Oh there were tears & some swearing

[Adam_G]

Hi,

I am, sorry was, moving along quite well with my second rod attempt. Been busy at work so every second or third night I would duck out to the shed for half an hour or so to play with the rod.

I thought I will try to get a bit more tricky this time and do the underbinding in black with a gold trim at each end and in the centre. All sounds good, so after a week and a half the under binding is finished and I say 'Adam you've done a bloody good job this time'.

I spoke too soon.

The next night I went out to start binding the guides and guess what? Some idiot, I wont name names can't use a measuring tape and all the underbinding is shorter than the guide feet. Should I stop typing now? Everyone back on their chairs? Well we all know what happens next, out comes the knife and off goes the underbinding (this is the tears and swearing).

So while I drowned my sorrows in home brew I picked up a grid pad and started drawing (didn't have any plans just made it up from watching the Doc Ski DVD). The result is attached and I might re start the underbinding this weekend.

Happy building
Adam

[finga]

If that's the worse you do then it's a good day I reckon.
I usually do the bindings at least twice until I'm happy.

Wait until you send about 10 hrs on a wrap and you go out to get a drink and come back and the cats using the wrap for a scratching post.

But the weave is good. You've got more courage then me in doing one.

[Adam_G]

Thanks Scott, I know it's a very basic weave but it was fun, a few scary moments towards the end where the gold started to unravel!

Adam

[txlady]

Just wait until you have the entire rod completed and then you take a look at it and discover that the guides and reelseat are not aligned correctly !!....And...to boot...it is on a hugh saltwater rod !!....Believe me, that is the time to pull your hair out.!!!!!..
I really talked to God about that one....BUT....I never repeated that error !!



MaryLou..

[Adam_G]

You guys arn't helping here! I hoped I would get better with practice!!

Adam

[dogsbody]

Doh. I hate it when you trim the tag off and you nick the thread and it all unravels AARRGGGHHHH!

You're a brave man to get into the wrap dept.

Dave

[Lucky_Phill]

agreed Adam..... the weaves are something i have not attempted yet. I have Dave Boyles DVD and have even got to the stage of printing out a recipe for the " Ausfish Fish logo ", but that's as far as I have gone.

I have enough trouble with cross wraps.

One of my first mistakes was to underbind in black,,, on a black blank with black overbinds. FFS........ doh !

AS others have said.... what happened to your underbinds is nothing compared to what could and has happened.

Keep going with those weaves.....

Phill

[sandyd]

Now I have to ask each and everyone of you, "but ain't it fun".

Adam good job on the weave as you started from scratch and did it the hard way, that was how I started weaving to and by listening to Doc's DVD.
But I also have a notch in my belt as i have been taught by the master himself and spend a week listening and drinking and drinking and drinking oh and did I mention drinking?

A mistake in my books is something you continue to do so as long as you learn from it then you can put this one down to experimentation.

MaryLou I hear you loud and clear just only 2 weeks ago I fixed one of those little experiments up.

[garryh]

I agree totally with sandy, you learn by your mistakes, just got to remember not to do them again.
Last one of mine was a weave i was all excited about, took ages to do on pictoweave. Was in a rush to start it and set it all up on the rod, 80 threads, two layers. Started weave and then realised i was doing it on the wrong blank.

Now i take my time setting up and keep checking and rechecking as i go.

[Adam_G]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I just finished the rod on the weekend and I must say it looks a lot better than the first one.

Specs:
Cheap blank (at a guess 4-6kg) 1920mm long, slow to medium action, to be used as a baitcaster (bait fishing in the bay, trolling in the esturies)

Fuji guides and reel seat.

Thread Gudebrod size A Black and HT metalic Ole gold for trim. (the next rod will be the same colour as that is all I have)

I might have a crack at a diamond wrap next, can anyone point me in the right direction to find some instruction?

Thanks

Adam

[Noelm]

a plain old Diamond is fairly simple, there is a hundred books, but I think the one by Dale Clemens is the easiest to follow, I guess someone might be able to describe it to you here, but it would be a task (I think) and on the gold/black, that is almost all I ever use now, almost all my Custom rods are like that.