Ring Spacings- finding your own?

[m.b3]

how do people determine the ring spacings on there rods? what do they use as starting point? will the local butcher sell butchers tape to people that dont eat meat?

[kstaff]

i have electrical tape and decorative tape on my blank mark, no issues!

[m.b3]

i got some butchers tape today- big day out for me! electrical tape!? really? are you sure you are bending the rod Keith?:) i put the eyes on an old rod years ago and went fishing on a beautiful summers day and the electrical tape adhesive melted and it all began unravelling!

[kstaff]

I could cast down to you from here!

[m.b3]

well anything you cast down here you wont be getting back unless i am allowed see the family at xmas!

[kstaff]

[paddyc]

really? are you sure you are bending the rod Keith?:) !

[paddyc]

Even sellotape would do the job. Butcher tape just looks tidier. Start with the top 4 rings, I use one wrap of tape, run the line through them and bend the rod, move rings as needed until line is not touching the blank then work your way down also taking into account no sharp line angles from ring to ring. Usually rings 3 and 4 are the most critical on fishing rods after that you can get away with going by eye based on the rods curve. The joy of using tape

[m.b3]

that's great Paddy i noticed ring 3 and 4 on 2 rods i checked allows the line to come very close to the blank and has a bit of an angle so i will attempt to sort that out. is there an optimum line clearance from the blank?

[paddyc]

Not really, just as long as it clears the blank and can follow the natural curve of the tip

[m.b3]

grand so just making sure, didn't want to find out there was a better way of doing it after i have it done- i am already driven mad!