Bob Sirois 
ezOP
(3/18/01 8:08 pm)
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Step #1, find the Spline.
Once I have all my components on hand, the logical first step for me is to find and mark the rod's spline. There are commercial spline finders and a couple different methods of doing this, but a friend showed me this easy method. First take a piece of masking tape and run a band around the blank about 2 feet down from the tip. Try to put it in a spot without a future guide, but that's not really critical.
Take your left arm (sleeveless) and extend your forearm in front of you and parallel to the ground. Place the butt of the rod to the left on top of your forearm and with the majority of the rod (save the tip to the masking tape) extending to your left. Using your right hand, you want to spin the rod quickly, while at the same time using your left arm to pop the blank off your forearm just slightly. Have a permanent marker handy and you should notice that the blank will want to come to rest in the same position every time. Place a mark on the tape and repeat the procedure several times, until you are certain the mark is correct.
[image]http://www.ledgerunnerbaits.com/rod13.jpg[/image][image]http://www.ledgerunnerbaits.com/rod38.jpg[/image]
This mark is critical and should be made in permanent marker. Down the road guide and reel seat placement will be based on this mark. Spinning guides will be placed at 180 degrees (below that mark) and the casting guides will be positioned on that mark. This method works great for rods up to maybe 7 or 8 feet, anything longer and you will have to use a more traditional method. Place the rod butt on the floor, the tip section resting in the open palm of one hand. The other hand should press down on the rod to put a slight bend in it. While spinning or rocking the rod with the one hand, it should want to come to rest in the same spot over and over again. Again, you have found the spline and it needs to be marked for future reference.
Next we will start on the cork handle preparations.
Tight Lines
Edited by: Bob Sirois at: 1/17/04 7:18 pm
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