Rod Building Weekend - July 27 & 28, 2013

[DaveB]

G'day,
I'm volunteering to host a RBW in late July at Mount Cotton. The plan is to cover general rod building as well as some decorative techniques.

As in the past you can bring along your own gear and work at your own pace, with some experienced builders attending to offer guidance if needed. Assistance can be given in securing components beforehand if you need it.

We will also run some demonstrations. The agenda will be finalised closer to the date but suggestions at the moment include:
- Weaving
- Decals
- Photography

Numbers will be limited to a max of approx 10 on each day.

Please post any comments or questions here so the amount of interest can be gauged and the agenda finalised. Final numbers and confirmation of attendees will sorted closer to the date.

The main purpose for holding this is to share info, advice and mateship. I'm looking forward to it!

Cheers
Dave

[pedro473]

Good onya Dave,

Mate I am happy to help out if I can and maybe learn o few tricks from the experienced rod builders who come along.

Cheers
Pedro

[Owen]

I'm happy to help any way I can.
Might inspire me to build the 15kg trolling rods I've been putting off because I had a whole year before my next marlin hunting trip. Now 4 months....

[Shark Poker]

What a top bloke. Good on you Dave.

[rtp1984]

Hi Dave
I would be very interested, providing full green horns are welcome. Please let me know what I need to do to get the ball rolling from my end.

Thanks
Rob.

[Stuart]

I better come along just to make sure you bunch are kept in line.

Owen, I will bring a bent and straight butt for you so you can compare.

Stu

[Mark Fisher]

I'd love to come along but must offer my apologies. I already have time off for another Rod building meeting in August at Wollongong. Hope all goes well (I know it will with some very good experienced "old hands").

[DaveB]

Hi Mark, Best wishes for the SEARBS meet. I look forward to seeing some pics!

Rob, All levels of experience are welcome, including those who haven't built before.

The way these weekends tend to work is that guys/gals bring along some gear to work on. They might bring all the bits for a new rod, and start building it on the day. Or they might bring a half-done project, or a rod that needs repair, and work on it at their own pace. The other option is to simply show up and watch.

Many of the participants are quite experienced and can offer advice and assistance as required. The atmosphere is one of helping each other. If you can put up with bad jokes, sarcasm and dodgy humour then you will fit right in :)

To get started you'll need to decide what you want to get out of the weekend. If you want to build a new rod you can start by purchasing a kit of components. Local and overseas online suppliers can offer advice or you can PM me or post questions here for specifics.

In terms of gear, there are some basic items like razor blades, masking tape, thread, metho etc that you will need, and also a way of supporting the rod. Options include a rod lathe, stand-mounted rollers, wooden vee-blocks, or a cardboard box with a couple of slots cut in it. These can be purchased, borrowed, or made yourself. Again, PM me or post questions here and we will get you started.

Food on each day is likely to be a bbq lunch.

People might wish to attend on one or both days, whatever suits. Just let me know beforehand so numbers can be confirmed.

I will have several tables set up. If people have some trestle tables that they can bring please let me know.

Someone made the suggestion to include lap dancers as part of the weekend. I will get my wife to email a reply to that one.

Thanks for the support indicated so far.

Cheers
Dave

[Lucky_Phill]

Thanks Dave.

Pencil me in, only. Work will dictate attendence.

I live 10 - 15 minutes from you, so it should suit.

I actually have an old " original " ugly stick I have to re-furb and have been putting it off for a while. Sounds like an opportunity to get stuck into this rod.


cheers Phill

[trymyluck]

Thanks Dave.

Pencil me in, only. Work will dictate attendence.

I live 10 - 15 minutes from you, so it should suit.

I actually have an old " original " ugly stick I have to re-furb and have been putting it off for a while. Sounds like an opportunity to get stuck into this rod.


cheers Phill


You mean you might actually do something constructive Phill??????

Should come along to harass oops I mean assist.......But we'll have see if the planets align.

