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Rod build...

2K views 14 replies 5 participants last post by  mikejd 
#1 ·
So I'm thinking of finally breaking down and building my own rod. I've been looking at components and trying to decide on what guides I want. Has anyone tried the "Microwave" style guides? I'm curious as to their performance.
 
#2 ·
I've never tried and they've always struck me as extremely gimmickie. If anything they are going add drag to the cast and hold back distance. The more times you line makes contact with a guide the less distance you're going to get. They are also going to change the line angle to the spool which I'm not super fond of. All that said, I have no experience so maybe they're the greatest thing ever. I just dont see it. Me, I'm buying top end Silcone Carbide or ceramics and sticking with that. Ironically I'm building a new rod too. I think I'm going to sell my currently back up here and build a new one. It's been a while. I need to build at least 1-2 each year.
 
#5 ·
Well, the above statements aren't really the truth of the matter. I've built many rods--this year-- with those microwave guides. I too, was actually skeptical about the true performance versus the "gimmicky" sales in the fishing industry. After building the first five rods and casting all, the rods did actually cast the line very accurately and extremely far. I use the 27X guide method when building my rods,so this will out perform any rod out there that is still using the COF-(cone of flight) guide set-ups. The microwave guide set-up will match the same distance that I get using the 27X guide set-up.
Your thoughts about building a rod using these guides doesn't state what rod your using. Your set will come with 9 guides and I'm sure there will be enough for your rod build. Instructions on where to mount the guides on your rod will be included in the package. I'm sitting here typing this with 4 sets in front of me that were delivered today from my distributor.
For demonstration purposes, I could let you cast one of my personal rods with them on if you were in my area.

Big D
 
#7 ·
Applicable? Well that's up to the individual. Expensive? again, what are you looking to achieve? You mentioned SiC's. I'm picking on you just for a reference, nothing personal. Silicones are expensive too. Then look at your set-up and think mass. If you don't think mass plays a part, try tying on a balloon on your tip and try casting the rod. Balloons weight nothing but to prove an exaggerated point, mass will affect your rods performance. Too much thread, epoxy too thick, too many guides or too big and it will make a difference. The further towards the tip, the more it effects the rod. Why worry? Well, we don't have to but I think our goal is to build the best rod that we can and make it the most efficient to boot. As for the cost, I'm not sure where you find that price but my price is cheaper, but then again I get items at wholesale.
My thoughts for a small stream rod might be different than yours, or anyone else's. I'll go out on a limb and say the rod is 5 foot. I've built shorter and longer but that seems to be the standard.--whoever picks standards!!! My thoughts are a "fast tip" if anyone wishes to explain what they feel a fast tip is. A tip that gives a softer feel for a short distance and is prone to tip bounce, is a pretty good explanation for the layman. The tip needs to have very little in the way of weight or mass attached to this. When looking at the Microwave guides, your first guide will be a #20 with a #6 encased inside of that. This narrows the line down to begin it's straight forward motion. Just like a bullet, lines have to travel straight to travel further. the more wobble, the less distance. You mentioned about the line coming into contact with a guides, the more contact, the slower the line. With that theory, we should attach #30 guides all the way up the rod. No touch. This was not an uncommon thought years ago. It was once said that "bigger is better" and that still rings out with some folk. Science, cameras and photography shows this not to be the case any more. A lot of R&D has gone into that and it has been found that smaller is better but more importantly, making the line get into a straight forward path as soon as it gets off the reel is the most important. Back to the Microwaves. the first is 20/6, then a #6 and then #4 from the up to the tip. Very good set-up for any rod. Length of the rod has nothing to do with it. Sounds like a bold statement--and it is. After the third guide from the reel, the rest of the guides are just there to continue guiding the line down the path of the blank. It's impossible to say that the longer the rod, the better the guides work. Each rod has in it, a distance the rod will cast a line. Once that distance is reached, that's it. the longer the rod, the further that distance will be. That's why we have 10-12 foot rods for surf fishing. How we get that distance and the amount of energy we use to reach that goal will depend on the guide train. Long story huh??

Anyway to answer that question is yes. It is applicable. You already snap your wrist to make that cast. The less fatigue you endure the longer you will stay on the water. Anything that I can do to make my rod more comfortable is worth every penny.
Now here is the monkey wrench. My small streams rod(s) (personal) have Recoil guides on set at #16,#8,#4,#4,#4,#4,tip is #4. My personal rod will cast just like a rod with Microwaves on it. But that was only after fine tuning my guides to mount at the best location after trail and error. Microwaves take the guess work out of doing that.

