Built my first rod

[crash]

After the class that MikeCC ran I purchased some EGlass blanks to learn on, so here are my first wraps. Learned some new tricks as I went along, learned some lessons when I cut off the guides because I didn't like the way they looked, and had a good time. Everything is pretty basic, and it doesn't compare to the nice rods you guys post up here, but it was my first, second will be better. The buttwrap is red and gold metalics, I realized after the epoxy was applied that the diamond wrap wasn't perfectly symmetrical, but it will be on the next rod. And yeah I saw that I got epoxy on the cork tape,

[reelecstasy]

Looks sharp to me, nice job!
Wait till you hook up on that rod, what a feeling

[snake slinger]

nice

[saltyric]

Nice work!!!!!!

[beamie]

That is a spectacular build for you first attempt. Nice job. Welcome to the club of another hobby to spend lots of extra money on....but its really satisfying.

[jmerc]

Very nice work indeed. I only hope my first rod comes out that good.

[crash]

Thanks for the compliments, really enjoyed the build. Cannibalizing a sewing machine this weekend for a power wrapper. Kind of addicting, I have 5 or 6 blanks now waiting to be wrapped. Building 2 as thank you presents to the people I boat whore off of.

[reelecstasy]

Nice, addicting, that it so tru....

[Goose]

Very nice first rod, lota good wrapers here that do nice work and are always willing to share info.

[JFigliuolo]

First rod wrapped... ABSOLUTLEY NOTHING fancy. black wraps. ghetto style.

[reelecstasy]

Nah, that's stealth Ninja stylee

[texican]

I'm also in the process of building my first rod and I hope I can make it look like that! Great Job

[missing link]

Sweet first timer , I know the rod builders on this site , from experience are willing to lend a hand at any time , just look at the rod from I had from MIKE'S class and Gooses & PNG's Talent it would have no MOJO I WILL catch Large on it not bad for 6 BUCKS
I might even get a pin for the biggest SCUP
LINK SR

[tattoobob]

Good job Crash

[hunan]

looks good charlie, you can send it along with my plug!

[Swimmer]

Nice job crash.

[chumbucket]

Nice job.
...way better than my first attempts

[crash]

Working on my third and fourth already, just finished pulling a motor out of a sewing machine, this is not going in a good direction

[Saltheart]

Nice work.

Sounds like you've turned into a rod building factory now. Numbers 3 and 4 , etc. I think its best to take it slow. after its all over , what matters is that the rod is perfect. a year from now you won't care if it took a week or a month to build. just be sure to do everything just right. In the future , you'll be proud of the work.

[crash]

They are taking a while to build, I keep cutting guides off because I want them to be perfect. The two I'm working on are going to take a while, I've got the reel seats mounted on both, and grips on one, but I'm only wrapping a guide a night after work.

The rods I built were 7' rods, both were very basic. I have a 10' surf blank and a 6' cape fear blank I'm working on now, with the new job and the impending fishing season, progress has slowed. I agree that taking it slow is a better approach, I got cocky on my second rod, the guides looked just like my first rod, not better, so I cut some of them off, I want them to look nice. Once the epoxy is down, its a pain to fix.

The buttwraps drive me nuts, please tell me these get easier with time, I spent 4 hours on my second butt wrap, took longer than the first. The blank was much thinner, and it was difficult to line everything up, It looks fantasic now, but it was a pain. I gave that rod to my uncle as a thanks for letting me boatwhore present, all that work wasn't even for me, but it was fun and he absolutly loves the rod.

[Saltheart]

The better you get , the wraps don't get easier because you do more and more complicated patterns. wait til you learn the concepts of closed wraps. Then the sky's the limit and you can spend weeks on a single crosswrap.