April 2005
Issue 19


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The April, 2005 issue of Power Fibers contains:

Ferrule Serration Jig

I bought my 7 x 12 mini-lathe when I first started gathering the tools I wanted to use to make bamboo rods. It’s been a very handy machine to have around, for forming cork grips, making the brass base for my depth gauge, and a bunch of other little tools and jigs that have I’ve used for rod making. A while back, I decided that it was time I learned to make my own ferrules. My goal...

Classic Taper: Heddon Fulsom #1410

A good subtitle for this classic tapers article might be “cheap thrills.” The subject of this article is not a rod of great quality nor was it meant to be one. It is a Heddon product sold under the Folsum Arms label with the model designation #1510. The first two digits stand for the manufacturer, Heddon, and the second two for the Heddon model, #10; the bottom end of the Heddon line. It was probably manufactured in the mid 1930’s because...

Mobirise

Steambox

One of the fun and interesting things about building bamboo rods is the quest for knowledge and the process of winnowing away at the mountain of suggestions on how to best get the job done. In my experience over the last several months I tried many of those suggestions and they just did not seem right for me...

Removing Epoxy Glue from Blanks

I had been using Elmer's Exterior carpenters glue for the first ten rods or so because I had no local source for Epon or Nyatex. I have a friend that makes archery bows. He glues up and goes right to heat setting. He also has sanders set up to sand the bows to thickness after they are glued, and has no problem in sanding the glue along with the bow material. He also makes rods. We talked about using the Epon for gluing rods.

Jim referred me to Bingham Products in Utah. I ordered a small amount to give it a try. I glued up the blank and went right to heat cure. Needless to say, I had a lot of hard epoxy....

Joe Byrd’s SuperBlue

While I was at Joe’s at the “4th Annual One Day Wonder Rod” this year I got some of Joe’s new 3 part bluing process. Joe had been talking about it for a long time and with Bob Nunley wanting to simplify his life and get out of Mega Blue; it was a perfect time for Joe to come out with his Super Blue. If you like Mega Blue, you will love Super Blue. From what I understand, the bluing is very similar to Mega Blue only stronger. What makes Joe’s process different...

SRG 2004

The leaves on my trees were starting to turn differing shades of red, which told me that fall was in the air. That meant that it was almost time to begin my trek westward for the seventh annual Southern Rod-makers Gathering, my third, held in Mountain Home, Arkansas. This year however, was going to be a special one, since my very good friend, Nick Kingston, a friendly Australian, was going to be accompanying me on this trip. I had decided to take two weeks off from work this year, so we could get in as much fun as possible....

Mobirise

Profile: Rev. Jim Beasley 

Behind a boyish grin and sparkling eyes resides a lifetime of bamboo rod making knowledge.

With almost a cult following, Reverend Jim Beasley continues to churn out bamboo fly rods, nearly 30 years after his journey in rod making began. The middle Tennessee resident works by himself in his well apportioned shop, which is almost on the banks of Lake Tansi in Crossville, Tennessee....

Mobirise

Classic Flies: Adams

Who among us does not have an Adams or two in his fly box? I can bet you there are not many among us who don’t. I carry it in conventional ties along with parachutes and spent wings from size 10 up through size 24.

The Adams fly originated in Michigan many years ago and was originally tied by Leonard Halladay of Mayfield, Michigan in or about 1922. It was named for....

Mobirise

The Heretical Apprenticeship

On our trip westbound to the SRG this past October, Nick Kingston and I stayed for a few days with Joe and Rose Byrd. I always enjoy stopping at Joe’s place, both for his company and to drool over his shop. This year was no different, and on our first afternoon there (Sunday), we were sitting around Joe’s shop shooting the breeze. I casually mentioned that Nick hadn’t yet made a rod, and this got Joe all excited.

Joe proposed that he and I help Nick make his first rod in his shop, and have a glued up blank ready to go when we left...

Todd Talsma, Editor - 8412 N Maple Ct  Zeeland  MI 49464  (616) 239-5786
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