[roz]

Would really love to be there & be a Stufarts minni me, and possibly get back the thread I lent to a rod building orphan a few years back..... I will hunt you down, I don't have the nick name Rozweiler for nothing, Nah all good, however now I live down near Coffs it's not easy popping up to Brizzie than when I lived in Murwillumbah, will try though.
r. :)

[DaveB]

Update:

Have had around 10 enquiries from possible attendees so far. Keep them coming, and if you have any questions or suggestions please post them here or shoot me a message.

Also, have been promised some donated goodies from a couple of suppliers which will help make the weekend that little bit better :thumbsup:

Cheers
Dave

[pedro473]

sounds good Dave, I will also donate some goodies including a couple of Snyder glas blanks.

cheers
pedro

[sid_fishes]

dave, i,m in and could you pencil in graham [grave 41] as we were talking about this the other day.he is away at the moment.
ill let you you as soon as i now if he cant make it

thanks
ian

[Stuart]

Old Filthy Phil, the only guy I know that loves to drink girly drinks with pink umbrellas. I will bring down a heap of old crappy offcuts, only because I cant bring myself to throwing them out.
I might have some old stuff here I can use down there. Dave, do let your wife organise the lap dancers mate, doesn't worry me as long as they are there.
Cant get lap dancers, then at least some bar maids.

I would like for lunch, king prawns, Crown larger and oysters.

[rtp1984]

Hey Dave, as I posted earlier, i am very keen.
I am off to the swains on Friday. So im a bit tied up with that at the moment, but I will get on to you when I get back.

Thanks
Rob

[Apollo]

Dave,

Good on you for putting your hand up. I have enjoyed the last two and would be keen to come along to this one as well. For any rod building virgins that are thinking of coming along, I had never built a rod prior to the first one I did, but with the assistance of the experience types there, I have knocked out a couple of roads that don't look bad and haven't broken yet, so it is a great opportunity to come along and learn.

Will be able to definately confirm in a couple of weeks, once I know what is happening a bit more with change of jobs, etc

Steve

[chappie]

Dave, Lock me in for the weekend please, planets are aligned.
Rob, I can vouch that greenhorns are welcome because I am in for a second rbw, still a greenhorn.
As Steve said it is a very enjoyable weekend and a great way to learn a lot about rod building, unfortunately I have forgotten most of what I learnt from last years.
I will start a Snyder c108l blank I got from Pedro last year sometime, hopefully Pedro and Graham will bring half a tackle shop with them? will mean I don't have to work out supplies before the weekend.
Looking forward to catching up with some old and new faces.
Iain

[pedro473]

Dave, Lock me in for the weekend please, planets are aligned.
Rob, I can vouch that greenhorns are welcome because I am in for a second rbw, still a greenhorn.
As Steve said it is a very enjoyable weekend and a great way to learn a lot about rod building, unfortunately I have forgotten most of what I learnt from last years.
I will start a Snyder c108l blank I got from Pedro last year sometime, hopefully Pedro and Graham will bring half a tackle shop with them? will mean I don't have to work out supplies before the weekend.
Looking forward to catching up with some old and new faces.
Iain

No worries mate will bring a few boxes of guides some reel seats and grips and a bunch of thread, you never know I may even get your rod finished and bring it along or I could bring it with just the bottom end done and you could finish it yourself.
Let me know what you want to do.

Cheers
Pedro

[DaveB]

G'day! Here is an update on the event:

The SE QLD RBW on July 27/28 is shaping up nicely. To date we have had a number of kind offers from corporate sponsors including:

Tom Kirkman - RodMaker Magazine


Joaquim Loureiro - Cork 4U


The team at American Tackle
A number of individuals have also offered assistance in the form of gear, time and facilities.

Some highly experienced individuals such as Peter Funnell, Owen Dare, Stuart Mackenzie and Mark Newcombe (ATC Pro Staff) have indicated they can attend and share their knowledge with us.

