Hows & Whys Of Graphite Fly Rod Technology

[DonAndersen]

Folks,

 

I stole this link from another web site that I occasionally visit. In one link, the author brings together some manufacturers with some of the things they are doing to make rods better. Also, one manufacturer tells the world why rods break.

Only one segment talks about that actual installation of parts [handles, guides and the like]. The rest of the link is devoted to how the rods are made and how they can be abused.

 

http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/f...xplanation.html

 

Have fun and it is really worth the time.

 

regards,

 

 

Don

[Guest tallieho]

pretty decent article don; do you figure your bamboo rods could handle those demo's...thanks for sharing the info..

[DonAndersen]

Tallieho,

 

I have no idea about the weight lifting test but here is a video showing several rod tests that no graphite rod would live though. I've tried the rubber hammer test. Ya' know, slam a rubber hammer into the rod a number of times and still flex it. The bamboo rod survived.

 

http://clarksclassicflyrodforum.yuku.com/t...ml#.TwR_TFb1pL4

 

enjoy - I know I did.

 

 

Don

[Jayhad]

Don,

that's an impressive video, now if you could just get bamboo to cast adequately at all distances, track well, be able to present a dry as well as graphite, handle fish over 11" and not burst in to flames everytime you get close to a fire you might be on to something, there's a reason successful rod manufacturers employee material engineers not carpenteers

 

 

[DonAndersen]

jayhad,

 

A tad pokey there. Doesn't bother me a bit.

 

When you get old enough, you'll come around.

 

I started with cane rods about 1956 or so, only took me another 25 years of chasing glass and graphite through various high>low>med>hoop strength>color>faster>longer>on and on to realize I had it right the first time.

 

What is really shameful is that it took 25 years for me to figure it out. Hopefully your time line is shorter. Life to way too short as it is to get stuck on plastic.

 

And jay... the largest freshwater fish every caught have all been caught on bamboo rods.

 

Just saw a sale price on a Payne of $18,000. Wonder if a rod extruded from the butt end of a factory will ever reach that price?

 

And I went fishing today and landed 3 all on bamboo - the plastic people - well they said that caught some.

 

catch ya'

 

 

Don

[Jayhad]

Don,

I am sorry you took my post as more than me just joking, I think you would be surprised at my age.. which should have nothing to do with it, experience now that's where it's at.

 

Although I am a dedicated graphite angler, I understand grass has it's place and excels for those that choose to embrace it.

 

as for plastic, I know nothing about people who fish with plastic, plastic is derived from oil. Graphite is an element, well more appropiately it is an allotrope of a carbon.

[DonAndersen]

jay...

 

Ya' got me thinking about graphite scrim etc. Was looking for how graphite fibers were actually built. I've heard that it is done of dacron fibers that are burnt in a low 02 atmosphere. Couldn't find anything but did find a lot on graphite rod construction. There is a whole pile of stuff out there about how it's made and what modulus means and on and on.

 

Have a look @ http://rodbuilding.org/read.php?2,156787,page=1

 

Or for Blank characteristics - spent some time with this one. Tis a eye opener of what modulus means and why it is by in large a marketing tool:

 

Go to http://www.rodbuildingtutorials.com/paperschartstables.htm and look for Papers, chart and tables section where you will find a Blank Characteristics by Emory Harry.

 

 

Frankly after looking over all this stuff, I'm pleased as all get out that I've never tried or even thought of building my own graphite blanks. There are so many variables. Selection of scrim and prepeg is but one, mandrel taper, resin choice, scrim size and on and on. It would drive me nuts. I think I stay will bamboo. It might be anarchic but @ least I've got some understanding of what the rod will do when I design the taper/glues/finishes,guides et al.

 

And I learned something. A single bamboo culm of which 2 rods are made costs <>$40 delivered or $20 for raw material per rod. Graphite is about <> $40/lb. so a rod should run about $12 for raw materials.

 

I did get a real kick outta the modulus stuff. If you get a very high modulus graphite pole, it have a tendency to break - often - til fragile stuff. Kinda reminds me of Stoner's bamboo tournament rods that were completely hollowed and had very thin side walls. Cast like a cannon but sometimes explosions occurred. Mind you Per Brandin is doing some very neat stuff with hollowed rods today.

 

 

And with that, you have fun with your plastic whoops graphite/fiberglass/epoxy rods. I'll stick to what i understand.

 

catch ya'

 

 

Don

[DonAndersen]

Was cruising some UK sites and found a small shop that actually build their own blanks/rods. Not expensive either

Dave Norwich is located here:http://www.davidnorwich.com/Ev2largerimage.htm

 

And for a decent tutorial on how rods are made - click here:

 

 

So I guess a small shop can build graphite rods. Hot damn!!!

 

 

 

Don

[Jayhad]

Don,

 

I thought a good portion of the grass rods built now were hollow, not true eh? Are all 5 sided rods hollow because they are just slats of bamboo over and under each other? Quads are just 4 triangles glue together, right so no hollow there?

[DonAndersen]

jay,

 

Six, five and four sided rods can all be hollowed. There are many ways to do it. I've done some using a scalloped method.

Unlike the graphite guys, a lot of cane rod builders are really folks who have not only the time but the $'s to "push" the envelope on rod design. Few of them including myself make much over $10/hour. They don't have to feed their families. So they experiment. If the experiment blows up, so what, they build another. They don't have mag ads bought, fly shops orders processed and on and on. Some graphite guys have gone through rod failures. It isn't pretty.

Bamboo rods have been built of 18, 12,8,6,5,4,3,2 strips,some rods have been built with graphite inserted into the butt section, some rods are double built. Others have the power fiber orientation changed. Lots of ways to build a bamboo rod.

Further, some bamboo rods have woods of various types incorporated into the rod.

What you have to remember is that bamboo rods have been made for <>150 years utilizing a host of ideas. The tubular graphite rod has been around since only 1975. Still some learning to do. Best graphite I ever owned was a Fisher 9' 6 wt. Great rod. Fisher built blanks for Hardy, Winston + a host of others. Unfortunately they are gone.

 

regards,

 

 

Don

[Kristi]

Ha-ha, Very interesting particularly from my perspective... to see /read on both side of the rod! lol..

But I do have to say that I've not been a long timer with F/F but do have some great respect on and for the cane rod. I use graphite cause I have to ATM but hopefully by the time I'm seasoned and ready I'll have a cane rod too. But before that happens...Kids first.

Maybe by then I'll have restored my Great great great grandfathers cane rod with a little help from a dear friend! Right Don??he-he

 

~Kristi