# First boo rod



## Beaglernr (Dec 1, 2002)

Well, I will share my excitement at building my first bamboo rod this year. One of my buds started to make them several years ago from on of John Longs classes. After casting several rods I am buiding a blond nodeless Martha Marie for streamer/nymph fishing. Coumb is cut, strips glued, 3 are rouph planned. If all goes well I will be doing finally planing in two weeks, hot darn. Who knows, if all goes well maybe I can finally meet some of you folks on the stream with it the upcomming season.


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## fishinlk (Apr 14, 2000)

Cool! 
As far as a binder are you borrowing, buying or building? Also what did you opt for as far as a block plane?

The binders are soooo expensive I think I'm going to end up building one.


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## Beaglernr (Dec 1, 2002)

Fish,
You would not believe how nice of gear my buds have made from stuff you buy in the store. There binders are outstanding and all of the gears, aluminum and such are picked up from your local hardware store. AND..they bind straight !!!!! There are plans for binders in Wayne Caluchuck (sp) books plus the Lovely Cane. 
Rod has built his own:
Winder
Drying chamber..Foam insulation duct taped together, works like a dream, one 60 watt bulb keeps it at 70 degrees.
One drain tube, a plastic cover for florecent lights, pet cock and some scrap wood..again all hardware store stuff.
His heat treat furnace...so darn cool, some duct work, heat gun (electric hair dryer style) and some scrap wood. 
His rouph forms he and a bud made out of some ash strips, again cost is just the 4ft ash strips and screws.
His big expenses were his plane form..affordable one he picked up in Canada, american he paid like 200 bucks. He is thinking of upgrading to a high end one for around 800.
His Planes and blades. He has found Hock?? (sp) blades to be fantastic. He picked up one Lies-Nelson plane and has a couple Stanly 9 1/2s. Other things he picked up, jap water stone set..and a fixture to help him sharpend his plane blades.

My place is a bit small but right now I am making plans in my head where I can set up a shop downstairs and make a few rods here and there. So fish, are you making rods also???
Too cool


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## fishinlk (Apr 14, 2000)

Getting ready to. I just recently bought a plane form, a pile of books and some rods to restore from trout. Currently I'm in the "acquiring tools and beginning to read" phase. I was intimidated at the prices of the binder and the block planes but I recently found I can get the Stanley 9 1/2's on ebay pretty reasonably and there is a rod maker (Jeff Wagner) located near me that sells a Record brand plane as an affordable answer for $50. He also carries quite a variety of other tools in various price ranges tailored to both the high end and the budget prices. It will probably be at least 6 months before I'll start splitting any cane.


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## Beaglernr (Dec 1, 2002)

Fish,
Outstanding and yes, those planes are great but get the best blades you can buy. Have you been to any classes or gatherings yet??? There is one labor day weekend in Canda on the Grand river. My buds went there last year and had a great time. They say that the current rod builders will tell you anything they do, what varnish, glues, how they plane very very helpful PLUS...you can cast about 100 finished rods and get an idea what the different rods feel and how they preform. 
If you are going to get into nodless rods, give me a PM, I make nodeless scarfing tools that the guys love, price is reasonable. 
I finished my rouph planing Sat, we used Rods binder, darn cool and the whole thing cost hims something like 10 bucks to build. Anys, heat treated the strips and today I will start the finish plane. Just something to tell you, those darn boo strips are sharp, three cuts on my fingers when I forgot to put on leather gloves cause I was too macho...end result, blood on the blank.
I bet you are going to love this stuff.


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## fishinlk (Apr 14, 2000)

I think I might try to attend the June rodmakers gathering in Grayling since I'll be in the area anyway. I ate dinner with a couple of the guys last year at the Trout Bum BBQ that the fly factory has so I'll at least have a familier face or two to start. 

I'm still undecided on the nodeless rod idea. The Cleveland Natural History Museum had a very nice display that ended Jan. 14th that was on loan from the National Flyfishing Museum. It had quite an impressive display of cane rods made by the various makers both individual and production. It also had an old movie of Everett Garrison making a nodeless rod, pretty cool. I'm really looking forward to trying this, I just hope I have the talent to do it. Tying flies is the only manual skill I've seemed to have any real knack for at all over all the years. I'll look you up upabout the tool if I go the nodeless route.


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## Beaglernr (Dec 1, 2002)

Look me up at the Trout bum, look forward to meeting you and yep, I suspect if you can tie flies you can make a boo rod. Having my buds mentor me through one is a huge help. I would hate to just work out of a book..whew.
Hey, sounds like you have a great exhibit to check out.
I started my finally form planing today. managed to get two strips done, just 10 more to go and then glue time.