I'd like to publicly acknowledge the pledges made so far in regards to gifts, merchandise, promo gear etc, and say a big Thank You for those who are supporting this event.

We will be running demos on topics such as general rodbuilding techniques, thread art and rod photography. Samples of various components will be on display for you to check out. There will be some door prizes for lucky attendees.

Have you had a cast of a rod made with the new MicroWave guides? Come along and if the weather is kind we can do some test casting atthe local park.

It would be great if people bring along rods they have made themselves so we can all have a sticky beak. Don’t worry if they aren’t “perfect”. The theme of the weekend is to learn from each other.

There will be tables set up so you can set up your own kit and work at your own pace. If anyone has a trestle table they can bring please let me know as we will need quite a few.

Never built a rod before? Bring along your components and there will be plenty of assistance available to help you put it all together. Not sure what to bring? Drop me a message or post questions here.

This is a great opportunity to meet others who share your interest and to make new contacts.

Lunch will be provided on both days, and there will be asmall cover charge to cover food. BYOG. (If Stu gets his way and we opt for lobsters, prawns and oysters then the cover charge may need to go up :) )

Numbers will be confirmed closer to the date, but if you are thinking of coming on either or both days please let me know. Also, let me know if something comes up and you know you won’t be attending. I need to work out if the current venue will suit.

Hopefully this has whet your appetite and anticipation for the weekend is growing. I’m really excited about it.

More details will be confirmed closer to the date.

Cheers
Dave

[grave41]

Dave, As IAN has stated I'm away at present but sometimes have Internet access. I will bring some gear if people require it. Eg blanks,guides, grips,whatever.
Graham

[2DKnBJ]

Hi Dave
I have only just read this thread.
If you still have room i will be in.

Cheers Dazza

[Muddy Toes]

Hey Dave.......what are the options for a couple of local lads that might like to drop in just to have a looksie and say gday. Won't be building anything though.

[trymyluck]

Not sure if Steve and I are attending yet, if we do I will be bringing the boat down for a service if Gary can fit it in. So I might just be a spectator.

Mark

[sid_fishes]

damnit it muddy... buy the gear... build a rod and fish it

[sid_fishes]

Hi Dave
I have only just read this thread.
If you still have room i will be in.

Cheers Dazza
wondered when u would kick in mate

[Muddy Toes]

damnit it muddy... buy the gear... build a rod and fish it

I think there is something to be said about a man that knows and sticks within his limitations............wouldn't mind watching for a while though.

[DaveB]

Dazza, will pencil you in.

Muddy, no problem, spectators welcome. Am trying to get some kit together that can let a few have a play without having to bring their own gear. If Stu can bring his offcuts then I've got some spare guides so folks can have a go at binding if they want to.

If everyone who has responded actually shows then it will be pretty squeezy, but we can spread out across a few rooms. Will be doing a final roll call a week or so out and will finalise the numbers then.

Cheers
Dave

[sid_fishes]

I think there is something to be said about a man that knows and sticks within his limitations............wouldn't mind watching for a while though.ddy
Muddy, ive got a gr8 idea, seeing as i have Cobiamans monster mesh here for a rebuild, i can bring it along for you to play with,i,m sure he wont mind....its only fibreglass and cotton

[2DKnBJ]

wondered when u would kick in mate
Cheers Dave,
Will be great to catch up with the usuall crew.

Never too far away Ian..

Cheers Dazza

[DaveB]

OK,
The SEQ RBW is 2 weeks away. I'd like confirmation of who is in and who is out so I can firm up arrangements.

Agenda for the weekend:

Runs over 2 days, 27 & 28th July, at Mount Cotton. You are welcome to attend one or both days. Approximate running times are 9-5 each day.

Tables will be set up so you can bring your own gear and work at your own pace. You can also come along with nothing and simply watch if that suits you better. If you need to know where to buy components etc. let me know.

Cost is $15/day. BBQ lunch & soft drink provided, BYOG.

