# NFC blanks



## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

There is a long thread already, use the search function.


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## mick (Jul 20, 2017)

Copied and pasted LMXFAF908-4 in the search and got zero results


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## pete_paschall (May 8, 2009)

Here's the thread Smack is referring to - lots of great info.

NFC thread

I also went to the expo and ended up buying the same blanks that you did. I was really hoping to get my hands on the Gamma Beta and PSI blanks, but when I got there shortly after the show opened, someone had already bought every GB and PSI blank that NFC had brought to the show.


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## mick (Jul 20, 2017)

Thanks for the link Pete! I got there around 11 and since I know very little (nothing) about fly blanks I was happy with the score!! Also bought some NFC carbon fiber grips and fighting butts. I'm going to order an Alps reel seat and Alps guides and was thinking about 20 and 16 TIMXN strippers with single foot casting/spinning guides but not sure of the size for the running guides, thinking about an 8 and the rest 6's. Am I close?


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## dtaylo1066 (Sep 28, 2021)

Yes, they are high quality blanks. As indicated, much discussion on them on this forum. I have yet to read a compaint. Best of luck on your builds.


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## mick (Jul 20, 2017)

Thanks D


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## pete_paschall (May 8, 2009)

mick said:


> Thanks for the link Pete! I got there around 11 and since I know very little (nothing) about fly blanks I was happy with the score!! Also bought some NFC carbon fiber grips and fighting butts. I'm going to order an Alps reel seat and Alps guides and was thinking about 20 and 16 TIMXN strippers with single foot casting/spinning guides but not sure of the size for the running guides, thinking about an 8 and the rest 6's. Am I close?


I’ve only built a few fly rods with single foot guides, and it’s been several years since I have, so I may not be the best person to ask about that. I am going to use a 16 and 12 strippers with Recoil 4 snake guides the rest of the way in both my 8 and 10.


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## mick (Jul 20, 2017)

Thanks Pete, any idea what the "inside diameter" of the size 4 snakes?


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

mick said:


> Thanks Pete, any idea what the "inside diameter" of the size 4 snakes?


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## mick (Jul 20, 2017)

you are the man Smack!!! thanks you sir!!!!!!!!!!


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

mick said:


> you are the man Smack!!! thanks you sir!!!!!!!!!!


These are size 4 Recoil snakes. I have a bunch of other sizes and also CeRecoil stripping guides in a few sizes if you need measurements.


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## mick (Jul 20, 2017)

no sir, I'm good now, thanks for the offer!!


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## Oldsenilegoat (11 mo ago)

mick said:


> I was at the rod builders expo today and got two NFC blanks, LMXFAF908-4 and a LMXFAF9010-4. Are they any good? They were quite a bit cheaper at the show than on their website.


I have been building on NFC blanks for a few years now. If you get on their mailing list they will often have deals on the website, for example, just after Xmas they had a 50% off offer on all their blanks, and a higher discount on some. I will load up when they have offers like this, particularly since the Gamma Beta blanks are pretty pricey at the regular rates. I think they are high quality and everyone I have built one for has been happy with the rods. That said, I have not fished one myself.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Oldsenilegoat said:


> I have been building on NFC blanks for a few years now. If you get on their mailing list they will often have deals on the website, for example, just after Xmas they had a 50% off offer on all their blanks, and a higher discount on some. I will load up when they have offers like this, particularly since the Gamma Beta blanks are pretty pricey at the regular rates. I think they are high quality and everyone I have built one for has been happy with the rods. That said, I have not fished one myself.


Their blanks are always on sale, they should just drop the prices instead of acting like everything is XX% off for a limited time only.


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## Oldsenilegoat (11 mo ago)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> Their blanks are always on sale, they should just drop the prices instead of acting like everything is XX% off for a limited time only.


Agreed, but they do have deeper discounts on some occasions, and on some of the blanks that typically are not "on sale" on a regular basis. That is what I typically look for.


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## Oldsenilegoat (11 mo ago)

I should also have said that even though I am in Canada, I haven't found that shipping takes a long time. I have only had one issue with shipping, and it had nothing to do with NFC, rather the shipper fouled up the shipment causing a delay. Other than that I typically get them in under a month.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Oldsenilegoat said:


> I should also have said that even though I am in Canada, I haven't found that shipping takes a long time. I have only had one issue with shipping, and it had nothing to do with NFC, rather the shipper fouled up the shipment causing a delay. Other than that I typically get them in under a month.


NFC is hit or miss but they make a damn fine blank.


