Jeff and Jon were busy today planing out their strips for the Upper Sac Special rods they are building this week at Raine Hollowbuilt Fly Rods.  Both students did a great job straightening their strips as well as dressing the nodes of their rods.  Shavings were all over the table and floors as both builders put the tapers in their strips.

Jeff and Jon prepping strips for their bamboo fly rods

Prepping strips for bamboo fly rods

Razor-sharp plane irons are a must for building bamboo fly rods.  The Lie-Nielsen block planes make quick work out of tapering the strips into the correct dimensions.  Clean edges assure gap-free rod sections.

Jeff is hard at it planing strips for his first bamboo fly rod

Jon planing his strips during rod building class