Please bring along any rods you have made yourself (good/bad/ugly doesn't matter)

We are planning some informal demos on:
- setting up & doing weaves
- applying decals
- binding on guides
- applying epoxy

To tie together the demos, we are going to construct a group RBW rod. We will build this rod over the weekend, and hopefully everybody can have a go at making a part of it. We will start from scratch, work out spacings, glue up the handle, bind on guides, decorate it, and epoxy it.

If weather is good we might do some test casting at the local park to show off the new Microwave guides.

There will be products on display and a number of giveaways kindly donated by various individuals and companies.

It should be a cracker of a weekend, and I'm excited about it :-)

Please let me know whether or not you will attend.
Also, please let me know whether you have one or more trestle tables you can bring along as we're going to need a few. Also if you have any spare rollers / rod stands.

Cheers
Dave

[Aussie123]

I have an old rod building machine here that you can borrow for the weekend if wanted.
I will need to refurbish it as it has not been used for many years but that shouldn't take me too long,providing the motor is still good on it.

[trymyluck]

Dave, at this stage unless the weather is crap Steve and I will probably only be there for the Sat, will confirm a few days out.

Mark

[pedro473]

Well we have had another donation to our cause, Troy Dixon from Wilson has kindly donated a ZWS70MJT silver texalium blank and I have taken the liberty of putting the bottom end together using an ALPS TRI-S-22 reel seat and AXG-S Gimbal and I will supply a set of GCSUBZG Guides and tip that can be bound on over the weekend, may even put the base of a tiger wrap on it if I get time. We should think about raffling or auctioning this off and donating the proceeds to a worthy charity, what do you all think of that idea?

Cheers
Pedro

[sid_fishes]

sounds good ....what about the black dog ride that mr ausfish is doing ....there are a few of us on here that suffer from depression

[Stuart]

Ian,

What the hell is a black dog ride mate? Im looking forward to the weekend, always good for a laugh, at other peoples expense of course.
Im going to bring all the crap I have laying around. I have have drums of offcuts that could be used for gaff handles or tomato stakes, trust me I have plenty stuffed in the ground holding my plants up. .

Stu

[DaveB]

Thanks Pedro and thanks to Troy from Wilson for the kind donation. Great stuff and much appreciated!

I think the charity donation is an excellent idea. We have a great time building the rod up, the raffle or auction winner gets a nice rod, and proceeds go to a great cause. Win/win/win!

Stu, there's a link to the Black Dog Ride in the advertising banner at the top of this forum.

Dave

[DaveB]

Another sponsor has stepped up to the mark to help make our weekend a winner. Ross van Enckevort from The Rodworks has kindly sent a box of promo gear including Mudhole caps, sunglasses, beer holders, rod socks and some Rod Guild Journals.

Looks like none of us willl be going home empty handed.

Thanks Ross!

regards
Dave

[sid_fishes]

3 sleeps to go poeple

[DaveB]

Lets hope it doesn't rain!

I've made up some hand wrappers we can use for demos or those who don't have a lathe or other type of stand to bring.

Am in serious need of sleep so if I disappear during the event just listen for the snoring ;D

94940

I've PM'd everybody with address details. If I missed anyone please let me know.

Cheers
Dave

[Apollo]

Dave

Mark and I will be there Sat until early afternoon and be back on Sun, but may be a bit late. Will bring some tables. Do you want us to bring chairs?

steve

[DaveB]

Steve,
I've got quite a few wooden chairs here that should do the job so I think we're good thanks.

If anyone has one of those outdoor pop up 3m x 3m gazebo sun shade things they could bring along it would be good.

Cheers
Dave

[chappie]

I can help out with that.
Iain

[DaveB]

Here are some pics of Day 1.


