nickt Posted November 30, 2007 Posted November 30, 2007 hey guys, Jus tthrowing it out there. I have been looking around lately and am becoming fairly interested in making the feeble attempt to make my own split cane rod. have any of you guys done this before. i would be very interested in seeing it and talking it over. i figure the winter bues are setting in so i think it is a good time to look into new things to build for the next while. Quote
DonAndersen Posted November 30, 2007 Posted November 30, 2007 nickt, There are several Calgary area guys who have built rods + there is a number of web sites available whose members are good about passing along information + there are videos + a lot of good books. You can pretty well get enough information to get started. Not like 28 years ago when I started to make/build/acquire the tooling for building cane rods. You can buy all the tooling or make most of it - your choice depending on the depth of your wallet. The tooling can be as cheap as $200 CDN to over $!00,000. Have fun with the building. catch ya', Don Quote
CDone Posted November 30, 2007 Posted November 30, 2007 I've seen photo's of Don's shop, guess who spent $100 000.00!! Beautiful shop and beautiful rods. Colin Quote
DonAndersen Posted November 30, 2007 Posted November 30, 2007 nickt, And from the "Rodmakers List" this AM comes: One nice thing about this list is that up until recently it was never used to promote any personal gain in any direct or indirect way. People and there products were recommended to help seekers, not give someone a profit from their sales. People asked rodmaking questions and gave information, advice, answers, and opinions based on their own needs or knowledge. The whole concept as I saw this list was to further the tradition of split bamboo rod making amongst those who could and had, and those who wanted to. I never saw a person on here that wouldn’t share his tapers, ideas, advise, techniques, experiences, and/or anyone else’s that had been publicly posted. It seems like the best makers past and present give the most with their advice and sharing information on this list that others only want to sell you a class. This list and its members are and have been to help each other and I know I have received more help here than I could have bought in any class. Several people have always helped the newbies even if the same question was posted the day before. I really enjoy the list and its members. Let’s promote those who help others with so much valuable information. Where else can you find a person who sells something help you make it yourself and truly support rodmaking and romakers? You could take all the magazines, websites, and lessons, put them in a bucket and this list would still have better makers and information to help others than twice the contents in that bucket. This list is the place for those to learn and carry on the tradition for traditions sake, not a profit or story about tradition. Sorry too much coffee! I’m not opposed to classes or lessons; I’m just saying the true supporters of this tradition rather help you than help themselves. You take this LIST and PowerFibers, and you have every resource a person could want except the hands-on and experience of doing some making yourself. LONG LIVE THE LIST and ITS TRADITION, POWERFIBERS TOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Web address is: http://smtp.goldrush.com/mailman/listinfo/rodmakers CDone, Isn't quite that bad yet. Only 1/3 of the way there - to $100,00 this is. catch ya' Don Quote
nickt Posted December 1, 2007 Author Posted December 1, 2007 hey thanks a million guys you have helped me out a ton. I am taking all that advise and hopefully going to slowly learn and gain an understanding and take my time and tackle this. I figure i will do it right and take as long as it takes and and as long as the wallet will allow. Quote
DonAndersen Posted December 1, 2007 Posted December 1, 2007 nickt, Thought I might pass along an "introduction" that was posted to Rodmakers this AM and a response by another builder to the newbie. The response is critical. You learn by doing. By doing a lot of things wrong and working out the problem. Don't let the absence of tooling stop you. Built my first rod using forms I made from laminated hockey sticks, a single plane, no binder, a Benzomatic Propane torch and a lot of time. Building cane rods well takes some time and a lot of splinters, cuts, ruined cane, lousy casting rods, learning a new language [cussing] and on and on. It's a journey much like FFing. It just never ends. Still trying to figure out the road map. Don The intro: Hi, my name is Mike Shelton and I have been reading "Rodmakers" for about a month. I have been restoring old bamboo fly rods and decided to take the next step - make them. I recently ordered a Bellinger Planing Form, their Bamboo Strip Wrapper, and depth gauge. I also bought a Lie Nielson 9 1/2 block planer and 212 scraper. I went to Woodcraft and purchased diamond sharpeners, a wooden mallet, #7 gouge, sand paper, a Black in Decker heat gun, a small brass caliper, and a digital caliper. What other tools do you feel I need to make hex fly rods. I was thinking about ordering other equipment from The Golden Witch. Would that be a good company to order from? I live in Midlothian, Virginia and I have been teaching 7th grade Life Science for 26 years. I would greatly appreciate your input and help. I am sure I will be asking a lot of questions in the future as I start this journey. Thank you all ahead of time for any information. Sincerely, Mike Shelton The response: Michael, Like all good questions, the answer to your's is the same. It depends! You have more then enough tools to get started. I would