (Feb 21, 2007)

*Components*



Lakeside_TXN said:


> Thanks guys, that helps a lot.
> 
> Thought of another question already. I've been shopping online, but are there any supply retailers in the NW Harris County/Southern Montgomery County? If anyone from the area sees this, let me know who you use.


I live in Conroe and have a pretty good inventory of the components that I use (Batson Enterprises), or I can order items from them.


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## 2400tman (Jul 31, 2011)

Silverfox1 said:


> I live in Conroe and have a pretty good inventory of the components that I use (Batson Enterprises), or I can order items from them.


Can you post or pm me your number? Always needing something! Lol.......:headknock:headknock:headknock:headknock


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