The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

It's looking very nice Ken. :hat:

Yes, lovely looking rod, Ken. Another thing you can try for getting a set out is to just leave the rod on a radiator for a short while. Might make some people recoil in horror but it has worked for me on more than one rod. Sometimes it can be where just one side of the cane has taken on a bit of moisture and just the mild heat on the rod is enough to get it out. Chances are it'll probably come back but if you don't fancy heating up the tip then there's nothing to lose.

I've found getting the correct tension on thread a problem, too. I have a system which I copied from one of my mate's sewing maching bobbin holders. It's far from perfect but it works. I made a spool block up out MDF and I simply mount the bobbins onto a spindle, with a washer at either end, then on one end a spring, then another washer and finally a couple of nuts to lock it up when I've got the tention right. It works ok, after a fashion, but the one thing I found was that I could wrap more consistently and therefore faster if I placed the holding block about half a metre away to the back of where I'm whipping, as opposed to directly beneath the rod. For some reason the thread is less likely to ride up over its self when there is a longer line of thread to the spool. I'll see if I can dig out a pic over he weekend.

Great work, let us know how it fishes :thumb:

Well done Ken. Another one saved from the skip!


You can always go back another time and address that set if it becomes a pain in the future. I've done a few recently and although the varnish bubbles and lifts in the heat in quickly settles down again and a quick press with the fingertips and it's barely visible when cool.

I used to get varnish creeping into my threads no matter what I did until I fingered on the first coat of dope, rather than brush it on. I guess you can 'push' it in a little better with a finger than you can with a small floppy brush?


But you may well find that the darkness dissipates away again in a month or so as the varnish creeps into the cane beneath. it's happened to me a couple of times, so it pays to be patient.

If that's your first effort you did really well. I'm not putting my first effort up on the site, that's for sure!

Thanks for the comments Lads.
I did try warming the rod on a radiator but bottled it as it went rather to soft for me and I did not want to bust it.
Next time Ill give it a go maybe with a old bit of stuff which cant be saved.
Ken

Tell you what Ken. Next time you are shopping see if you can pick up some cane BBQ skewers, or a Tatami mat for rolling Sushi...Waitrose have them in. The cane in those is very fine and is quite 'fun' to straighten above a flame. If you can do those you can do a rod in your sleep!


You can practice with them over a night light candle and see how it feels.


As the resin warms the cane does indeed go very soft( and bl**dy hot), but it hardens again as it cools and I'm not averse to blowing on it to make it do so faster. I go just a little further than I want, hold it there and blow until the scorching cane cools under my fingertips and when I let it go it invariably stays straight.

Think of it like fibreglass....resin and fibres, but with a thermo-setting resin that can be plasticised again and again.



You can knock up a few floats with the cane stems too.

Looks like this is going to go for silly money, despite the condition. I think my dad was watching this, but not sure he will go for it.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALLCOCKS-LUCK ... 4ab3bf96f5

Umm Now I have had a practice I might get another and have a proper go?
Ken

A long time ago, I bought one of these rods for a peppercorn fee in a job lot, as, although in a dreadfully neglected external condition-and also with evidence of water damage where the ferrules join, it seemed a shame to scrap it. Consequently, it has been shelved in my workshop until I could find out a bit more about it and hopefully, restore it to fishing condition. It would seem that it was indeed a prudent move to keep it..the second-hand prices asked are truly unbelievable!

This is a wonderful forum! Not only have I already met a fine gentleman who has given me some excellent tips and guidance on this matter, I have this evening, read up quite a lot about this rod and it's pedigree.
I don't intend to start the job yet, but would like to clarify some points about it..

I have now examined the rod in detail and it bears an oval gold label very near the butt, with red lettering, The label-along with the rest of the rod-has about 15 coats of various types of thick, cracked varnish on it, but is intact underneath. The handle is of whole corks with a slightly flared out end near the label, otherwise parallel. The aluminium butt cap is badly damamged and will need replacing..should it have a rubber button? The reel fittings are absent; I assume they are two sliding aluminium rings?
Both joint ferrules are cracked and need replacing. Are they blued bronze (brass)..splint-ended or plain tube type?
The line guides are almost certainly, not original (they are too modern) and have been tied on by -shall we say-someone as yet, inexperienced in the finer points of re-ringing.
The tying thread as is, is of various colours and thicknesses. Should it be gold, edged with black, outside edge only-or blue?

All comments and help more than welcome..

Thanking you in advance,

wm+

WM+, just been to check mine, also gold label, red writing. The butt cap is just aluminium (no button). The reel fittings are sliding aluminium. The winding check is just whipped rather than being aluminium. I'm not sure how original the ferrules are on mine. The butt female ferrule is reinforce the step is about 3/16" all of the other ferrules, the female on the middle section and all of the males are plain. My rod is (now I have refurbished it) and was originally whipped gold tipped with black. It has a double intermediate in black just above the label and single intermediates in black between all of the ring whippings.

Hope this helps