Ensuring guides are straight

[Cameron Scott OKeefe]

Hello! New to rod building here. How do you ensure that your guides are straight on the rod. I have done the line of sight check, but even then they could be slightly off. Any help is much appreciated. TIA!

[John Bumstead]

If you have the tip section of a fly rod blank, use that by putting it through the guides after wrapping them and you will see if they need a small amount of tweaking. John

[the3fishheads]

They can be lined up by eye no problem.

[ooeric]

when i tried my hand at building.   i just ran a very bright hi vis line through the guides after whipping them on. the bright line was an easy to see plumb line.

[C.Robin]

With the guides facing down on the rod , make sure the guides are centered on the blanks. Try not be obsessive, you will also be able to adjust them a little bit after wrapping if need be. Blanks are not perfectly straight, so the guides won't be either.

[tristate]

1 hour ago, C.Robin said:

With the guides facing down on the rod , make sure the guides are centered on the blanks. Try not be obsessive, you will also be able to adjust them a little bit after wrapping if need be. Blanks are not perfectly straight, so the guides won't be either.

This works for me.

[Surfcastr82]

By eye, or buy the CRB lazer if you want to get crazy with it.

[MakoMike]

You do know that there is a rod building forum right here on SOL where the pros hang out, right?

[oc1]

On 1/11/2021 at 10:01 AM, Cameron Scott OKeefe said:

Hello! New to rod building here. How do you ensure that your guides are straight on the rod. I have done the line of sight check, but even then they could be slightly off. Any help is much appreciated. TIA!

Being a tiny bit out of line only matters because you spend long hours looking down the length of the rod and a guide out of place can be a distraction.  When you finally can't stand it any longer just grab the thing and force it into alignment.

-steve

[Cameron Scott OKeefe]

4 hours ago, MakoMike said:

You do know that there is a rod building forum right here on SOL where the pros hang out, right?

I’ve seen it before, but I couldn’t find it when I went to post this for some reason. 

[StripedBasstardz]

I run a line along the blanks, pull it as tight as you can and tape it in place. Cut off where the guides will go and just tape the guides on. Just align or center the guide legs with the string. I usually get about 80% of the guides to align perfectly on first go.

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 10:14 PM by StripedBasstardz

[Popasilov]

46 mins ago, Cameron Scott OKeefe said:

I’ve seen it before, but I couldn’t find it when I went to post this for some reason. 

Click on the Home button, upper left corner on SOL

Scroll down to How to Forums

Rod building is the 3rd one from the top there

 

https://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/forum/14-rod-building-forum/

 

[GoneCoastal]

I usually try to get them on as straight as possible. Then put the reel on and time the roller to 12:00. I then string the guides and tie off to something that won't move. I think put a load on the blank and usually the line will find the center of the guide and pull them straight. This of course only works for spinning. I then eyeball them and make any needed tweaks. Works good for me 90 percent of the time. 

[carznfish]

Which kind of reel to string up the line straight? Im working mostly in the garage probably just minor splashing and dust here or there so i cant justify vs/zb but the tolerance on stella probably better and line comes off straighter