How To: Profiling Ice Rod Blanks
Profiling ice rod blanks is the process of charting the blank’s diameter per every inch of the blank’s length. Gathering this information provides a quantitative means to compare ice rod blanks based on their dimensions which directly relates to strength/stiffness per inch of blank length. In other words, profiling blanks will give you a basic idea of how stiff, or flexible, a blank is at any given distance from the tip. You can use these blank profiles to select a blank that has a bit more backbone in the 6-9” range verses a blank of similar materials. Profiles are relative to the material the blanks are made of – fiberglass compares to fiberglass and carbon to carbon. Tubular blank construction does not compare to solid blank construction.
I figured it'd be helpful if I shared how I develop new blanks, baseline the final version, and create a repeatable guide for building duplicate custom blanks. I call this process profiling an ice blank.
Materials needed:
Ruler or tape measure
Caliper (digital or dial type will work)
Pen and paper
Process:
Lay your ruler or taper measure parallel to the rod blank with the 1" section being at the tip end of the blank. Measure the blank diameter with the caliper in 1" increments and record the data on your piece of paper.
Transfer the measurements per inch to an Excel spreadsheet and chart the results.
This is a quick comparison of several off the shelf blanks in both fiberglass and carbon
If you chart the off the shelf blank vs your sanded blank vs the difference of the two it will give you a guide to producing a copy of the blank for your next build. You know exactly how much material needs removed per inch to duplicate the baseline blank's profile. Having a comparison of blank profiles for both fiberglass and carbon blanks will give you a quick reference for selecting a blank for a specific application. You can quickly and easily associate the profile to the power and action of the blank.