Mark Newcombe put the guys in touch with Ben and Darren from American Tackle:

94985 94986


Stu shaping a camo grip:

94987


Douglas's ellipticals:

94989


Dazza looking on as Pedro weaves some magic:

94988


Some nice handle assemblies:

94990


Owen with Douglas and Ian (Sid_Fishes):

94992


Steve (Apollo) wrapping a guide:

94991


Thousands of years ago, ancient Egyptians carefully wrapped their loved ones in bandages creating what we now know as mummies. Today the tradition lives on, and to prove it, here are some shots of a mummie rod:

94995 94996


Apollo, all I can say is it wasn't me, and here is the proof:

94994 94993

Looking forward to day 2!

[chappie]

Steve, it is obvious I was trying to stop Stu. Isn't it?

[Stuart]

DOH!!! It wasn't my idea, Im easily lead, misguided, I was smacked as a child, never told I could be anything, never received a certificate for just trying. My life was set in stone all those years ago. I never had a chance man. Please forgive my insolence, but mate that was funny. I even matched the empty purple fanta can to the bindings. Did you like the text-er butt-wrap?

Good putting faces to names.

Stu the mummy wrapper

[sid_fishes]

well, what can i say..
to Dave B ,his lovely wife and family that let us turn their life upside down for the weekend,i thank you very much
to mark,american tackle,ross from rod works ,cork4us and all that donated stuff ..i thank you
to owen and pedro for their time to show us their knowledge on weaves.i thank you
stu as always the life of the party
and to the crew, good to meet fellow builders and may we all progress to be better
and finally muddy and his partner in crime harden up and take the plunge
thanks for a great weekend guys
SID [ the deaf one ]

[DaveB]

Here are some pics from Day 2:


Douglas concentrating on a layout:

95073


Graham and Ian checking guide spacing on the group rod:

95072


Graham praying to the gods of rodbuilding:

95071 (not really, he's simply installing a grip :)):


Iain at work:

95070


Committee meeting:

95069


"How shall we decorate this?" thinks Mark: 95068


"I know! Lets make our own decal.": 95067


"Ta Daaa!": 95066


Pedro's Red Emperor:

95065



Steve:

95062


Thanks to our many sponsors:
95064 95063

regards
Dave

[Stuart]

I see Apollo managed to un wrap the masking tape, how long did it take? I bet it took much longer taking it off than putting it on.

Stu

[DaveB]

Wow, what a weekend!

The two days had very different "flavours": day 1 was a very social affair, with lots of catching up and settling in, and day 2 had more of a focus on getting rods finished or well underway. I thought both were great.

Highlights for me included:

Seeing EVA shaped on the lathe
Getting weaving tips including use of the cable tie
Working with Douglas to lay out a detailed a cross wrap pattern on his blank
Working with Mark (trymyluck) to decorate his rod with a custom decal
Speaking live with the American Tackle guys on Skype thanks to Mark Newcombe
Hot water trick for installing EVA grips
Seeing the custom rods that guys brought along
Catching up with friends and making new ones
Thanks to all those who attended and made the day a success. Thanks also to our sponsors who donated various gear including:

A Texaliam spinning blank from Troy at Wilson's
RodMaker magazines from Tom Kirkman
Samples of cork from Joaquim Loreiro (Cork4Us)
Mudhole promo gear and Rod Guild Journals from Ross Van Enckevort (The Rodworks)
American Tackle promo gear including reel seats, catalogues and the new Tidal Wave MicroWave guide sets
Components for the RBW Group Rod from Pedro
If I missed thanking anyone please accept my apologies!
If you were the recipient of any of these items it would be great form to send a quick note of thanks to the sponsor.

- - - - - - - - - -

The RBW Group Rod

We took the 10-14kg Texalium spinning blank and built it up with gimbal, hypalon grips, Alps reel seat and a great set of guides. Pedro assembled the butt section beforehand, we glued the tip on Saturday, came up with the guide spacing on the Sunday and then did the guide wraps (mostly Ian).

We would like to auction this great rod to the highest bidder, and donate the proceeds to a charity. As part of the auction I will finish the rod with a custom decal showing the winner's name (or name of boat or other text or logo as requested).

