DIY Switch rod help

[aldot]

Ive decided to build an 11'3" switch rod. Having never built a rod before I have a couple of questions:

1. For the small fighting butt, is the cork just glued on to the blank or should it be an extension of the blank, i,e screwed in to the reel seat? If screwed in, can you buy the threaded part to go with the reel seat, or do they come with one?

2. Where is a good place to buy reel seats?

3. If the blank is 12mm diameter then what should the ideal bore size of the reel seat be, and what is the realistic max it could be

Thanks in advance

 

[rosshouse]

Ive decided to build an 11'3" switch rod. Having never built a rod before I have a couple of questions:

1. For the small fighting butt, is the cork just glued on to the blank or should it be an extension of the blank, i,e screwed in to the reel seat? If screwed in, can you buy the threaded part to go with the reel seat, or do they come with one?

2. Where is a good place to buy reel seats?

3. If the blank is 12mm diameter then what should the ideal bore size of the reel seat be, and what is the realistic max it could be

Thanks in advance

If it your first attempt you would be better starting with a complete rod building kit, check out Mick Bell at Bloke Rods, he sells rod building gear and complete kits.

 

[aldot]

If it your first attempt you would be better starting with a complete rod building kit, check out Mick Bell at Bloke Rods, he sells rod building gear and complete kits.

I did consider that but really wanted to build the handle from scratch as well.

 

[codyarrow]

If you are thinking of making handles Lidl are selling lathes this weekend. Think they are £60. I used an old drill as a makeshift lathe to turn the handles.
In answer to your question1 you can do both. I turned an old daiwa whisker into a switch by inserting an extension handle into it. Otherwise though I think building on the 'switch blank' is the norm.

This may be for of interest :

Rod Building

www.rodbuildingforum.com

 

[aldot]

If you are thinking of making handles Lidl are selling lathes this weekend. Think they are £60. I used an old drill as a makeshift lathe to turn the handles.
In answer to your question1 you can do both. I turned an old daiwa whisker into a switch by inserting an extension handle into it. Otherwise though I think building on the 'switch blank' is the norm.

This may be for of interest :

Rod Building

www.rodbuildingforum.com

Brilliant info, thanks for that.

Im pretty handy so was going to just make all the jigs and fixtures myself but will look at the lidl lathe

 

[Lewis Chessman]

Hi. Take a look at this thread for rod building suppliers.
There's three options for the butt:
Fixed.
Screw In.
Stint.

Fixed you know.
Screw In : "If screwed in, can you buy the threaded part to go with the reel seat, or do they come with one?
You may need to buy the screw fixings separately, e.g here at HiLevel, if you can't find what you want as a full kit or if you want to make and shape your own cork.

Something to bear in mind with a screw in f/b is how much stress you can afford to put on the joint when casting. It might be worth reinforcing the base of the blank with a whipping after the female plug has been glued in place, before the reel seat is glued.

The stint method involves finding a length of old (broken) carbon fishing rod which fits snugly into the hollow in the butt section. About 5" inside the blank is good. Then you'll need about 4" more outside the blank to glue your cork on. Strip any old varnish off the broken rod piece before cutting to length and sand down. A snug fit will hold well and the f/b will come away with small pulls turning left and right after use.
The advantage is that power transfers well through the graphite stint and there's little chance of 'hinging'.
The disadvantage is that you'll need a removeable butt cap to protect the blank's inner tube from getting muck in it. Buy two. You'll lose one for sure.

Re: Seat Bore size and rod O.D., I think it's good to have some wiggle room. I like to build up 'bridges' of masking tape which the seat will sit on, three or four along the length about half an inch wide. These will soak in the epoxy and the gaps between them will fill with glue giving a strong matrix underneath the hardware when set.
For a 12 mm O.D. butt I'd not look for a seat with an I.D. of less than 14 mm - and you'd not get many turns of masking tape with that.
Good luck with it!

 

[aldot]

@Lewis Chessman thanks for a very comprehensive reply, all makes sense.