~ Rodmakers Findings TM ~

by the Brookside Rod Co.

Rodmakers Findings Site Index

Catalog index
Drawn cups selection chart
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 2008.
by G. P. Dabrowski
d.b.a. The Brookside Rod Co.
all rights reserved.

This page last revised 16OCT2008



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
Cup turning mandrill drawing
Cups finishing guide
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:

(16OCT2008) Beginning this month, thick wall 11/16 inch I.D. nickel silver cups will be available. This new part has a nominal .06 inch thick wall as compared to the normal .03 nominal wall thickness in the standard cup. It is drawn to a nominal height of .61 inches. It is intended for applications where a deeply sculped machining is desired or where thicker-deeper trimmed slide bands are desired. A sample is available on request. Pricing is available on the latest order form.

Turning mandrels are now available. You may order expanding type turning mandrels to facilitate turning drawn cups in your engine lathe. They are made to order, cost $30.00 each and may be had in your choice of the standard cup I.D. sizes. Made from OD ground O-1 tool steel with an alloy internal hex expanding rod they are intended to run in a collet the same size as the cup I.D. A drawing describing the drawn cup turning mandrel is located here. Photos will be made available at the next site revision.

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 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 upon the size and type of cup selected and by 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.
  • slide bands for mortised cap and ring reel seats.
  • slide bands for pocketed buttcap reel seats.
  • slide bands for screw lock reel 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(right) 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.

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 order form.

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.

For prices or to order go to the order form.

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 order form.

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 order form.

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.