The first thing I do when I recieve a blank in the mail is to unpackage it and inspect it. The graphite used in todays modern fishing rods is extremely sensative, yet it can be damaged fairly easily. I go over the blank and inspect it visually and with my hands making sure that there are no scratches, cuts or knicks in the blank. After I do a visual inspection I bend and flex the blank. To make sure that there is no damage to the blank.
In the case of this build I am using a 6'6" one piece blank. Most rod building suppliers ship blanks in PVC pipe or cardboard tubes.
Has any one here ever experienced problems with shipping calls and them getting damaged or lost in shipping? Now try that with a 6 or 7 foot tube.
If you are building a multi piece rod it is still important to inspect the blank as there can be flaws. I have only had 2 blanks that were defective upon reciept out of hundreds. In both cases the defects were found on inpsection, the supplier was called and the blanks were replaced. So it is important that this inspection happens shortly after recieving the blank. If you recieve a blank and wait several months to inspect or build it makes it harder to do a return. Warranties on rod blanks vary upon the different manufacturers. Some have 100% unconditional warranty some have a limited warranty some have none. Prices usually reflect the quality of the blank and the warranty extended.
After inspecting the blank you can start the building process. The first thing I usually do is to decided what type of handle I am going to be turning and installing on the rod. Different types of rods can have different types of grips or handles. Grip material varies depending on the type of build. The most common type of grip material is probably cork. Then EVA or foam. Wood and some newer composite materials are also being used. I recently saw a company that is making fishing rod grips that look like golf club handles.
Grips can be made or they can be bought pre formed. When glueing cork rings and wood for my grips I usually use Titebond II. Grips can be as simple or elaborate as you can get. Alot of wood used for turning calls can be used for fishing rods 1 1/2" x 1 1/2" stock is usually what I use when I do wood grips. Alot of the finishing steps used on calls can be used on rod grips also.
Example of different types of rod grip materials
Standard spinning rod grip made our of wood
Cork split grip on spinning rods
Wooden fly rod grips
And the holy grail of custom rod building grips belongs to a friend of mine by the name of Mark Blabaum from Mineral Point, Wisconsin.
His inlays are perfect. One of my favorite grips is the one pictured below 2nd from the right.