I am hoping somebody can take care of running the auction, and I will focus on epoxying the rod and doing the decal.

- - - - - - - - - -

Thanks to all who attended the SEQ RBW. I had a great time and am looking forward to the next one.

Cheers
Dave

[Muddy Toes]

My god men!!!!

Seeing pictures up here on Ausfish is one thing but to see these works of art in real life, and to see the skill level you guys possess was a pleasure I will not forget.

Dave, Ian, Graham, Pedro, Douglas, Steve and the homeless dude walking around aimlessly with a XXXX tinnie in his hand, thanks for the opportunity to come around for a squizz!!

[Owen]

Whilst I was only able to attend one day, it was good to keep up.
Good to see some work actually got done on Sunday.
Especially good to see Pedro finished his rendition of a juvenile Red Emperor.
Not often you can put a realistic representation of your PB on your rod
:LMAO:

[Ross van Enckevort]

Great to see you guys had a great week end, looks like a good time had by all! great to see rodbuilding being promoted.

Ross ;)

[grave41]

What can i say that hasn't already been said? Thanks Dave and everybody who attended it was good to catch up with the old faces and meet new ones.
Thanks to all the sponsors especially Mark Newcombe driving up from down south to meet the mob.
It was good to see a variety of different aspects of rod building getting done.
What else is there to say but thank you all till the next one.
Cheers Graham

[pedro473]

Whilst I was only able to attend one day, it was good to keep up.
Good to see some work actually got done on Sunday.
Especially good to see Pedro finished his rendition of a juvenile Red Emperor.
Not often you can put a realistic representation of your PB on your rod
:LMAO:

You idiot

Cheers
Pedro

[pedro473]

On a serious note it was great to finally put faces to names, I had a great time meeting all the mob and a special thanks to Dave for hosting a great couple of days.

Get in and put a bid on the auction rod, whoever gets it wont be disappointed and remember that all proceeds will go to a worthy charity (Undecided but suggestions welcome).

Cheers
Pedro

[Muddy Toes]

Have you guys thought about a silent auction?

Might be a heap easier to run via pm over the course of fortnight or so?

[Apollo]

I see Apollo managed to un wrap the masking tape, how long did it take? I bet it took much longer taking it off than putting it on.

Stu

Was a dog act Stuart.

[Apollo]

Wow, what a weekend!

The two days had very different "flavours": day 1 was a very social affair, with lots of catching up and settling in, and day 2 had more of a focus on getting rods finished or well underway. I thought both were great.

Highlights for me included:


Seeing EVA shaped on the lathe
Getting weaving tips including use of the cable tie
Working with Douglas to lay out a detailed a cross wrap pattern on his blank
Working with Mark (trymyluck) to decorate his rod with a custom decal
Speaking live with the American Tackle guys on Skype thanks to Mark Newcombe
Hot water trick for installing EVA grips
Seeing the custom rods that guys brought along
Catching up with friends and making new ones

Thanks to all those who attended and made the day a success. Thanks also to our sponsors who donated various gear including:


A Texaliam spinning blank from Troy at Wilson's
RodMaker magazines from Tom Kirkman
Samples of cork from Joaquim Loreiro (Cork4Us)
Mudhole promo gear and Rod Guild Journals from Ross Van Enckevort (The Rodworks)
American Tackle promo gear including reel seats, catalogues and the new Tidal Wave MicroWave guide sets
Components for the RBW Group Rod from Pedro

If I missed thanking anyone please accept my apologies!
If you were the recipient of any of these items it would be great form to send a quick note of thanks to the sponsor.

- - - - - - - - - -

The RBW Group Rod

We took the 10-14kg Texalium spinning blank and built it up with gimbal, hypalon grips, Alps reel seat and a great set of guides. Pedro assembled the butt section beforehand, we glued the tip on Saturday, came up with the guide spacing on the Sunday and then did the guide wraps (mostly Ian).

