How much (in American Dollars) would it cost to set yourself up to build a basic no frills rod? This price should include forms, binder, culms, hand
tools....the whole shebang. I have an ongoing debate with a buddy of mine about the cost. I have an amount in mind. Just curious as to what you folks
think, and to see how close I get.
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And the grand total is......
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 booyah |
And the grand total is...... |
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Posts: 125 04/13/2009 15:57 |
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JimmyB11 |
#1 | |||
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Posts: 64 04/13/2009 16:33 |
Well, I won't offer you a number as it is not possible, if you saw the Digger video you would see that you don't need an arsenal of fancy tools
although many of us do. The only thing you really need are forms, sure you could try to build wooden ones but that is project unto it self. You need forms, 450
new, less used. You need a plane and some stuff to sharpen it, 150 bucks, the other stuff you can scrounge. You don't need a binder but you could build or
buy a used one for 50-100 bucks. That's it, file, sandpaper, vise, splitting knife are all basic tools people already have. Rub on or brush the finish,
ferrule fitting can be done by hand and some ingenuity.
There you go, watch the Digger video. |
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bluejayee |
#2 | |||
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Posts: 723 04/13/2009 17:11 |
Hi Guys, Jon Parker told me that somebody said he could fit his rod shop in a suitcase. [Well, maybe not 12 foot culms.] Jay Edwards
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ShenRods |
#3 | |||
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Posts: 199 04/13/2009 17:23 |
The answer is $0.00 - Zero - Zippo - Nada - !! It is just how creative you are and if you have more time than money. first You don't even need to buy forms - Peter McVey's mentor used to make his forms using a plow plane - grab any wooden board and with a few strokes of the plane you have dug a strip profile. This guy was amazing - Peter has shown the video at Corbett lake gathering. Other make wooden forms - I donated a set made by Cecil Pearce to the CFFC&M - Bill Fink use to make forms using Aluminum L brackets glued to boards. Use a file and you have a taper. I have done PMQ's with no forms - calibrated eyeball works wonders on them. Now for the latest radical (also environmentally friendly) approach to building a rod was demonstrated by Howard Bartholomew at last year's Catskill Gathering - It is call Stick-O-Rod - I believe the long cast was over 75' both Jay and Rick had really good casts with it. It may not have the aesthetics but - it is cheap. Then once you get it into the hands of Grizzly, it takes on a whole new meaning - the aesthetics blend nicely - the rod is poetry: 
Chris
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canerodscom |
#4 | |||
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Posts: 2072 04/13/2009 17:54 Bamboo preacher |
booyah,
I built my first rod, including components, making forms, binder, etc. for less than $400. That was fifteen years ago, so add a few dollars for today. Of course, I'm a champion scrounger and borrower, and had lots of local resources to call upon. |
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Think Bamboo |
#5 | |||
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Posts: 15 04/13/2009 18:18 |
Harry, didn't you forget all the prayers you silently repeated so that everything would come out right?
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canerodscom |
#6 | |||
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Posts: 2073 04/13/2009 20:50 Bamboo preacher |
Think Bamboo,
Along the way I probably muttered a few things that might not qualify as prayers. 
Harry |
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oysterbamboo |
cost | #7 | ||
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Posts: 294 04/13/2009 21:38 |
Well, like everything else in life, the cost is - how much you have. For $2500 you could get a small lathe, a high quality form and plane, a Garrison style
binder, build yourself a dip tank, oven, wrapping stand, etc. etc. etc. You could also buy cheaper forms and planes, used lathe, etc. and drop the price
somewhat. For less than that, you start to get creative (using a drill setup instead of a lathe, etc.) and have to build more of your own stuff. There's
really no right or wrong answer. $10 or $10,000 - the important part is the end result.
Bill O.
Last Edited By: oysterbamboo 04/13/2009 21:41.
Edited 1 time.
