Bamboo Tips - Tips Area |
|
< Home < Tips Area < Mobile Shops
As I have watched the list since joining, there has never been anything posted about making rods while traveling. There are full time RVers and those of us who spend long weekends or sometimes a week or so just getting away. I have a 2 month plus trip planned for this summer and thought it would be possible to work on a rod during that time. Some parts of the process need the shop, but there is much hand work that could be done while enjoying the country. The pickup tailgate would make a great bench and there is plenty of room for assorted tools and other "toys". Maybe some of you have tried this before. Maybe it is more work than pleasure. For what it's worth, this is a great group. So many of you that are willing to share your experience and advise. Thanks in advance for any comments. (Ed Hansen) I have been making rods on the road for almost 3 years now. Two rods in particular were split and had the nodes worked in West Virginia, rough planed and heat treated in Delaware, final planed, guides placed, and varnished in New Mexico, reel seats made and fitted in Arizona and field tested in New Mexico, Colorado, and Oregon. I have set up temporary "shops" in apartments, hotel rooms, and my travel trailer, and by far the easiest places to work have been the RV parks and campgrounds working from the back of my truck. I've planned cane on the banks of the Big Thompson, Cimarron, Rogue, and Lewis rivers, had help from every ol' coot imaginable in the campgrounds and RV parks, some of these guys were a real pleasure to be around. The only real problems I've run into is the varnish work, its damned hard to climate control a campground, and the squirrels and birds will chew on cork if you leave them out. (Doug Losey) Your help would be appreciated. Just looking at what others have done will shorten the "learning curve". (Ed Hansen) I have to work building in stages because of a limited space. If you could get your blanks to the ferrule and guide wrapping stages those could be easily done with limited space and tools. Even the final coat of varnish can be applied with a good foam brush. (Jim Tefft) The coating and the oven could present some challenge. It will be interesting to see how Doug Losey handles this part of the process. (Ed Hansen)
|
