~ Rodmakers Findings TM ~

by the Brookside Rod Co.

Rodmakers Findings Site Index

Catalog index
Drawn cups selection chart
Web store, ordering page
Nickel silver cups
Pocketed buttcaps;
nickel silver
Pocketed buttcaps;
aluminum
Domed Buttcaps
Terms and conditions
Return to front page

Contact Information:

Gary P. Dabrowski
The Brookside Rod Co.
37 Brook Street
Naugatuck, CT, 06770-3101
(203) 729-1503

email:
gdabrowski @ yahoo .com


Contents copyright 2005, 2006, 2007.
by G. P. Dabrowski
d.b.a. The Brookside Rod Co.
all rights reserved.

This page last revised 02MAR2007



Links to drawings
in pdf format
and finishing guide

 Cups drawing
Reel seat insert drawing
Butt cap finishing drawing
Slide ring finishing drawing
Cork check finishing drawing
Butt cap turning mandrill drawing
Cups finishing guide (HTML)
Pocketed buttcap blanks
finishing guide

Links to construction
articles courtesy of
Powerfibers
Online Magazine
(pdf format)

Making reel seat inserts
Making drawn metal components

Links to other articles
of interest to rod makers

Catskill gathering 2003
drawn parts making discussion
How to make drawn metal parts
for reel seat cap and rings.

Catskill gathering 2004
making simple winding checks
How to make simple
winding checks.

Catskill gathering 2005
reel seat workshop handout
Using the engine lathe
for making reel seat
hardware and inserts.

Brookside Rod Co.
homepage

G. P. Dabrowski
hand made fly reels
brochure

quad cross section

Rodmakers Findings TM

are semi-finished fishing rod builders hardware; reel seat components

Latest News:

(15FEB2008) If you would like to check prices or order Rodmakers Findings please use the order form linked below and mail or email your order details to me. I will reply with a confirmation. Payments may be made via Paypal, personal or company checks or money orders. Credit cards are accepted thru Paypal.

Rodmakers Findings order form.

See the catalog index; left, to navigate the page.

Rodmakers Findings TM are economical un-finished blanks that may be finished by those with metals machining skills and equipment into their own unique reel seat hardware. Semi-finished pocketed buttcap, rimmed buttcap and domed buttcap blanks are available to those who prefer not to machine these parts before using them in their rod project.

Active rod builders will benefit from the volume price structure that offers discounts on the individual part price.

The basis of these parts is a simple deep drawn cup. Depending on the size and type selected and using an engine lathe, this simple cup may be converted into a variety of parts including:

  • grip checks.
  • cork checks.
  • butt caps for cap and ring reel seats.
  • rimmed buttcaps and slide bands for rimmed cap and ring reel seats.
  • slide bands for mortised cap and ring reel seats.
  • slide bands for pocketed buttcap reel seats.
  • slide bands for screw lock reel seats.
  • pocketed or hooded buttcaps.
  • hoods for uplocking reel seats.
  • nickel silver base trim for inserts used on uplocking seats.

A sketch in PFD format describing some of the fly rod reel seat options that may be constructed with these cups may be found here.
A group of drawn nickle silver cups

(right) Drawn nickle silver cups.

Unlike an assembled or soldered butt cap, where a disk is soldered into the end of a portion of a tube; butt caps made from seamless drawn cups require less time to make and will never come apart. The process employed to form these cups is the same method used by the makers of the classic era rods. They are stamped, drawn and formed from flat strip material. The process permits a generous and stylish radius at the end of the cap not typical of soldered butt caps. Using these cups to make your own components personalizes your work, making it uniquely yours. Separating your work from that of those who simply assemble widely available commercial components onto the rods they build.

Other semi-finished parts made from these cups are available including pocketed butt cap blanks, rimmed cup blanks and domed buttcap blanks.

Nickle silver strip and round blanks(left) Cups are formed from round blanks which are punched out of coils of nickle silver strip.

Cups are drawn from nickle silver UNS C75200 18% alloy. This is exactly the same material long used by rodmakers. It polishes to a brilliant white-blue color and will not tarnish or discolor as does the commonly available nickle silver barstock alloys. Parts may also be special ordered made from jewelers bronze or "NU-GOLD" alloy or aluminum. Long used in the jewelry industry, jewelers bronze permits the fabrication of parts having good mechanical strength and corrosion resistance along with the look of real gold.

Cups (blanks) are selected by size for different fly rod reel seat applications:

Drawn cup selection table
Reel seats having 21/32 in. diameter inserts


See the cups drawing here


Cap and ring reel seat parts finished from our blanks


cap and ring reel seat assembled from the above parts
Cap and ring (slideband) with mortised insert
Grip check
use 21/32 cup 		Slide Band
use 21/32 cup 		Buttcap
use 21/32 cup
Slideband with pocketed buttcap & full round insert
Grip check
use 21/32 cup		Slide Band
use 23/32 cup 		Buttcap
use 21/32 pocketed
buttcap blank
Reel seats having 11/16 in. diameter inserts
Cap and ring (slideband) with mortised insert
Grip check
use 11/16 cup 		Slide Band
use 11/16 cup 		Buttcap
use 11/16 cup
Slideband with pocketed buttcap & full round insert
Grip check
use 11/16 cup		Slide Band
use 3/4 cup 		Buttcap
use 11/16 pocketed
buttcap blank

Drawn nickel silver cups

Drawn metal cups
Blank parts. Requires finish machining. Nickel silver material.


