i am looking for a Rainshadow blank that i can get custom wrapped, and i was wondering were Rob or anyone else that has this blank got it from and how much it will cost me? Thanks

Here's some info on their site.

http://www.batsonenterprises.com/map_california.php

I got the first blank at The Rod Rack in Hayward, CA.

I am also intrested in the rainshadow rods,but have never had a rod custom wrapped. How much should a custom wrap cost? How should a swimbait rod be set up, number of guides, what kind of reel seat, handles?

I charge $180 all said and done for rainshadows. I use fuji hardloy guides which are decent guides and cost effective, and single wraps to cut down on weight. Number and placement of guides all depends on the individual blank. On rainshadows I think I use 9 guides, I'd have to check. Trigger seats are a good idea on any rod which you'll be palming the reel, I use fuji trigger seats. And as for handles, hypalon seems to be a good option for swimbait rods as long as they're shaved down enough to reduce weight. Another option is cork, but most guys prefer the comfort of hypalon for the big baits. Email me with any other Q's.
-Brian

Andrew wrapping a rod with a basic wrap is easyer than making swimbaits. Look it up on the net or get a book. It is kinda fun to.
Matt

Thanks Rob that should help alot... Yeah Matt, i bought a book about a year ago and i was just gonna get started in wrapping my own rods then i picked up making swimbaits and i have been side tracked with the swimbaits but i might try and wrap my own rods cause it did seem pretty easy just getting the equiptment might be a little pricy...

You dont need the equipment. All you need is a finishing motor. You can pick one up on ebay for less than $20. I have wrapped manny rods and have done some pretty trick work and all I use is two phone books with the spool going through the bottom book. You just turn the rod with you fingers and it wrappes it nice and tight.

alright cool, now it sounds pretty simple and priceless, i may be trying that in hte near future.Thanks ill probably be giving you a call sometime tonight.

Andrew, I've got a couple of brand new synchronous motors.

115V

50/60Hz

3W

4 R.P.M.

They should work good for the occasional wrap.

You would have to buy a 110 cord from wal-mart, about $2. If your parents have an old lamp or appliance in the garage that doesn't work you could just cut that cord off and use it. If you're interested, $7 each, shipped. I think I have 4 of them. All brand new in plastic bags. I bought them for a project I never did. :o

I've built a lot of rainshadows for guys on the board, including rob's. If you want hypalon you'll need a wrapping motor to shape it. Even shaped hypalon will need to be rounded off and tapered to match the reel seat right, and for weight. Without a high speed motor you're mostly limited to cork or cork tape. Cork can be a hassle if you don't have a reamer, and make sure you bring the blank to a shop and buy the cork while you have the blank there. Don't order online and guess diameter sizes, that will be a real big pain if your diameter is too small. Be sure to seal it after it's installed.

Also, make sure you spine the blank correctly before you do anything else. This is one of the biggest benefits of custom rods.

If you decide to give it a try, I'd suggest starting with a cheaper blank to get the hang of wrapping. Once you learn how to wrap it's not the hardest thing in the world, but you can never reach perfection. Getting tight wraps, perfect guide spacing, clean grip shapes, crystal clear finish with no bubbles, perfectly straight guides, etc is what takes some practice. I can say I've never built a perfect rod (sorry guys :P ) and few rod builders have, but you want it to be close enough that you're the only one who would notice the imperfection(s).

If you're serious about getting into wrapping, you should invest in a machine. Mine has definitely paid for itself, even before I started wrapping rods for other people, just on the money I saved over retail factory wrapped rods. With all the extra stuff you'll need, not counting the machine, you won't save much money on just one rod. Send me an email if you have any Q's or if you wanna say screw it and order one :+
-Brian

Check out Cabelas for Rainshadow blanks. Their tackle craft catalog has them listed. Not sure what blank that you are looking for. Check it out !!!

I'll check the Cabela's magazine...Yeah rod wrapping seems pretty fun and i will probably end up doing some rods and see how they turn out...but we'll see if it is as easy as it seems in the books and just the way its done... to me the hardest part would probably be getting the spine perfect and then wrapping the guides straight... I'll send u an eamil brian... and woodsac that for the offer but fow ill have to pass cause im pretty into the swimbaits and i'll probably give rod wrapping a wait so i can do my studying on it first... but when the time comes that ill need one of the motors ill give you a ring... Thanks Guys!!!

I started wrapping rods just for my self at first like you are planning to do and eventually for friends too but I never had much time (spent most my free time fishing) to devote to it. Over the last 15 years I've probably wrapped about a 100 or more rods. Just like the other post mentioned, I don't think I've ever wrapped one that I would consider perfect but through the years I picked up some tricks that have lead to an easier and better end result. If you can get some one who knows how to wrap just to show you the basics (spine finding, basic wrapping, stripes/fades, guide prepping, guide placement, and glassing) you will save a lot of time and possibly some frustration. Good luck!

JerryG