Wanted to thank Mike for opening up his home to us today. He allowed us the use of his workshop and gave us all some knowledge and insight into the world of rodbuilding. You can read all the books and ask a ton of questions on this sight, but standing there and being able to watch someone do it, is priceless. Also wanted to thank Chris and Tom for lending us their knowledge the craft. Now if I can only remember half of what I was tought.
Thank you Gentlemen
Bob

Yes! (Just about to start the same thread too :D ) Mike, Chris & Tom , Mrs T & Felicia - thanks for having everyone over for the Rod Party!

I wish I could have stayed for more than a few minutes but duty calls... I was good to see a lot of guys taking their first crack at building a first rod. The fish are always a little more satisfying when caught on your home built custom stick!

Also thumbs up Goose for helping out too - and awesome Venni Steak Sandwich :kewl:

Looking to see some pics from you all and I was beginning to wonder if you were all still there (takes a little longer to do a rod than a plug ;) )

Couldn't ask for a better way to spend a winter afternoon then with a bunch S-B heads. Mike and Barbra, thank you for your warm hospitalty. Scallops where great!! Nice to have met Chris(passing-gas) rod builder from H3LL, also nice to see everyone else. We are very lucky to have guys like Mike to go all out like he did! :btu: Now that we got great lookin rods we can attract more women I mean fish.:)

Yes, a BIG Thank you to Mike and Mrs T. for their generous hospitality today :) It really was an eye opening experience, I learned alot of stuff and really got the basics down for wrapping rods. There sure is a lot to it. Thanks to everyone for helping out also, thanks for the food:happy: Goose , the venni was excellant. and thanks for the help on the rod, Thank you too Pasngas, you guys know your stuff. There's different ways to accomplish the same end result kind of like building plugs. And it's not all that hard to do with lots of advice and guidence from great people.

Chris is still at the house.so we are sending a couple of pics.

/

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A big thank you to mike t and mrs t for the great hospitality.it was nice spending the afternoon with a bunch of guys that has all kinds of knowledge to share.the experience was incredible.goose the veni was awesome as usual.you keep surprising me with youre knowledge.and thank you again mike t for the patience to spend time with myself and evrybody else.and to meet new faces.

I don't know how you guys do it, but you do FANTASTIC work. The examples I saw and those pics are outstanding .
It was nice to meet some more guys from the site today also.

Thank you guys, a nice time was had by all. Good to put a face to a screen name.

I enjoy helping out it keeps the craft "fresh".

If ever you need help building, stuck on how to do something send me a PM for my phone # I am more than glad to help out if I can. No secrets here.

I must say though the venison was the icing on the cake, thanks Goose. We'll have to get together sometime so I can show you how to put bubbles in the epoxy, the more bubbles the happier it gets.

I cant beleive how fast the day went, sign of a good time

Feel free to ask question's just hope I can help

Chris:smash:

" Its not rocket science "

Well I would like to thanks Mike and Mrs. T for their hospitality. This was an eye opening experience. I learned alot today. Thanks to Chris he was a big help. It is very time consuming, but well worth it. Goose good veni, and thanks for wrapping my wifes rod. When I got home all I could do was think about getting those guides on. So here is the first one. I added some silver trim on the end of the overwrap. :eek: :happy:

Bill I never knew you looked that good in PINK!!!

:laughs:


But seriously NICE JOB!!!

Seeing the pics of those butt wraps make me wish I had been able to attend but had to work.:yawn:


Now if I can ever finish making the wrapper I decided to build(right in the middle of making a rod no less) I can get the Lami done!!

Patience is a virtue!! But you either have it or ya dont!!


Russ

YO !
Thanks for the great time . What a way to spend a winters day . I want to thank Mike and Barbara for a great time ( mike if you ever want to change the wire for your computer let me know I can make it into one wire ) , Goose for the veni burgers and Chris and Tom for their expert info . ood to see old faces and new ones too . See ya on the 15th .

now u all had a taste of how ya build a rod .......an now have a bit of appreceation is to the time an effort it takes how much do u think a custom rod should cost?

Hey Bill - burnish those wraps would ya. I can see the pink leeching thru the black already - looks like one of my rods! (The leak, not the pink :rolleyes: )

:o I like pink, it matches my steak.

Like everyone else, I too had a great time at the rodbuilding fling. I'd like to wholeheartedly thank Mike and Barbara for their generous hospitality and help, Chris (passngas) for his patient help, and Tony for that tasty venison. It was great to put faces to the names on the board as well. I'm glad I attended this before trying rod building on my own as I probably would have had guides popping off and reel seats spinning from the very first schoolie. Nevertheless, I had a great time, and confirmed that this site is populated by some really nice people. Thanks Everyone.

"What are we doing before the Superbowl party today?" My fiance asked.

"I don't know"

"You're not going to spend all day continuing to wrap that rod are you?"

"Uhhhhhh..." was about all I could manage.

I know I will be wrapping today. I rewrapped that guide John, It is much tighter. I taped on the last four guides, and went for a test cast. :)

thanks mike, it is quite an art to build a fishing rod you guys were very helpful. goose thanks for the lesson on trim bands and chris added an easy way of adding center bands to an underwrap. your patience and knowledge speaks for itself. good to see the s-b members there, your all nice guys. got to do some fishing with some of you, we can all try our new rods out and maybe catch some fish. mike i'll see you for the finish coat when i'm done.
thanks again mike,chris,goose
and great to see you all
:cool:

Mike how do you finish off the shrink tubing with thread??

Same goes from here! Thanks for all the help. And the food what would be a gathering without food.
I learned alot and still have alot to go. Really want to learn some dimond wraping. And wish I could have stayed longer. But I work GY and had 8 hours with no sleep when I got there. Still only manged to get 1 hour before I went back at 9pm till 6 this morning.
I have already got my guides wraped and Just about ready to epoxy.
I will wait to do the diamond wrap to the last. All the rods looked good. Nice to meet everyone.
I live nice and close t Mike and the shop, So get use to seeing me Mike I have found a new shop!!

Thanks again Joe:)

MacoJoe,

I am on the Cape also and was at the rod fling helping out so if you want I am willing to help you out with butt wraps or any others for that matter. If its diamonds you want its diamonds you get. I can show you the basics, layout etc. Keep in mind all the butt wraps are pretty easy so if you want something a little different we can build it!
Get in touch with me, some days are taken up with Brownies/Choir... etc so we will have to work out a time

Chris

Mike how do you finish off the shrink tubing with thread

from articals page

http://www.striped-bass.com/Images/pic25.jpg

http://www.striped-bass.com/Images/pic29.jpg

http://www.striped-bass.com/Images/pic33.jpg

Thank you Mike, I was surprised how much hands-on attention you were able to give each participant. It was a great class, and a huge jump start for me into rod building.
Thanks again,
Krispy