We would like to auction this great rod to the highest bidder, and donate the proceeds to a charity. As part of the auction I will finish the rod with a custom decal showing the winner's name (or name of boat or other text or logo as requested).

I am hoping somebody can take care of running the auction, and I will focus on epoxying the rod and doing the decal.

- - - - - - - - - -

Thanks to all who attended the SEQ RBW. I had a great time and am looking forward to the next one.

Cheers
Dave

Thanks Dave for hosting this and to all those that helped me out when I had a question. Still very much learning and appreciated the assistance. I am inspired by the work you guys do.

Steven

[sid_fishes]

so when do we start bidding for the group rod

[DaveB]

I reckon once the epoxy goes on I can take some nice photos and then that will give folks a good idea of what it is they're bidding on. And maybe put some posts on the other boards, not just the rodbuilding board, to get the word out there.

[Stuart]

Why dont you send the rod up to me and I can coat it?

Stu

[DaveB]

In masking tape? :hammer:

[Stuart]

Smart arse. Send it up so I can coat it.

[sid_fishes]

geez.... thats what we wanted you to do on the weekend
i,m so over these poeple who think its a crime to share
i go out of my way to help poeple, and then they want to give nothing in return
i now know why scott [finga] does not go out of his way
and i guess i wont be anymore

[wags on the water]

...........deleted post............

[Stuart]

Geez Ian, thats a bit rough If its directed at me mate. Lets put it into perspective. I volunteer to help you guys, I think Im the only full time rod builder in Australia that does these workshops at no charge. I run my custom rod business full time which is hard going. I dont get paid for these weekends and I dont expect to be paid, its never come up at anytime. I pay for my own fuel and travel the 1.5 hours each way. I had to work on the Sunday to get an order out on time, this didnt happen as I spent the Saturday helping you guys.

I have donated my time and my 22 years of rod building expertise every year.

I didnt do any coating because you guys had no rods to be coated, thats not my fault mate. Its not my job to organize people to have rods ready to go. My job is to advise, demonstrate if and when needed, which by the way I have done year in and year out. If you wanted to see how I coat which I really wanted to do this year, then you or someone should have had a lathe and rod ready for me to teach you. If you want me to show you how to coat then by all means come up and I will show you.

How many in this great land is so open to show people what I know,bugger all. Yes, there are some fascist's of my trade so to speak, that I wont show anyone, thats my trade advantage. I know there are many rod builder in this country as well as overseas that would love to know how I achieve the finish I do. Well, thats taken me over 10 years to master, not 10 days, not 10 weeks, not 10 months, 10 years.

If your pissed off with me, well I cant help you mate, thats something you will need to work out. If you guys are frustrated then you have a mouth, use it, speak, tell me or who ever is hosting the weekend what you want, simple really. No point in throwing your hands up in the air if you haven't verbalized to anyone what you want to learn.

Saturday was a bit of a lost opportunity IMO. Again, not my fault.

Stu

[DaveB]

For what it's worth, when bouncing around ideas prior to the weekend, Stu indicated to me that he thought an epoxying demo would be good. Had I been more organised we would have done one on Saturday. My fault for setting expectations a bit high and biting off more than I could chew.

It's bloody hard getting these events off the ground, and the next time myself or anyone else goes to organise one the last thing we need is to be battling against grudges caused by misunderstandings. We covered some good ground on the weekend, and there's lots of scope for more things we can cover on the next one.

Lets kiss and make up and focus on rod building.

Cheers
Dave

[Stuart]

Dave,

I really do appreciate the effort you put in mate, its a big job and you did extremely well, so a big thank you from me. I wanted to focus more on coating as this is the area that most full into trouble. I bought all my tools of the trade to do the demo but there was no rod or rods to coat, so they stayed int he car. I have a great time each and every rod building weekend, all the guys are great and we all get on. Lets not get into a shit fight over something so petty as not seeing a rod coated. Like I said, if anyone wants a tuition on the subject, I'm always happy to show them.
At the end of the day, its just building a friggen rod, its not brain surgery, rocket science. I have made some life long friends through this craft. Most of which are down to earth people, my kind of folk. I have no hang ups, Im not arrogant enough that Im to good to show the lesser rod builder, I can name many like that though.

