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 Post subject: 6Ft UL Bamboo Pack Rod
PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 11:42 am • # 1 
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Joined: 01/13/17
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Location: Oregon Coast
Hi Folks,
I am proud to say I have joined the membership. I found this outstanding forum while doing some research for a couple of ultralight rods that I wanted to build. The information I found here was very helpful. Thanks members.

My wife and I are retired and enjoying the freedom to travel, camp, hike... and fish. I figured an ultralight combination fly/spin design would work great for packing into the kind of small lakes and streams that we like to explore. I hope I don't get razzed to harshly for mentioning spin casting in my first post. We do love fly fishing, but we like packing spin gear for some of the conditions that we run into.

After some hunting I found a couple of 6 foot bamboo blanks that fall between 2 and 3 weights. The tapers seemed in the ballpark for this design so I went for it. I wasn’t expecting a great fly rod or a great spinning rod, just a good serviceable combination rod. The two rods are slightly different. My wife's rod is a bit slower and I made and set up the guides more for her fly casting than the occasional spinning she might do. After doing some lawn casting I’m very happy with the performance of both rods. We haven’t fished them yet but we are really looking forward to it.

I made this video of the project as a shot at giving something back "Building the Ultralight Bamboo Spin/Fly" https://youtu.be/chMqQP-8JIU


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PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 1:18 pm • # 2 
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Great video! Was really impressed by the guide fabrication!!!


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PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 6:46 pm • # 3 
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Very nice, please take a video of this rod in action.


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PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 9:14 pm • # 4 
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Location: Coppell, TX
Welcome and thanks for posting the video. Really enjoyed watching the video and overwhelmed by the chairmanship and presentation. Hope to see these rods again in future post.


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2017 1:40 am • # 5 
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Fantastic video. Loved seeing how the various components were fabricated by hand.


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 8:26 am • # 6 
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Joined: 09/09/14
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Location: southern Brazil
Dave,

Thanks for sharing that video and your experience. Personally, I see nothing wrong with combination fly/spinning rods and prefer that style myself. It's quite unusual to see that approach with split cane. You have aroused my curiosity about some details and hope that you don't mind me asking:

Did you actually make up the ferrules yourself, and if so, from what material? The nickel silver ferrules usually used on bamboo rods are a bit expensive, especially when it comes to multi-piece pack rods. Some builders are now using bamboo for the ferrules, probably for just that reason.

When you made up the snake guides, was any heat required or did you work the wire cold?

Thanks in advance.


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PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 9:27 pm • # 7 
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Joined: 01/13/17
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Location: Oregon Coast
Thanks Pete,

It's nice to hear from a fellow spin/fly fan. You’re right, bamboo spin/fly rods are uncommon. I think it’s because of a lack of proven tappers and also because bamboo fly folks can be a bit persnickety. I have some pride and respect for my gear but I’ll fish with whatever works and is fun!

No, I didn’t make the ferrules. Yes they are a significant cost to building 3 piece rods especially when you add the extra tips. I purchased the sets and extra males at Rick’s Rods and I’m a very happy customer.

I have read quite a bit about bamboo ferrules and I really like the integrated version by Healy. He describes it here starting on page #27https://www.rodmakers.eu/BJ12ENG/files/bj12eng.pdf Healy uses the butt section for the female. His writing makes a good case for that idea. I do plan on making a bamboo rod from a culm soon and will likely use bamboo ferrules. Cost aside, I also like the concept and the all cane look.

I have made guides form different types of wire including stainless steel and bronze... I used German Silver for these. It work hardens, so there is no need to use heat. The first time I used this type of wire was to duplicate a missing guide on a circa 1905 rod. I really liked the workability and final look. I have plenty of confidence in the performance of this wire but stainless steel is a good choice for higher durability.

Happy trails,
Dave


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 3:03 pm • # 8 
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Dave,

A friend who I have fished with makes quads out of Mandake bamboo, which has been grown in Brazil since WW II by Japanese immigrants, and he uses bamboo ferrules turned from the selfsame blank. It's quite an impressive result.

Anyway, if I were to make snake guides out of stainless steel wire, would it take heating to work it?


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PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 6:07 pm • # 9 
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Location: Oregon Coast
Very cool, I've read about a few other builders that use unique bamboo. I have some poor quality bamboo growing in my yard but haven't had the nerve to build a rod from it. (not yet anyway)

I twist stainless wire without heating just fine. It has a bit more memory so twist it slightly past the intended shape. There are different types of stainless wire. I buy it at craft stores in the jewerly making section. Folks also twist this stuff into ear rings... without heating.


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PostPosted: Wed Jan 25, 2017 1:16 pm • # 10 
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I twist stainless wire without heating just fine. It has a bit more memory so twist it slightly past the intended shape. There are different types of stainless wire. I buy it at craft stores in the jewerly making section. Folks also twist this stuff into ear rings... without heating.[/quote]

Now that sounds encouraging for some rebuild projects that await me.


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 02, 2017 1:11 pm • # 11 
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Joined: 01/19/12
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Location: Italy
Great video Dave!
Thankyou very much!
Great hand. Respect :)
Please what size is the wire you used for the rings?
About the bronze wire, it was more difficult to work that the nickel-silver?
And for the reel seat rings did you use the bronze?
Thanks again
Roberto


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PostPosted: Thu Feb 02, 2017 9:40 pm • # 12 
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Location: Oregon Coast
I have different size wires for different sizes and types of guides.

The most popular size I use is 22 gauge, then 20 and 18 (the largest) and 24 (the smallest).

Typical bronze jewerly wire is not at all difficult to bend. It can be hardened. People have used it for knife blades...

When I restore rods with lost or bad guides I start by determining the type of metal that was used. Then I measure the diameter of one of the rod's exisiting guides and match that to my collection of wire types and sizes.

These spin/fly rods were my own build so I used 22g for the snake guides and 18g for the larger spin guides. I felt it was a good balance of look and durability.

The rings were cut from a piece of 7/8" diameter, cold rolled, copper tubbing. They were stretched on the home made mandrel. I made the mandrel jig out of a piece of scrap 3/4" metal plumbing pipe. The copper work hardens while shaping.

I hope this helps,
Dave


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PostPosted: Fri Feb 03, 2017 8:46 am • # 13 
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Joined: 07/22/11
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Welcome to the board, Dave. You can be proud of those!
Hope to see some pics of you hooked up soon.


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