Big D
 
#8 ·
Did a lot of reading and the jury seems out on the Micros. Some love them and some seem to feel they dont offer a lot (but still like them). Now the 27x guide spacing is cool. I'd never heard about that, granted I spend very little time reading up on rod building.

There was a nice fella on here that gave me some wonderful constructive critism about my personal rods a year or so ago. Told me a lot of things I was doing wrong and I've changed all them. Waaaay too much wrapping, too much epoxy, all sorts of stuff. I appreciated that and listened. Always happy to learn about the many things I dont know about rod building. I admit my style is crude at best. Effective haha.....but crude. I'm not professional though that's for sure.
 
#9 ·
Lots of good info here, thanks for chiming in. I'm trying to get as much info as I can before I start buying components. I'm trying to figure out if I can get a trip in over your way just to try a rod with the microwaves on it. My schedule between work and kids is hectic though, lol.
 
#10 ·
There used to be a sticky post that I posted about making your own hand wrapping tool, but its not visible anymore. I wanted to directed you to that because the start up for the equipment and tools for making custom rods can be quite high. I remember my first rod dryer was a drill on the slowest speed, every 2hrs I had to change out the battery to the drill.

Some advice I could give you, take your time when making your rod, decide the dimensions and the feel you want to achieve. There are a lot of different styles of blanks to choose from so dont buy one without ever experiencing the feel. Have fun with building your rod too. First rod I made I had a guy ask me where I bought it as, it felt good to tell him that I made it myself.

I posted a YouTube video not too long ago about Diamond Wraps and how I make mine. If you want, check it out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9z6S7Dyklx4. Now granted, I had made 20 rods before I tried to create Open Diamond Wraps, but its fun to try your hand at it.
 
#11 ·
It's still in the forum G2C. You just have to search through your posts byu clicking on your screen name and search recent posts. It would probably take you about 5 minutes to located. You could also try searching 'Building your own rod poor man style'. I removed the sticked as a lot of the info in my original post was dated and the fact that I had it up for years.
 
#12 ·
I read your tutorial Trout, it's actually what led me awhile back to thinking I may try my hand at it. My thought on the turning motor is to use a slower turning motor that I can salvage, if I need to I can put it on a dimmer switch and slow it down more. The one thing that I'm almost positive I'm going to need to buy are the cork reamer tools for creating the handles. I just don't know of any other way to get the exact taper without those grit reamers. I'll try and find your tutorial tonight G2C.
 
#13 ·
I was about to go to the junk yard and find an old microwave and take the motor out of it and rig up a rod dryer, but I ended up buying one for $30 bucks. Also, a cork reamer is nice, especially one with the taper that matches the blanks. I hook mine up to a drill, run it in reverse and in no time your cork is reamed out.
I saw a video awhile back about a guy who made his reamers by wrapping old, broken rods in sand paper, seemed to work but I dont have any old blanks laying around.

I also have 4 videos on my Youtube Channel showing the steps of how I make my rods start to finish.
 
#14 ·
For a reamer, make your own. Go to a yard sale, garage sale or any place you can think of to find an old rod for sale in the 1-5 dollar range. Cut it apart and make your reamers. Buy sand paper and some crazy glue. Cut the sand paper in 1/2" strips and glue it on the blank in a spiral direction. Glue a wooden dowel into the larger end of the blank and glue that in there. Use this in your drill and run the motor backwards. WHY? well the reamer will dig into the cork and get stuck.
Creekside, send me a PM and I'll get with you next week and I'll give you some extra parts to get you started. I'll need a phone number. I'll be up in Tioga county for the 4th.
I can also guide you to some professional forums on rod building and finding suppliers. One of the better cork suppliers is right here in PA.

Big D
 
#15 ·
My first post around here guys but since I have been building for a long time maybe I can help out. Batson makes a beautiful reamer set. It has 4 sizes and the handle is interchangeable. Its pretty inexpensive and lasts a really long time. It even comes with spare paper when the time should arise. I have literally reamed miles of hypolaon grips and I am still on my original paper.

http://www.jannsnetcraft.com/rod-building-tools/025551000002.aspx
 
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