A group of drawn nickle silver cups.

Drawn metal cups are made from 18% nickle silver. Select from 21/32, 11/16, 25/32 or 3/4 inch inside diameter. A drawing describing these parts is available in the links column to the left. Drawn cups require machining in the lathe and polishing before they can be used on a reel seat. The numerous reel seat parts described above may be made from drawn cups.

For prices or to order go to the Store.

Nickel silver pocketed buttcaps

Pocketed butt caps; nickel silver. Machined.
Blank parts. Requires polishing and buffing before use.

Machined nickel silver pocketed buttcap blanks after polishing.

Machined nickel silver pocketed butt cap blanks are available in two sizes, 21/32 inch I.D. and 11/16 inch I.D. Pocketed buttcaps are annealed during the process of manufacture. This causes the surface of the part to be dulled. Pocketed buttcaps must be polished and buffed before use to remove this dullness and any scratches that may have occurred during manufacture.

As-drawn nickel silver pocketed buttcaps are available at lower cost for those with machining capability. These buttcaps are not machined to finished height and must be machined and polished as above before use.

For prices or to order go to the Store.

Aluminum pocketed buttcaps

Pocketed butt caps; aluminum. Machined.
Blank parts. Requires polishing and buffing before use.

Machined aluminum pocketed buttcap blanks after polishing.

Machined aluminum pocketed butt cap blanks are available in two sizes, 21/32 inch I.D. and 11/16 inch I.D. Pocketed buttcaps are annealed during the process of manufacture. This causes the surface of the part to be dulled. Pocketed buttcaps must be polished and buffed before use to remove this dullness and any scratches that may have occurred during manufacture.

For prices or to order go to the Store.

Domed butt cap blanks

The Domed buttcap blank styling originates in examples found in the Classic Era of bamboo fly rods. Machined to height and domed by radially expanding and then forming the base of the formed cup, These parts are supplied as-formed and annealed and require the builder to polish and buff all over and if desired, to trim the cup mouth with either an inscribed line or a knurled decoration. A part drawing in pdf format is available for further description.

Domed butt caps; nickel silver.
Blank parts. Requires polishing and buffing before use.

Domed nickel silver buttcap blanks after polishing.

Domed nickel silver butt cap blanks are available in two sizes, 21/32 inch I.D. and 11/16 inch I.D. Used on cap and ring style reel seats. Domed buttcaps are annealed during the process of manufacture. This causes the surface of the part to be dulled. Domed buttcaps must be polished and buffed before use to remove this dullness and any scratches that may have occurred during manufacture.

For prices or to order go to the Store.

Shipping: Most orders are shipped via Priority Mail. Shipping costs for up to fifty cups or parts to most destinations in the continental U.S. will be $4.00 and will be added upon checkout. Orders for more than fifty pieces and less than one hunderd pieces require an additional $2.00 be added for shipping at checkout. If you plan to order more than one hundred pieces please contact me directly before ordering for a shipping quotation. If you are ordering from offshore or plan to have your order shipped offshore, please contact me directly on the matter of shipping before you make your order.

Retail site sales terms and conditions; Return policy. It is implicit with your order that you understand the nature of these parts, the materials they are made from and the methods required to finish them. It is also implicit with your order that you have read, understand and subscribe to the danger statement below. You are responsible to know what you are buying before you buy. Rodmakers findings that are deemed in my opinion not to be in compliance with stated standards will be replaced upon return. Such a return may occur only with prior authorization by myself. All returns are subject to a $10.00 processing fee in addition to any bank, paypal or other financial fees including packaging and shipping fees and any other fees and will be paid by the customer. No claim or returns will be accepted after 30 days from invoice date. All returns not for exchange are for credit, there are no cash refunds.

A link to a finishing guide is located above and to the left. It describes some typical methods of finishing grip checks, butt caps and slide bands from the drawn nickle silver cups available here. While skilled rodmaker-machinists may be able to use nearly any size of engine lathe to finish these rodmakers findings TM, customer feedback suggest that beginning machinists or those with little experience and having mini or micro lathes for equipment may not be able to successfully machine these parts.

Always use safety glasses when operating any kind of power equipment.

Danger: The successful conversion of purchased nickle silver cups into visually and technically acceptable rod / reel seat components requires personal technical skill in machine operation, knowledge of strength of material issues, general manufacturing technology and shop safety. The supplier makes no guarantee that any individual can successfully do so and is specifically not responsible for any injury or damage that may come about as a result of machining or finishing or attempting to machine or finish purchased cups. Machining metal is inherently dangerous.