Now, kiss and make up, I dont kiss guys Dave, maybe you can have my turn mate. I dont hold any grudges towards anyone. if you have a problem, then please call my complaints department, they will be sure to get onto straight away.

Stufart

XOXO

[pedro473]

For what its worth I thought everyone shared ideas pretty well over the weekend but unfortunately we all did more socialising than rod building on Saturday.


Dave did a great job of organising the weekend ( Tough gig ) thanks again Dave

Like Stuart said if anyone wants some tuition on how to apply coating then all they have to do is ask. When time permits I would also be only to happy to show how I apply coating and while my results are not always as good as Stu's they are still pretty good.

My 2 cents

Cheers
Pedro

[sid_fishes]

guys ,i,m sorry for my outburst... my new meds are not what they seem
i know what dave put into this ,and i thank him dearly
stu, mate i know how much time u give up
and to anyone else i have upset i,m sorry
Ian

[Stuart]

All good this end mate. I dont hold grudges, I dont worry to much about mates that have an outbursts from time to time, If I did I would be a lonely man.

[DaveB]

::)
At the height of my chemotherapy I absolutely let rip in some emails to some good friends. Lucky for me they saw it was the chemo talking and not me, so I understand entirely.
Looking forward to helping you get going with the software, and catching up more regularly.

cheers
Dave

[Stuart]

So back to the subject, please send the rod up to me so I can coat it real nice.

On another note, I think it would be great to hold a no frills weekend just on binding and coating techniques,any tackers.
There are plenty of tricks to binding which in turn, helps to achieve a perfect coating.

[Apollo]

I will bring the masking tape!;)

[Stuart]

Faaaark, Im never going to live this one down am I????

[grave41]

Im sitting here late at night lmao at the possibilities of Apollo near Stuart with masking tape.
Graham

[russ71]

G'day gents,
I've just read the threads and I've been building rods for about 2 years now for myself and friends and was wondering if you know if these type of workshop weekends happen in Victoria? I would love to attend one of your next workshops if possible, also is there a site etc where you can get tutoring or where I could attend rod building classes etc on the easting side of Aus?

regards
Russ

[DaveB]

Hey Russ,
What it takes to get one these things off the ground is one or two who know what they're doing (or are at least enthusiastic) to organise it, a venue, and a way of getting the word out (forums, facebook, emails etc). I would say enthusiasm is the main requirement.

Some sources of info are this site, rodbuilding.org, the NERBs facebook, rodbuildingtutorials.com, bdoutdoors.com rodbuilding forum, etc. Some are Q&A type sites, others are reference libraries, others are places to post pics and get various comments and opinions.

Happy to send you more info by email or PM if that helps. I'm amazed how many people are willing to share their time and rod building info with others once there is a means in place, such as a web forum or a physical gathering. The challenge at first is knowing where to begin.

Cheers
Dave

[russ71]

Thanks for the prompt reply and info Dave,
I'm no expert into rod building, been doing it as a hobby for around two years now, I got sick of working on cars and boats etc as a hobby, so I thought I'd give it a go, now I'm hooked and love building rods for my self friends and family.
I've been into the rodbuilding org site, but haven't heard of the other sites. I have been getting info of a local rod builder, he mainly does repairs but when I show him custom grips I've made from EVA, and weaves etc he was amazed, as he hadn't seen it before, ( his retired and doesn't have a PC)

I'm interested if you have another workshop down the track, I would do my best to make to the trip up. As with setting one up, I couldn't see one getting of the ground in Melbourne, due to not knowing enough local rod builders etc, there's one guy I know who works at the local ramp at Patterson river who builds rod as a profession, so I will start with him for more local knowledge etc.
Anyway I would love to ask you some questions, so I will send an email.

cheers

Russ