Another #EPIC story and more to come...

This another EPIC job I picked up earlier and completing it before my 4 days break to the highlands.

It' a 3 section EPIC glass, 7'6" 3wt.

A very simple built with straight cork grip and standard guides.

Stacked cork rings for the grip.

Standard snake guides and stripping guide.

The first cork grip didn't really turn out nice and I had to do another. If I cannot accept the quality of the shaping, I don't think my friend would accept it either.

The sliding band reel seat and cork grip being put together.

Wrapping of stripping guide with brown nylon thread. My friend wanted the wrappings black and I told him , no worries. It will turn black... well almost black when I am done with it.

The wrapping after epoxy.

The completed rod.

My new OLD rod project - Bloodshot UL rod handle

I remembered seeing on the internet that someone actually used a real snake head... well, a 'taxidermied' snake head to be exact, with it's mouth open wide showing its' fangs. Looks COOL....!!

and I got the craziest ideas when I saw that lures. Maybe I could do the same, but subsituting with the snake alike lure rather than the real thing.

This idea was last year's idea.... and I managed to do it bit by bit...

The Balsa wood 'BLOODSHOT' lure was dissected into 2 section, the head for the foregrip and the rear for the rear grip.

Something light for the reel seat. Fuji skeleton reel seat seems like a good choice couple with carbon tube insert.

One plus one equal to one hell of a customised handle....

Lathed a rubberised fighting butt for this rod. Tapered edge just to add a little kick to it. Look more unconventional.

This is the snake skin which I planned to use at the exposed blank at the split handle section. The exposed blank section looks too plain, snake skin inlay was added.

Test fit before the epoxy coating.



Then epoxy was coated onto the snake skin inlay.

After the epoxy dried, the rear part of the lure, the skeleton reel seat and the snake head was fixed up.

The dissected lure was coated with a layer of epoxy to protect the original lures paint from flacking and also to maintain its' glossiness.

The gap where the rod protruded out from the snake head was sealed with epoxy.

So much so for the handle. Next would be the guides....
I hope I don't have to wait till next year before I can complete this rod...

ONE done, ANOTHER one coming

Finally, I had the wrappings epoxied with Bullard's DII epoxy and the silk thread turn out to be better than I expected it. The color doesn't darken as much as other silk thread and the translucency is great. The foot of the guides are clearly visible.
 

Here's the photo of the completed rod.

Epoxy coating, drying and finishing

Got all the guides wrapped up. No fancy spiral guides, just  normal straight line guide placement.

I started with a thin coat of epoxy before put it to a rod turner or dryer for another coat of epoxy.

And the last coat of epoxy.

There.... done with the epoxy.

The graphite butt section was wrapped with rattan as it looks odd.

This was before.

...................and AFTER..

and I am done with this one.

My 1st bamboo casting rod....