Alan Kube's Shop

I had an opportunity to visit with friends in Colorado and attend the Colorado Rodmakers Reunion (CRR) recently. It was a great trip. I was having back trouble, but it was manageable. I cut way back on the fishing and spent more time on rod making. That was probably a good thing. I can fish in Arkansas.

The highlight of the trip was visiting with Alan Kube in his home and shop in Denver. Alan and Debra were very kind to allow me to spend a couple nights in their home on the way to the gathering and on the way home after unexpectedly cutting the trip short. Alan has had a significant influence on my rod making tools and techniques. Alan taught me to make ferrules, reel seat hardware and he’s trying to coach me through the finishing process now. I’m making progress but still have a long way to go.

Alan is about as close to a true “Dickerson” rod maker as any I’ve ever met. When you walk into his shop for the first time, you’d think he was a machinist by trade. But the lathes, milling machines, punch presses, drill presses, band saws, and metal saws are all part of Alan’s rod making process in one way or another. It appears that he is going to replicate everything Dickerson did before it’s all said and done. He makes Dickerson tapers, draws the nickel silver tubing and makes the ferrules, punches the butt caps, turns the slide bands and screw lock reel seats. He threads the brass hardware with domed caps for the aluminum rod tubes. His latest project has been to make agate snake guides.

There was so much to learn in Alan’s shop. It was more than I could recall when I got home. But I’m not going to worry about it. Alan will help me out when I get lost along the way. I’m going to stay very focused on improving the finish on my rods for now. The machine shop will have to wait...

David