OSD, I found your method interesting and so a followup question on that: Have you done the test with bamboo before varnishing and then after varnishing? And how about before ferrules and after ferrules?

This may be covered somewhere already but I haven't seen any solid info on how vrnish will change the flexibility of a bamboo rod. Garrison hints at this and also hints at ferrules having an impact but nothing definitive as far as I know. Perhaps because varnish or ferrules make no difference? Any ideas on this anyone?

Seeing how it a test for the whole rod, you will need the rods sections ferruled and togather to do the test.
I really couldn't say as for the varnish.

Sorry, I meant to write 'guides' as opposed to 'ferrules'. And if anyone is interested in pursuing it further I believe the varnish thickness adds about .006 to a rod's diameter. A considerable amount to add to the top 5 or 10 inches of a light weight rod.

Hello Don,

I am not sure what the purpose is about testing before and after varnish or before and after guides. First of all you can't cast a line without guides. Guides distribute the weight of the line along the length of the rod and allows the rod to flex along its length as the line loads the rod. All testing aside the only real test as to which line the rod will handle is best determined after rod is completed.

Wayne Cattanach in his book goes into the effect of the ferrule on the design of a rod. The ferrule introduces a dead weight at the mid section or 3rd's of the rod (for 3 piece) The various design methods used to design rod tapers will really not tell you from emperical data if you will like the rod. The old masters would devise a taper and then build the rod and test it and then modify the taper until they liked the feel. The same is done to day with graphite rods.

If you are adding .006 in to the rod dimension you are putting on too much varnish. All I do is apply two hin coats of Gel Finish and call it good. Some rod makers put entirely too much varnish on a rod. Much like custom paint jobs on show cars with 20 or more coats. It deepens the finish but rounds off the corners and slows the rod down. How much I can't tell you. You want to end up with a rod that feels good to you when you cast it. At least I do.

If you want to eliminate the added weight of the ferrules you can make them out of bamboo or use a spliced joint instead. Splicing the sections of rod with a scarf joint anf taping them definitely gives you a rod the casts without a dead spot that you get with metal ferrules.

Try it and see.

Cheers!

Arne (Aracane)

Just a couple of points from that aracane. It's not being suggested that a rod be casted without guides or varnish. bit that I was wondering if OSD's method was used before and after varnish, or guides. The question I was interested in was whether either the varnish or the guides would change a rod from a 3 weight, for example, to a 4 weight. Being determined by the choice of the proper line of course in the final analysis, but for the sake of this conversation which I started lout of curiosity, in a test which OSD talks about. The purpose being I suppose, that you could go to the store and buy the right line the first time. For what that's worth?

When I suggested that the varnish would add .006 I didn't do that from experience but from what Garrison claimed for varnish. And of course rod finishing varnish has probably come a long way since then so yours could be much less I imagine.

In any case it's certainly my preference to keep a rod looking like it's got six sides up near the tip as opposed to loading it up with a lot of varnish mostly for appearance sake.

Thank you Arne and thank you OSD for your opinions.

I can't take credit for this fly rod weight test.
This method has been around since before I started to build rods back in the late 70's
It was I believe it was developed by American Fishing Tackle Manufacturers Association (AFTMA)

I have used the test before the guides where wrapped on, with only the tip attached to hold the paper clip which the weights where hung.
I didn't seam to effect the calibration of rod's weight after the guides where attached
You must remember even if the wrapping of the guides seam to loosen or tighten the action in areas of the blank, the overall line weight of rod will not be effected



Bob

Thanks Bob, and that's good info to know.