Mate
I always under bind my own custom rods but unless I am asked to underbind I do not think it is really necessary
Ken
Frazorodz
I have spoken to a lot of charter boat operators & they all tell me they have not seen a guide foot wear through a blank. This maybe because there rods are damaged or lost before wear takes its toll
Yes i do understand the principal of the guide foot eroding the blank when under pressure, but how many fish would the rod have to play for this to occur.
I will admit I underbind when i build my own rods but it is more for spending more time on the project & appearance then looking after the blank.
This has probably been said before but is it necessary?
Mate
I always under bind my own custom rods but unless I am asked to underbind I do not think it is really necessary
Ken
Frazorodz
On the rod building forums in the USA they suggest that if a guide is put on properly you dont need any under binding .Personally I also dont underbind anything under15kg .Might under bind stripper guide for cosmetic value but thats about it
Willo
I would have expected that underbinding would also allow the guide to seat more firmly and move less therefore be less prone to failure.
It has also occured to me that with modern epoxies that the need to underbind may not be as great.
I'de be interested on thaughts.
cheers
i always under bind. the positives far out weigh any negatives ive ever come aross, ie rod wear does happen ,blank scarring from rust is a pain. runners are far easier to replace with good under bindes. so for the sake of a few extra grams ,its under binds for me.
For me, I like to underbind any heavier style rod a) for the cosmetic reasons and b) because of the believed cushioning effect.
If the rod is a light style rod eg a Bream rod for SP's I'll just bind single foot guides with a locking wrap. This is all they need. I like doing underwraps because of the cosmetic side. They look great but add just a tad more weight which isn't an issue on heavier rods.
Regards
Outback
to put it in a nutshell id say underbinding is NOT essential...BUT if your using 2 foot guides on a thin walled blank there may be enough pressure over a long period to damage the blank, if you grind the foot for a smooth binding transition and miss a burred edge than may dig into the blank, and any other number of factors...when i and all other builders BUILD a custom rod its in their mind that it will last as long as possible, so if a small preventative measure like an underbind is used it could prolong the life of the rod ?
so if you dont want to underbind then dont, there is no hard and fast rule...as mentioned it adds protection or cushions the guide foot, asthetically its a great canvas to play around with as well...