MINI weight BAMBOO rod in ONE piece

This bamboo blank was made by a fellow local bamboo rod maker which have been making bamboo rods even before I learned to do mine.

Measured at 5 feet plus, this blank definitely need to be extended. But before that, 2 coating of SPAR urethane was given to the blank and let dry for 24 hours.

A carbon graphite blank was used to extend the length of this bamboo rod to 5'6" which is just nice for little streams.

Half wells cork grip and a down locking burled wood insert reel seat for this bamboo rod.

Light wire snake guides and Pearsall's Silk 'Golden Rod' for this rod.

A glimpse of the bamboo rod before a thin epoxy coating is applied to the wrappings.

Translucent finish after epoxy coating.

The completed mini 'noodle' bamboo rod...

BAMBOO fly rod - The grass of streams -

Adding this to my Bamboo built is a small little bamboo rod for streams.
This is a Winston taper, 6' 2pc 1 tip 3wt.

Up locking vintage looking wood insert reel mounted to a reversed half wells cork grip. The snake guides are wrapped with gold silk thread.

Nickel silver ferrule.

BAMBOO fly rod - Dickerson taper with a SWELL butt

This bamboo blank was made of out tonkin bamboo. A 6'6" 2 piece 2 tips 3wt bamboo fly rod of Dickerson taper added swell butt at the bottom.

The bamboo blank in golden brown color was finished with a few coat of spar urethane.


Parts for this rod.

Up locking vintage looking reel seat fitted.

Half wells cork grip finished off with a hexagon winding check on top.

Completed handle.

Agated stripping guide wrapped with Pearsall's Jasper Silk and black thread trimming.

Completed bamboo fly rod.

Fly Guides to bamboo #6

Just dug out a few packs of black colored  fly guides from my drawer this morning as I was searching for some for this rod. I can't remember when I got it but it was there for quite awhile. Dust was already accumulated on its' packing. It's BSNG fly guides which I got from Mudhole many many months ago.

Well, got those and started wrapping. I used Gudebrod Classic Twist Black/Yellow for wrapping and tipped it with black thread. Don't know they named it black/yellow... but it sure don't looked black/yellow to me. Looks more like black/green.

Applied a coat of color preserver on top of the wrapping.

The last time I forget to applied color preserver of the classic twist Black/Yellow, it turned black/brown when I coated it with epoxy.

I finished the guides for the top section and I couldn't find a black tip top for it. ....


Damn.............. I think I need to buy a few of those soon.

Bamboo No 6

Completed my bamboo rod blank No 6 after working on it for a few weekends. Glad it came out okay but I ain't happy with the workmanship. I think I must have being lacking practising.. Gaps between the strips and bad ... bad ... big visible glue lines..!!!!!!!!!!! I thought I have sharpen the plane but I did not shapen my skill... 

I guess I can't do anything much on the glue lines. I just filled it up with some epoxy.

Other than that, the blank seems to be in good shape.

Another integrated bamboo ferrule construction.



 

The length of this blank is 6'10"



A broken "BLACK"

Sigh....  As I have expected, the over toasted bamboo blank is too brittle. Lawn casted "Black" and it snap.
Another lesson learnt...  Do not over 'cook' the bamboo...

A clean break on the strip and crack through.

Tried to look for ways to repair it but the damages done was beyond repair. I think I will cut the butt section and make a spigot at the end for the connection to the tip section... and turn "Black" to a kid rod...

"BLACK"

Finally it's done..... and it's time for testing 'Black'...........

Boo No. 5 tip section

Did some work on the bamboo over the weekend and completed the bamboo tip section.
This will be another integrated bamboo ferrule system bamboo rod.

NS ferrule is just to expensive. Guess I'll just have to stick with this integrated bamboo ferrule for awhile.

Next will be the butt section....