What is Fishing Blank?

 Fishing rods are assembled from multiple parts, one of which is the rod’s blank (rod core) that I call fishing blank.
A modern fishing rod has a variety of parts, including grips, handles, reel seats, guides, wrapping thread and even coated with epoxy.

How are these elements combined, will determine the power and action of a rod. Each rod manufacturer has its own formula to build its reputation. They can buy a blank material which is rolled, or buy carbon (graphite) sheet and roll it to blank. They can also buy materials such as graphite pre-preg (pre-impregnated with resin) – graphite that has been filled with resin.
Or even import murmer rod from China and they just add brand label in it. (You should be careful with this rods production, because the quality is poorer).

Generally, a fishing blank is a combination of graphite and fiberglass materials because each has advantages and disadvantages, and while they combined, they complement each other.

Nevertheless, it is important for us to have a basic understanding of the construction of a fishing rod, and also understand that every component that formed it has various quality and performances.

Fishing Rod Components
On the simple terms it can be said that there are three main components to be formed into a fishing blank.

Blank
The main thing is graphite (carbon fiber) if you want to create a graphite rod, or fiberglass if you want to create a fiber rod. The original form of graphite and fiberglass is sheets.

Scrim
The second is Scrim, which is a graphite or fiberglass-like gauze / bandages. This Scrim will be “wrapped” in the fiber or graphite fishing blank. The composite is a graphite blank wrapped with fiberglass scrim or vice versa. Due to the nature of graphite and fiberglass is having varies modulus, If we want higher modulus so we will need thinner layer Scrim to dress up. Dressings with Scrim will increase the hoop strength. Hoop strength is the resistance of an object to maintain the shape of a circle when is curved so as not broken, and will be able to come back in a straight shape when released.

Resin
The third is a resin. This substance can be regarded as the “glue” that attaches Scrim with a fishing blank. The type and amount of resin used will determine the action of a fishing rod. Today, compared to two ingredients that have been mentioned above, the resin is the most advanced engineering technology. My opinion is the key to what makes a particular manufacturer of fishing rods has a great quality is because the manufacturer has a secret recipe of resin.

Graphite Fishing Rods – Lightweight, Highly Sensitive
Graphite (or sometimes called carbon) is one material that is often used in making fishing rod. This material is very light and very sensitive (great spread vibration). This material is very strong but also flexible.

Graphite fibers identified have a highly variable modulus value. Modulus is the level of rigidity. The higher the modulus, the harder it is curved. In other words, the higher the modulus, so the material can be made thinner / smaller. Therefore, with this high modulus material, a rod can be made much smaller and lighter than using low modulus material.
Unit modulus is expressed in Millions of msi, such as modulus of 25 million msi, 33 million msi or 50 million msi. The greater number can be said that the material is stronger relative to its weight. You could say “stronger and lighter and more sensitive.”

Unfortunately, the high modulus graphite fibers, it will be more expensive and more “fragile” the rod. If more fragile, it will be more easily broken. It is not certainly break easily because of the use. It has been discussed above, that the higher the modulus value, the more powerful relative to its weight. Rods are made with high modulus material will be very strong against bending, but will also be very vulnerable to misuse such as scratches or collision.
So, don’t just consider the high modulus in choosing a rod, because of course it will have a more expensive price, and also need extra caution in use.

Engineering materials are affixed by the addition of the leading manufacturers of today have started to overcome this weakness, so the day we discover more and more fishing rod with high strength, light weight, as well as tenacious.
Tensile strength or “strain rate” is an important factor as well. Tensile strength is the ability of materials to twist and stretch. Tensile strength rod is its ability to stretch and twist without breaking and be able to come back into shape.

IM-6? What is the difference between the IM-7 and other IMs?  This code is often told that identical to the value of the strength of a rod. Actually the code was originally just a production code of Hexel Corporation which produce graphite rod, which then listed by other “lower manufacturer” who wanted to ride the fame. So there is no obvious significance of this code to the specifications of a rod.

Fiberglass Fishing Rods – Soft and Tough Action
Fiberglass is the material that has been long used in the manufacture of fishing rod. Many anglers complain that fiberglass rods are less sensitive. Fiberglass has a modulus value ranging from 6-13 million, making it relatively more flexible and not brittle compared with the rod graphite / carbon. But fishing blank from fiberglass rod is heavier than the fishing blank from graphite rod.

E Glass fishing blank is a type of fiberglass that has been known for more than 60 years. This type is used more than 90% fiberglass rod manufacturers. E Glass has the characteristics of strong and durable, but the downside is very severe.

S Glass fishing blank is a type of fiberglass which is the development of E Glass. The Advantages over its predecessor is lighter and more sensitive, because it can be formed into thinner rod. The disadvantage is due to be made thinner to lighten it, so the rod with this material is more easily broken.

Composite
Today, upper middle class rods are made from composites. Fishing blank from composite rod is made by mixing graphite with fiberglass. This mixture produces a very light rod, sensitive, very strong, but it also is not brittle and resistant to arbitrary using. They often made up of 33-42 million modulus and strain rate of 680,000, 700,000 or even higher.

Related posts:

1. Rod fishing : How to choose fishing rod

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Category: Fishing