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## taylorisland (Jan 9, 2014)

Looks like they’re on sale again. If you ad them
To the cart the gamma betas and psi are 135 and the lmx is 85 which is as good as it gets for their pricing after their last price increase.


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## DRO (Mar 9, 2016)

Thanks for the heads up. Pulled the trigger on a F 890-1, F 990-4, and Natural Iconoglass 5wt. I did not need any more fly rods prior to this purchase......


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

DRO said:


> Thanks for the heads up. Pulled the trigger on a F 890-1, F 990-4, and Natural Iconoglass 5wt. I did not need any more fly rods prior to this purchase......


I have a new green Iconoglass 8 weight that is too slow for me to justify building on.


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## Flyboy (Aug 26, 2019)

I just ordered an iconoglass 12wt, completely an impulse buy not sure how, when or why I’ll use it but I’ll find a purpose


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Flyboy said:


> I just ordered an iconoglass 12wt, completely an impulse buy not sure how, when or why I’ll use it but I’ll find a purpose


I’d be scared I’d hook myself in the ass cheek. These blanks are like a noodle! I really expected mine to be faster, they really hyped them up. I was not impressed.


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## taylorisland (Jan 9, 2014)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I’d be scared I’d hook myself in the ass cheek. These blanks are like a noodle! I really expected mine to be faster, they really hyped them up. I was not impressed.


Have you felt any other glass fly rods? The 868 I have Feels faster than most glass blanks I’ve ever felt but I haven’t built it yet.


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## btpeck14 (Mar 18, 2021)

I've got a NFC GB #7 that is a fantastic rod - it is my primary rod for most fishing I do. As far as glass goes, I agree that NFC could be better. For glass I have built a couple of Epic fastglass rods - the 888 and the 1080 "Bandit". They are really fun rods to fish. Absolutely not graphite fast, but fast enough to be very effective casting rods while still retaining the feel of glass.

(Shameless plug, my Epic Bandit is for sale in the classifieds.)


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## Surfrat59 (Mar 30, 2021)

Recently finished a build on the LMX FAF 908-4. Haven't fished it yet, but feels like a keeper based on test casting. Med fast tip IMO, good swing weight. Crisp with a true long belly 8wt or 1/2 heavy 8....threw a few 9wt lines it felt good but preferred the latter two. Ferrule fit is nice, my only gripe the raw spiraled finish on the blank. Difficult to pack A size thread neatly. After deflection testing I marked off my guide placement and wet sanded the blank 1000 grit, not the entire blank just where the wraps would cover. REC 16 and 12 strippers, followed with 5/4 mix of REC snakes.


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## mick (Jul 20, 2017)

Surfrat59 said:


> Recently finished a build on the LMX FAF 908-4. Haven't fished it yet, but feels like a keeper based on test casting. Med fast tip IMO, good swing weight. Crisp with a true long belly 8wt or 1/2 heavy 8....threw a few 9wt lines it felt good but preferred the latter two. Ferrule fit is nice, my only gripe the raw spiraled finish on the blank. Difficult to pack A size thread neatly. After deflection testing I marked off my guide placement and wet sanded the blank 1000 grit, not the entire blank just where the wraps would cover. REC 16 and 12 strippers, followed with 5/4 mix of REC snakes.
> View attachment 198462


Agreed, not a fan of the spiraled blank!! After the static load test I think I'll put a thin coat of epoxy under where the guide will be.


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## btpeck14 (Mar 18, 2021)

I had the same issue wrapping my FAF 909. I finally figured out that I had to wrap moving towards the butt end of the blank. The ridges allowed me to pack the thread in that direction. So, on the front leg of a guide I started from the end of the foot and wrapped in toward the middle of the guide, And on the rear foot I started on the inside and wrapped to the end of the foot. Hopefully that makes sense. Wraps came out pretty clean.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Surfrat59 said:


> Recently finished a build on the LMX FAF 908-4. Haven't fished it yet, but feels like a keeper based on test casting. Med fast tip IMO, good swing weight. Crisp with a true long belly 8wt or 1/2 heavy 8....threw a few 9wt lines it felt good but preferred the latter two. Ferrule fit is nice, my only gripe the raw spiraled finish on the blank. Difficult to pack A size thread neatly. After deflection testing I marked off my guide placement and wet sanded the blank 1000 grit, not the entire blank just where the wraps would cover. REC 16 and 12 strippers, followed with 5/4 mix of REC snakes.
> View attachment 198462


Those ribs are a structural component of the blank, I would think sanding only select areas would weaken the integrity of the blank. You could just do a light coat of finish then wrap the guide on top of it then use super thin finish to keep it light.


