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Thread: building rods

  1. #31

    Re: building rods

    Roz,
    As always bloody helpful, thanks very much for the advice, I appreciate it. I'll check out the pacific composites with my local guys.

  2. #32

    Re: building rods

    Quote Originally Posted by stuart
    Lets see, I have to pay rent for a large factory, out goings like phone, power, rates, insurance, public liability all before I can pocket some thing. I have to declare every sent that comes and goes through these doors, no black economy at this premises. I shutter to think how much I have spent over the years buying and making new machinery to improve on quality and reliability for you the customers. I have designed my own line of blanks which cost me over $10,000 to do, how many rod builders that you know would go to this extent? There are very few full blown rod builders in this country that could say the same. The problem is starring you in the face every time you walk into a tackle shop, Chinees rods. How are we to compete with those that are simply working for a bowl of rice per day?

    I know there are many rod builders that work from home and there isn’t any thing wrong with that, hell we all started from home. Some of these guy’s are working full time and when they get home they pump out a rod or two. Again, I don’t have an issue with this, as long as they charge a fair price. I have set margines I need to make on a rod or else I’m going backwards. Still, if I sit down and work out my actual hourly rate it would come out at less than $15 per hour. If I were to charge a proper hourly rate for my work it would push the cost of most rods well above the $1000 mark. If fisherman truly wants professionally built rods then you should pay for it, simple. I don’t think you work for free, then why should we.

    This subject does get under my skin because for many years I have had to justify what I charge, yet if you were to object to what they get per week it would be a different issue I bet. Look at what Doctors charge $190 -220 an hour, do you complain about that to the doctor? Specialists charge up to $600 an hour, again do you complain, no?
    So why should specialist rod builders work for peanuts, I have every right to make a living at my chosen profession. Don’t make the mistake of comparing apples with oranges.

    Stuart

    spot on Stuart..
    knew a well respected rodbuilder in Sydney who had a Brickie putting walls all around his house. WHen the brickie realised that he built custom rods he ordered one... top of range blank & fittings, specified colours & an extremely complex butt wrap. When given the price ( at the time it was something like $150) he almost dropped to his knees in shock exclaiming 'jeez thats bloody expensive' mate said ' ok, what is the hourly rate you are charging me for brickwork?' replies '$40 ph) 'alright i'll just rework price for you..... that will be $460 thank you very much'
    needless to say he almost choked when he realised how much really does go into a rod,
    i haven't built a rod for a long time, but the last few i have built for myself have been black on black as will the imported graphite that i WILL do in the next 6months ( only had the blank for 18 months, can't rush these things) all the extra work decorative does not equate to extra fish, at least not for me it doesn't..they are just a tool to do what we enjoy doing & i like to get the best possible tool for my money..

  3. #33
    stuart
    Guest

    Re: building rods

    DR,

    Wish every one was like you. I must say that most customers, 90% are great and have no problem paying the quoted price; it’s the other 10% that make my life hell. To be honest I don’t care about the 10% any more, I switch of to them. People don’t relies that’s it’s not just the labour you’re paying for but the degree of difficulty in the work being under taken. It can take years and years to become proficient not to mention gaining a good reputation. I have a saying, Price does not reflect quality, and quality reflects the price. That is another problem with this industry, to many people take up this game and only after two months or so start calling them selves a Pro rod builder. Sorry guy’s you’re neither a pro rod builder, nor a master as some have exclaimed.

    It took me many years, full time may I add before calling my self a pro rod builder, I’m glad to say the ego went many years ago as well. Today I’m just a rod builder that’s trying to make a living and busting my balls to stay ahead of the other competition.

    Stuart

  4. #34

    Re: building rods

    As they say "Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten"
    I believe a good set of shop bought rollers are needed when binding or at a pinch a pair of sandshoes, just not mine as I think the aroma might affect my concentration too much, would a pair of free standing timber stands with grooves in the top be effective enough??

  5. #35

    Re: building rods

    Shayned

    I use free standing timber stands. I made the groove with a hole saw. I have also made another one that I attach a BBQ rotisserie motor from BBQ's Galore that slowly turns the rod to allow the epoxy to set evenly. It is not fast enough to do the binding with though.

    It is a fairly primitive, simple setup, but is effective.

  6. #36

    Re: building rods

    Gee Stuart You are not charging enough for your rods you should double your price I know some real rod builders charge $500-00 and more to build a custom rod and as you are on this site more than most you should be able to charge for that to .as when you are on here you are not building rods .
    And you design Your owm blanks for $10,000 when you could just get them off PC

    WHITE KNIGHT

  7. #37

    Re: building rods

    Just wondering as a new member how you would know that????????????? I've only been here a while myself and I couldn't tell if he's on too often. All that I can tell is that he's willing to share his knowledge with a complete novice.