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## fishinlk (Apr 14, 2000)

How's progress????


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## Beaglernr (Dec 1, 2002)

Thanks for asking, I started the final planing last week, so darn fun. Very interesting how to set up the forms, fine tune them in and do the finish plane work. I have about half the butts done and should finsh them this Sunday. I had a real treat, John Long, Dave J. were there so I had the opourtunity to listen to experienced rod builders talk and learn what they have done. 
My bud was out west in a Golf clinic...good grief he has turned to the dark side. but this Sunday I will be back at it with planes in hand. An fun note, I made a couple blades for my planes this week, looking forward to seeing how they stand up and work on the bamboo. 
I may borrow his rouph forms and start a second rod at home while the first rod is getting finished. Not postive if my second one will be a Payne98 or a Paul Young Perfectionst, still thinking on that.


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## Beaglernr (Dec 1, 2002)

Exticting times, I finished planing on the butt section, darn it is fun to see the strips together with tap, actually looks like a butt section. I have the tip strips planed to the butt size, sort of a pre-plane to make it easier to do the smaller tappers and also it helps fine tune the plane form so it is perfect for the butts.
Next week, tip section to plane then glue and bind time.

I took home the other half of the Culm (sp). I plan on getting it ready and split for my next rod. I got to cast a Wara taper, nice 7 1/2 5wt, sweet sweet rod so now I have plans to build one of those also. Darn, only 10 weeks or so till trout season.

Who knows, maybe next season if I can get my rear in gear I will finally get the stuff together and make a ceder strip canoe as an accessory (love that term) for the bamboo rod.


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## Beaglernr (Dec 1, 2002)

Fish,
Just an update after one busy week. I took the culm home last week, sawed out the node, scarfed and made strip for two more rods so three single tip blonde rods out of one pole, not bad for a beginner. I managed to get one of the two new sets rouph planed out so all I have to do is bind and heat treat them. I figure to get my second one rouph planed out so this up comming weekend I may, just may have all the rods to bind !!!!

OK, I am working 12 hour this week the 3am to 3:30 thing so after work I went over to Rods and started on my tip sections. After setting up the form I did my first strip, only a few minor adjustments and the whole strip came out half a thousands withing specs..hot darn. Fish, if you ever get into this, I can not say enouph about a plane made by Lie-Nelson (sp) Fits my hand like a dream and we were taking off half thou shavings it just sort of sings while it goes down the section...They are $150.00 but I can see that one of those will be in my shop bag soon, the Stanley 9 1/2s are ok but just do not compaire at all.

The tips on a Martha Marie are .035 thick, talk about high stress time planeing something that fine, my stomach was in knots but the three strips I have done are fine.

Ok..next, finish planeing the tip, glue and bind the tip section, butt section...Darn..it is close. 

I figure when I bind the tips and butts to also bind the other two rods and heat treat them also. 

I have plans for a binder, time to start getting the stuff to build one...


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## fishinlk (Apr 14, 2000)

Thanks for the update, sounds like it's getting there, and turning into a culm splitting fiend in the process!

Is the Lei-Nielsen that much better for adjustments or is it just the fit in the hand? I'm hopping to start splitting cane come Sept.-Oct. if the tool budget goes well. shall see. If I play my cards right I may get to try out the Stanley, Record and Lei Nielsen before I actually buy one. That would be nice.


Keep me posted on progress, 

Lance


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## Beaglernr (Dec 1, 2002)

Lance,
The Lie-Nelson is 200 percent better than a Stanley as fit in hand, no chatter, ablitiy to make fine adjustments, the blade stays put once you set it up, just one solid pc of gear !!!!

Trust me, I have put a number of hours into my Stanley 9 1/2 which include grinding the sides and bottom square, grinding the bottom dead flat then lapping the bottom with diamond compound on a lapping table. (yes I have access to such gear) but for those who do not have access a nice piece of glass and wet/dry sand paper and lots of elbow grease will work.

I have trued up the bed for the blade, made heavy duty blades, 1/8 inch thick out of A2 Rc 62

Rounded all of the square or sharp corners so there will be no points to rub and cause hot spots while working.

I have trued up the movable sole, deburned all of the adjustment levers ect ect..in short a delux treatment..and still the Lie-Nelso is out of the box better. As I say, once you use one you will get one.