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## PaytonWP (Sep 17, 2020)

I just ordered a 12wt psi blank. What size running guides would y’all use? I was thinking straight 6’s or 5’s.


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## DRO (Mar 9, 2016)

PaytonWP said:


> I just ordered a 12wt psi blank, What size running guides would y’all use? I was thinking straight 6’s or 5’s.


Below was my last 12wt build, but it was not a PSI. I would think the feet on the 5's or 6's would be too wide once you get close to the tip. All ALPS hardware.


Tip TopXTCHFTL 1 EachSnake GuidesXTCHSNGP35 EachSnake GuidesXTCHSNGP41 EachSnake GuidesXTCHSNGP51 EachStriping GuidesTIMXNZG121 EachStriping GuidesTIMXNZG161 EachStriping GuidesTIMXNZG201 Each


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## taylorisland (Jan 9, 2014)

PaytonWP said:


> I just ordered a 12wt psi blank. What size running guides would y’all use? I was thinking straight 6’s or 5’s.


I do straight 6’s on 12wts. I haven’t found foot width to be an issue ever. I’ve used stainless snakes and recs. I prefer Rec due to the weight and corrosion and they’re not very expensive in the natural finish.


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## Gervais (Nov 28, 2016)

I did an impulse buy on an iconoglass as well. Waiting on some running guides to come in. Without casting it it feels pretty fast. Having fun with it and doing a switch/musky style handle for throwing big flies at big fish. I can’t remember the model # but American tackles heavy duty reel seat fits perfectly without a stint. It looks good as well.


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## pete_paschall (May 8, 2009)

I just finished building the FAF 908-4 that I picked up at the Expo. Tried a few different guide spacings, but ended up going with NFC's guide spacing recommendation. Alps Triangle reel seat, #16 and #12 Fuji KW strippers, #4 Recoil snake guides the rest of the way. Basic and simple - both the reel seat and Nautilus ccfx 2 reel I have for it are black, so went with black thread only for a "blackout" look. Finished it off with Generation 4 finish, let it sit for a couple of days and lawn casted it for the first time yesterday.

First impressions are great. Although I have fly fished in salt for 20 years now, I have never really had many opportunities to cast a variety of rods - just the ones that I have owned and a few that others have brought onto my boat. But this is (so far) my favorite rod that I have cast. My Sage Xi3 8 weight can carry more line, so I can occasionally dump a fly line with it in the yard if I'm really trying (disclaimer - I never have done it under actual fishing conditions). I couldn't quite do it with the NFC, as it got a little shaky when carrying a lot of line. BUT... I set up markers at approximately 20, 40, 60, and 80 feet and it was a dream to cast at all ranges. Minimal false casting, enough tip flex for quick, short shots, but enough beef in the mid section to load up for longer shots. It could pick up a lot of line for quick pick up and lay down one-shot casting. I was using an 8 weight Wulff Bermuda Shorts line and a hookless weighted fly. Spring albies have shown up here on the NC coast, so I am chomping at the bit to give it a shot on those guys. Got my 10 weight marked off and ready to start wrapping this afternoon. I'll share my impressions of that when I get it finished, but am really hopeful that it is consistent with the 8.

Pete


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## pete_paschall (May 8, 2009)

Got the 10 weight built, and decided to try a new (at least to me) thread wrap. It's a variegated thread called Pro Wrap Fusion. I haven't decided yet how much I like it, but thought I'd show it to anyone who might be interested in trying it. This thread really packed easy, even with the ridges on the blank (any thread inconsistencies are due to the clumsy dude applying it, not the thread itself).


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## Gervais (Nov 28, 2016)

pete_paschall said:


> Got the 10 weight built, and decided to try a new (at least to me) thread wrap. It's a variegated thread called Pro Wrap Fusion. I haven't decided yet how much I like it, but thought I'd show it to anyone who might be interested in trying it. This thread really packed easy, even with the ridges on the blank (any thread inconsistencies are due to the clumsy dude applying it, not the thread itself).
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I like the fusion wrap. Currently in my 4th rod build using it. Adds some character without more thread work.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Gervais said:


> I did an impulse buy on an iconoglass as well. Waiting on some running guides to come in. Without casting it it feels pretty fast. Having fun with it and doing a switch/musky style handle for throwing big flies at big fish. I can’t remember the model # but American tackles heavy duty reel seat fits perfectly without a stint. It looks good as well.
> View attachment 198833
> 
> View attachment 198834


I have a green 8wt Iconoglass still in the shipping tube if anyone wants it for a good discount. Too slow for me.


