i'm wanting to be more accurate with my measurements....and i'm planning my third build and i'm still confused by something....when setting the forms to the taper, where does the butt end and the tip begain...obviously in the middle, but where is that....for example, i'm looking at a 7 ft taper, so on 5 inch incraments, 0 to 84/85...do i average the 40 and 45 station (.160 and .173) and end/start at .167...and if so would i make that measurement my first push/pull station and "recalculate" everything or try to set the .167 inbetween a station and follow the recipe out.

hope this make some since as i think i confuse myself too much.

The ferrule position is 42.5 inches, which is halfway between the 40 and 50 inch adjusters.
To set the forms:

1. Start with the 40 inch number and set the forms towards the butt end of the forms.
2. If your taper measurements don't give the 85 inch measurement, set it the same as the 80 inch one.
3. Make a mark on the forms at the 42.5 inch point between the 40/50 inch adjusters. That is where the actual end of the butt section is.
4. Then make a mark at the 84 inch point between the 80/85 inch adjusters.
5. Your roughed strips are longer than the final length, so set a strip in the forms that has the overhang on each end that you want and make a double line at the butt end where that strip ends.

Each strip goes into the forms with the butt end on the double line. Renew the lines if they start to wear away.
Don't forget that the form setting is one half the taper number...
And if you use HexRod, RodDNA, or Flexrod, the correct settings are figured for you.

Make sense? It sounds harder than it is.