Just a note, I have put a channel in the bottom of a number of planes for rod builders and it really makes a difference so if you are ordering one from the factory, get the option. If you are near me, I normally can turn a plane around in a day or two.

Be sure to keep us posted when you start making your rod, too cool.


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## Beaglernr (Dec 1, 2002)

Fish, 
Today was one high stress day...I finished off the tip sections..darn thin. SO....once they are finished planing the tips, all of the strips, tip and butt section are then glued and run through the binder....oh man when that tip section was winding down the stress was off the chart. I then found out how you twist, straighten the wet rod to get it as true as possible. BUT..the tip section came off the binder just straight and true. Monday or tuesday I will pick them up and start the process of scraping off the glue/thread and get this rascals ready for coating...darn this is exciting.


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## fishinlk (Apr 14, 2000)

You are making a single tip rod right?


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## Beaglernr (Dec 1, 2002)

Fish,
Yes, I am making single tips. According to the guys with the modern glue, better process they are finding rods do not take "sets" like some of the ones from the 50s and such. I know Rod fished his Paul Young midge for three days straight and there was no set, no problems. As another person jokingly said, what the heck, make two or three rods and just rotate them.
I hate to admitt it, but right now I have one glued up, two rouph planed and I am already thinking of splitting some more cane for a couple more rods I want to build to use this year...I think the bamboo bug has gotten ahold of me...darn....anyone want to buy a shotgun reloader or Sage fly rod??? Need to make room for this new addiction.


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## Beaglernr (Dec 1, 2002)

Fish, well I have my blanks now, after the glue has dryed the binding thread must be carefully unwound. I found out why only a few wraps on the ends is preferable to my many wraps and half hitches. Trimming off that hard glue soaked thread is nerve wracking in the tip section where you do not want to cut the rod and create a weak spot.

Next, I am scraping off the glue then sanding the rod starting with 360, then 400 and finally 600 grit wet/dry sand paper. 

If all goes well, my Martha Marie will be sanded by next tuesday and....my second rod will have the sections finished. Right now second rod will probaly be the Bill Wara 7 1/2 ft 5wt. I cast one and it was smooth with plenty of reserve power. I am changing my third rod from a Paul Young Perfectionsist to a Paul Young Midge 6ft3inch 4wt. Who knows, if I recast the prefectionsist I may change my mind again.


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## Beaglernr (Dec 1, 2002)

The rod is sanded, scraped and feels and looks wonderful. I was a bit agressive on the sanding so there are spots here and there that are a bit undersized. Lesson learned, can not do enouph prep in node pressing or scarf joint smoothing before the final planing.
Tonight we put on the fureles (sp). 
First thing we did was Rod had me taper and crown the ferules, darn I can not spell. The crowning took maybe half a hour but darn it really makes that area look wonderful. 
Next we chucked up the rod in his little lathe, turned down the blank to fit the Ferules, fitted them...and then..after smoothing the blank and making it a fantasic transition for thread..glued them on with golf glue. 
Rod had me line up the crowned tabs so that no one would hit a peak and the line is a smooth transition from the blank to the ferule. It almost looks line on line and there will be no breaks when the thread is applied..

My next rod, Warra 7 1/2 ft 5wt is finished planed and waiting to be glued in my next rod building session. I took the time to mic every strip and record it to see how the sections interact for the finish product. 

If all goes well I will be picking up two or three more culms this Friday to have for my next batch of rods, node ones this time. I am thinking of Payne 98s, a couple perfections and a midge.


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## fishinlk (Apr 14, 2000)

You did say you are doing blonde cane right??? I'm waiting for pics!! What color wraps are you going to use?


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## Beaglernr (Dec 1, 2002)

Fish, Great question of thread color, that was one of the things we were debating last night. Yes, it is going to be blonde with birdseye maple reel seat. Right now the color choises are red with black tips, a possible orange color. A muted brown. Rod made a very cool test strip where all 6 sides are of a different color and it demos how the silk thread changes with different backgrounds. So, thread choise is still up in the air, I just wish the thread companies would give out samples so I could make test strips and get a visual idea what they look like on a rod after varnishing. 
If all goes well, my bud has a digital camera, will have him take pictures so I can post them. I have no idea how but will learn or find someone on line here who can talk me through the process.
I was given the name of someone who just picked up a bundle of bamboo, Friday I am going to buy two or three more culms from him so hot darn, node rods are just around the corner. I am starting to wonder if there is a bamboo rod recovery center somewhere, I may need it. Oh wait, yes it is called a trout river.
Are you heading to the midwest show this weekend? I will be there on Sunday.


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