Homebuild Rods

Just wondering how much time invested in wrapping a rod? How much does it cost to build a quality rod.
 Thanks

Time and dollar investment are all relative to the individual build.

Ballpark for this blue rod:  $115 for blank (bought on sale, normal price about $160ish); guides $90; thread approx $30-40; alps reel seat approx $50; stuff I have from other builds: hypalon for grips, color preserver, razors, mixing cups, brushes, and finish.  The factory rod equivalent of  this build is about $350, I’m likely over that in components alone, nothing factored in for my time lol. I do go with higher end components since this was gonna be a more intricate thread pattern, imo, if you’re gonna invest a lot of time in a wrap it makes sense to use the best quality components. 

The time investment is hard to determine since I didn’t track it and also just worked on it here and there an hour at a time (not one day long shift). Since I’m still a newb I do spend quite a bit of time figuring things out, like  the color sequence, doing layout, trying stuff then redoing it cause I don’t like it.  On this one I went through 3 versions of the guide wrap before I liked it, I changed the lockdown wraps that finish out the butt wrap, fixing other screwups etc. Then there’s things that take longer just because I like to punish myself, the micro scales on the butt wrap we’re a lot more tedious to wrap and pack. So the hours, no idea, but a lot of you’re learning.

For a quickie build with just a basic wrap it’s not that bad.  The build below is a drop shot rod I slapped together between a couple of my more intricate rods. I built it over the course of a week,  maybe 5-6 hours in it (not including time waiting for epoxy to dry).  Blank was a $15 Phenix factory second (was not a perfectly straight blank, had a tweak in the tip section that’s only noticeable if you roll the blank on a flat surface).  $60 for the guides (this was a splurge item, I wanted to try some of the AmTack microwave guides. Could have easily used a $25 Fuji guide set), $12 for a set of Winn grips on clearance, $10 for a spool of variegated thread that I bought in impulse months earlier cause it had a kind of late 60’s dirty hippie van vibe to it.

I can price out, what I think would be, a good inshore rod for up here and see what the cost would be.     

North Fork Composites, 808 Rasta Elephant Gun

You do some Beautiful work there, Bro!

North Fork Composites 809 Neon Pink Rhino Chaser.

I test casted this rod with a 16oz Diamond Bar and flung it a freakin mile.

You do some Beautiful work there, Bro!

Gracias amigo.

Damn Son!
Those are freakin' slick! Nice job!

nice wraps artie.  don't inhale too many fumes though 

Damn Son!
Those are freakin' slick! Nice job!

Thank you......got a few more comin down the pipe too. 

Really nice work.  I stop build rods ever since tackle shops don't carry blanks anymore.  I know I can order them, but it's not the same as going to the store and feel the blanks.

Lots of rod blanks at Hi's Tackle Box in South SF!

That’s good news, I’ll have to check em out next time I’m up that way. 

Lots of rod blanks at Hi's Tackle Box in South SF!

Thanks, I'll check them out.  Nothing locally in San Jose area.

we should do a group buy for some blanks! i need some more united composite blanks!

Dude
Now ur killing it!!!
That Black one is wild👍
Luv It

we should do a group buy for some blanks! i need some more united composite blanks!

What uc rods do you have in the collection now?  What’s on the future build list? 

I have to wrap my SoCal quiver in the next couple months, seeker tac80, seeker cjbf75 and a calstar btg90 for slinging jigs. That’s the last of the blanks I have on hand.....gonna go on another shopping spree when they’re done lol.