  8. #38

    Re: building rods

    Quote Originally Posted by White_Knight
    Gee Stuart You are not charging enough for your rods you should double your price I know some real rod builders charge $500-00 and more to build a custom rod and as you are on this site more than most you should be able to charge for that to .as when you are on here you are not building rods .
    And you design Your owm blanks for $10,000 when you could just get them off PC

    WHITE KNIGHT
    stuart probably spent the $10,000 to get a superior product to PC. One which he has used his years of hands on experience with probably most blanks on the market to suss out what does the job, some blanks are beautiful,some blanks are just copies of something else, some are designed by people with nowhere near stuarts experience of how a blank works & some are plain crap.
    this way he gets a product he is happy with & can proudly sell... just my thoughts as to why, as i have seen all of the above happen. ( not with PC i have no idea how they come up with their designs)

  9. #39

    Re: building rods

    There nothing wrong with PC blanks as most of my trolling rods are built on PCs and I have never had one fail on me yet . I was in at Stuart place last year and he showed me some of his blanks man you have to have the balls to hang on to them as they have a lot of power and you know the old saying the more you put on a fish the more they fight back so does this mean you have to be as fit as the fish or do you screw down the drag . I have caught a lot of sharks south of where I live and I know the more force I put on them the more they fight back . so do you build a rod with heaps of power or do build a rod that will suit the person useing it so the person can handle the fish on the end of the rod.

    WHITE KNIGHT

  10. #40
    stuart
    Guest

    Re: building rods

    White_night,

    Not sure after reading your post if it was tounge in cheak or sarcasim. Anyway, to answer some questions about blank, mainly my own. I decided years ago to design my own because their simply was not any blanks on the market that did what I wanted. You may say that PC blanks are fine, well maybe for you but certainly not me mate. Just because a blank hasn’t let go on you does not mean it’s a good rod, far from it. In actual fact, the softer the rod the longer the fight and the harder it becomes. My blanks have been designed for ease of use by the angler and to lift the fish and turn his head. Just because you loaded one blank up you can’t make a full blown assessment of them. I have a very good understanding of blanks and I can tell you that most blanks on the current market do not stand up to it for me. As for charging for posting on this site, that has to be a joke right. I post because I like to help those that are stuck with a rod-building problem. I am not so high and mighty that I do not care about the small guy any more, hell I have always tried to help those in all things rod building FOR FREE. White_knite, you have been around seeking help, did I charge you for that info?

    I’m a bit confused by your statement regarding reel rod builders; don’t I qualify as a reel rod builder? Perhaps I have taken your comments the wrong way.

    Stuart

  11. #41

    Re: building rods

    Stuart I am not trying to put any you know what on you but you make out that you have design all your blanks , well I have seen a lot of rods in my time and take one say a 80lb or a 130lb rod how do you make that type work easy for the angler when I have seen marlin skippers useing 80lb rods so the angler can handle thoes big marlin .
    I have Ian Miller and Steve Morris rods and they great and they are on PC and ATS blanks , they haven't let me down yet .
    I came into your shop to get one of Morris rod recoated as there was a wear mark that you took off for me .
    As far as real rod builders I didn't say you were not one what I ment was that a rod builder that does it full time should be call a rod builder not one that has another job to pay the rent you know what I mean.
    So keep on going your doing a great job .
    WHITE KNIGHT

  12. #42

    Re: building rods

    Quote Originally Posted by White_Knight
    Gee Stuart You are not charging enough for your rods you should double your price I know some real rod builders charge $500-00 and more to build a custom rod and as you are on this site more than most you should be able to charge for that to .as when you are on here you are not building rods .
    And you design Your owm blanks for $10,000 when you could just get them off PC

    WHITE KNIGHT
    I thought I should point out at this point, that Stuart, will be giving us a weekend of his time on the 1st & 2nd of July FOR FREE, he generously wants to share his knowlege with us.

    I for one will be eternally grateful.

    I don't think there are too many people around like that these days.

    Cheers Roz
    GO THE CRUISER UTES!

    ....OH WHAT A FEELING!

  13. #43

    Re: building rods

    ill back up roz's comments, i have known stuart for about 8 or 9 years now and in all those years he has never charged me a cent for his help.

  14. #44
    stuart
    Guest

    Re: building rods

    White_Night

    Miller’s and Morris rod Blanks are made by those companies but that’s were it stops. Try and buy what they have from their stock pile of blanks and you will come to a screaming Holt. Just because they roll their blanks means nothing about the companies that do so. There is so much about blank design its not funny, more important I don’t have the time to site here typing for 2 to 3 hours of the inn’s and out’s of such a massive topic. Blank design is far more technical and sophisticated than most care to understand. These fishermen that think they have designed a rod blank for a blank manufacturing company is so far removed from reality that it’s a joke. To site down and say it need’s to bend here and there, it needs some balls here, and needs a slightly softer tip is nothing remotely like blank design, that’s just a wish list mate.

    Stuart

  15. #45

    Re: building rods

    Me again Stuart
    I see that you call me mate at the end of your last post.
    Now that we are mates again explane this one to me
    Does a good rod builder #1 able to get a stock blank and turn it into a great rod or #2 does a good rod builder need a great blank to turn it into a great rod.
    Stuart remember this we can all learn from one another.
    And I give you 11 out of 10 for giving info on the weeken ( 1 & 2 July ) on rod building , that's realy great of you , pity you could not get all the top rod builders in Australia to turn up . we then would have a lot of info to chew on don't you agree .
    How many rod builders would you say are at the very top like you?

    Regards
    WHITE KNIGHT


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