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adam trahan |
#8 | |||
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Posts: 200 04/14/2009 09:39 |
I would say about $1,500 should get you your form, gauges and planes. The rest will be for vice, heat gun, conduit, epoxy, varnish and other things. Harbor
Freight really helps as well as already having some basic tools. It also helps to know a maker getting started. But I think you could set yourself up very
nicely for cheaper than you will buy a nice custom bamboo rod from a well known maker. That was THE reason why I got into it, I could not stand knowing I was
at the mercy of someone else with bamboo rods being so beautiful. It's the resources you choose that is going to keep your costs down...
grassart studio
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rlnunleycom |
#9 | |||
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Posts: 512 04/15/2009 22:55 |
21 years ago, when I made my first rod, I got two pieces of 3/4" cold rolled steel, a bunch of bolts, taps, dies reamers, and made my own forms. I also
made my own binder, made my own heat treating oven, dug up an old junky used lathe (and I do mean it was JUNKY), picked up a used Stanley 9 1/2 at a pawn shop,
dug around at "this that and the other" places until I had gathered everything I needed. I probably had everything put together for $500.
If I were to do it all again, it's a different world out there now! There are just too many top notch tools available to the modern hand planer. Bellinger forms with indicator $800 Good binder $300 Nice Mini Lathe (all you need) $800 Good Stanley Plane w/xtra blades $100 Roughing forms $40 Cheap Wood Lathe $180 Good Work Bench $200 One good culm bamboo $50 Ferrules $65 Silk Thread $5 Varnish Setup $100 (requires a little inventiveness and ingenuity) Miscellaneous shop supplies (Naptha, mineral spirits, acetone, varnish, sanding blocks, sandpaper, razor blades, shop towels, etc, etc, etc) $300 If I were in my shop I could look around and find another $500 or $600 in items that are what I consider necessities for rodmaking, but those aren't items everyone considers necessary. So... you could get started with Top Quality equipment for a $3000 plus or minus a couple or three hundred. Now, doing it like i do it... well, I figured out my shop inventory one time, and I won't give you a solid number (cause nobody would believe it anyways), but including collets, chucks, bits, knurls milgrain tools, tool holders for my quick change post, etc., I have WELL over a $1000 in lathe tools and tooling alone... NOT counting the value of the lathes. My silk inventory approaches $500. I have three lathes in the shop, one wood lathe and one metal lathe. I have a 14" band saw and a high quality 10" table saw. I have two routers and a larger shaper table. My exotic wood inventory is well in excess of $1000. I have close to $600 in ferrule tubing, $500 in sliding ring tubing, no telling how much in NS bar stock. On top of that, there's the saw beveller. I got it for a reasonable price, but have spent Thousands improving it. What I'm saying is, you can spend as much or as little as you want. You can "get by" with a few hundred, or you can get extravagant and spend TENS of THOUSANDS, but in the end, I agree with Bill O.... What's important is the end result, not how much you spend (or don't spend) to get there. Bob |
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WIHEXROD |
#10 | |||
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Posts: 191 04/16/2009 13:11 |
If you were only going to make one rod, I would suggest you take a class. Many that frequent this forum offer them. Bob N. and Harry B. offer classes using
the best equipment and the result is a beautiful well made rod in a week.
Don't forget the books and such to LEARN what to do. Your time is valuable too. Equipment is not the only cost. Just MHO Scott |
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PaducahMichael |
#11 | |||
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Posts: 595 04/17/2009 00:50 |
I second the comments by WTHexrod. Taking a class is a fine way to learn to make a rod, of course, but it's also a great experience to spend a week with
Harry and Bob. Their enthusiasm is infectious and genuine - they are truly doing what they love to do and it shows in the way the class operates. There's
nothing like having a real pro teach you the finer points of making rods - and having a great time in the process. Most schools have one teacher - Ozark Rod
Makers School has two - and that's got to be a good thing!
I imagine that anyone who is thinking of making rods would come out far ahead by taking the class BEFORE spending a dime on equipment. You'll find out what you really NEED to make a rod as opposed to what you might THINK you need to make a rod. And at the end of the class, you'll go home with your FIRST rod! Think about it - and get in touch with Bob or Harry. |
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- Members Corner
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