encourage you to do just that. Get started. Go ahead and start. If you find you need a tool, buy it when this realty sets in. You are fortunate to have excellent tools. You have all of the tools required, in fact you have more than that required, but that might not be the same thing as having all you might find helpful or that you might want. Dave Norling, who is active on this list, taught a class last August to six worthy students in Minneapolis with just basic tools, not even all that you already have. I stood around and watched most of the time when I was not digging graves for the few that died along the way. Most of the students actually lived through the experience. I wish you had taken part. We really demystified the process by applying good doses of reality. While not perfect, many produced beautiful rods that should make them proud. So, it can be done. The class never used calipers, or a gouge. It did use a froe, which is not on you list, but an old sheath knife will do just as well. You might find glue helpful. You probably figured that out, but you sorta need to make a decision in that regard. You might find a healthy supply of single-edged razor blades, straight edge of some sort, colored markers, pencils, pencil sharpener, rags, paper towels, fresh masking tape, cotton cord larger than you would use in a binder, and large bastard file helpful. I don't know if these fall into the classification of supplies or tools. I see no obvious provision for heat treatment, so I'd encourage you to consider your options. Propane torch, large ones are easier to use, will do nicely. That's about it except for you to work with an eye on safety, and a large supply of bandages wouldn't hurt. Don't over look the tool that sits on top of your shoulders. Without out that one in good working order, you are sure to fail. None of these supply items are hard to come-by, and you might not have intended an answer to go in this direction because you already know or have this stuff. Of course, you do need bamboo and a taper; I guess these go without mentioning. > From that point, gee there are some neat gadgets that might make the phases of the process you find boring, frustrating, tiring, whatever, more enjoyable and faster. You don't need such things, but they are nice. Only you can really know which they are. Good luck. How about keeping us posted on your process? Russell Quote
CDone Posted December 1, 2007 Posted December 1, 2007 There also seems to be a real interest in building Quad's on the rodbuilding forum http://www.rodbuildingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=15417 will probably be my first real foray into cane, up til now i've done a few restorations and a couple banty rods from old cane. Colin Quote
Conor Posted December 1, 2007 Posted December 1, 2007 CDone- how did your banty rods and up casting? I have been interested in throwing one together, but have been skeptical of how a shortened taper would cast. Also, I was doubtful that shortening a 5/6 wt would result in a 3/4 wt. Quote
CDone Posted December 2, 2007 Posted December 2, 2007 First one I did was a 3pc Montague 7wt reduced down to a 2pc , It throws a 3wt Cortland Sylk quite nicely, just have to remember to slooooow down the cast. Was a fun rod to play around with on the Livingston in July. Have 2 more that are just waiting in the wings, but too many plastic rods to build at the moment. Colin Quote
DonAndersen Posted December 2, 2007 Posted December 2, 2007 nickt, For a lot of info on building anything to do with bamboo rods, go to: http://www.bamboorodmaking.com/html/tips.html This is a compilation from a host of builders on everything to do with making rods & equipment Don Quote
hydropsyche Posted December 2, 2007 Posted December 2, 2007 Great site Don. Do you have any opinion on those Poor Man's Quads? I'm sure they aren't as good at a nice Hex, but for those of us who probably won't ever be able to afford one, are they a passable introduction to cane rods? Quote
DonAndersen Posted December 3, 2007 Posted December 3, 2007 Hydropsyche, There is a pictorial + description of how to build a PMQ @ http://www.rodbuildingforum.com/index.php?showtopic=15417 I've never built one and only cast a couple. I really haven't any opinion. Seems like a neat idea. regards, Don Quote
Conor Posted December 5, 2007 Posted December 5, 2007 Wow. A bamboo blank without a $500+ planing form!? This might be my first bamboo blank. Any ideas on where I might get a usable culm locally? I'd rather not pay shipping for a high quality culm that I will butcher. Also, any recommendations on a budget minded plane? Quote
CDone Posted December 5, 2007 Posted December 5, 2007 I'm sure Don could point you in the direction of some usable cane. For planes you might want to check out Lee Valley, not sure how they compare budget wise but you're not buying forms so spend a little more on a good plane, you'll use it again anyways. Colin Quote
DonAndersen Posted December 5, 2007 Posted December 5, 2007 Conor, Want some cane to try? Got a couple of hundred spline left over from rod building. Give a shout. For a plane, like CD says, get it from Lee Valley tools. http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=...amp;cat=1,41182 The Stanley planes are going down hill fast. Plane steel is not great but will work. For sharping & tuning a plane see http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworking/pages/w00003.asp + look for Scary Sharp Build the rest of the stuff - see Todd's site above. Don Quote
nickt Posted December 8, 2007 Author Posted December 8, 2007 don, if you are willing to part with some of your cane i would definatley be interested. let me know. nick Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.