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## Flyboy (Aug 26, 2019)

Smackdaddy53 said:


> I have a green 8wt Iconoglass still in the shipping tube if anyone wants it for a good discount. Too slow for me.


I’ll pm you


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## Flyboy (Aug 26, 2019)

Ok has anyone had experience with NFC sending mislabeled blanks? I ordered a glass 12, an 8wt GB and a 12 at GB. rods show up, glass 12 is fine- sticker is right and looks right. 8 and 12 GBs look about the right diameter but one sticker say 11wt and the other says 10. Will NFC be able to id the blanks based on the paper stickers or am I sol? Or better yet will they let me keep them and send me new ones haha


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## Gervais (Nov 28, 2016)

Flyboy said:


> Ok has anyone had experience with NFC sending mislabeled blanks? I ordered a glass 12, an 8wt GB and a 12 at GB. rods show up, glass 12 is fine- sticker is right and looks right. 8 and 12 GBs look about the right diameter but one sticker say 11wt and the other says 10. Will NFC be able to id the blanks based on the paper stickers or am I sol? Or better yet will they let me keep them and send me new ones haha


I‘m sure they will take them back and send you replacements, might take 3-4weeks and you’ll eat shipping them back I would guess. I had an issue with my 8wt GB and wasn’t thrilled with how they handled it. I finished it and a few days later took it fishing. 15-20 casts in the butt section broke at the ferrel. Sent them pics and emails, ended up going through the typical warranty process which took 4 weeks and paid for shipping there. Same rod came back with just a new butt section. Learn my lesson and flex blanks hard before building on them.


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Flyboy said:


> Ok has anyone had experience with NFC sending mislabeled blanks? I ordered a glass 12, an 8wt GB and a 12 at GB. rods show up, glass 12 is fine- sticker is right and looks right. 8 and 12 GBs look about the right diameter but one sticker say 11wt and the other says 10. Will NFC be able to id the blanks based on the paper stickers or am I sol? Or better yet will they let me keep them and send me new ones haha


No but I’m sure they can resolve the issue.


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## Flyboy (Aug 26, 2019)

Gervais said:


> I‘m sure they will take them back and send you replacements, might take 3-4weeks and you’ll eat shipping them back I would guess. I had an issue with my 8wt GB and wasn’t thrilled with how they handled it. I finished it and a few days later took it fishing. 15-20 casts in the butt section broke at the ferrel. Sent them pics and emails, ended up going through the typical warranty process which took 4 weeks and paid for shipping there. Same rod came back with just a new butt section. Learn my lesson and flex blanks hard before building on them.


That’s less than ideal


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## Smackdaddy53 (Dec 31, 2012)

Flex test the hell out of every blank before you build on it even though NFC flex tests them. I have never broken any of their blanks.


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## Flyboy (Aug 26, 2019)

My most recent build- 12wt Iconoglass “The Anesthetizer”


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## Surfrat59 (Mar 30, 2021)

Flyboy said:


> View attachment 200750
> 
> My most recent build- 12wt Iconoglass “The Anesthetizer”


Sharp looking build. First impressions...what line weights, what's the intended quarry ?


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## Flyboy (Aug 26, 2019)

I’m gonna try throwing an 11 and 12 line on it see which feels better. And it seems like a way to make shark fishing even more fun


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## Gervais (Nov 28, 2016)

Flyboy said:


> I’m gonna try throwing an 11 and 12 line on it see which feels better. And it seems like a way to make shark fishing even more fun


nice build! I’m ready to coat mine now. Please post what line you like. I’m curious how it will perform. It’s pretty freaking light for a glass rod I’d say.


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## Gervais (Nov 28, 2016)

Wrapped up my 12wt iconglass build last night and got to cast it today. Happy with the performance casting SA grand slam 11wt with a decent size fly (7-8”).


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## Flyboy (Aug 26, 2019)

Not that I needed another poon stick, but it surely won’t hurt


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## WC53 (Dec 2, 2015)

Just started an faf 909 today. The beta is too fast for my old self . An Iconoglass 5wt is next in line


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## Flyboy (Aug 26, 2019)

WC53 said:


> Just started an faf 909 today. The beta is too fast for my old self . An Iconoglass 5wt is next in line


Make sure you share pictures of the end products, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the 5wt


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## Oncorhynchus (10 mo ago)

Flyboy said:


> Make sure you share pictures of the end products, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the 5wt


Yes please!


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## WC53 (Dec 2, 2015)

Flyboy said:


> Make sure you share pictures of the end products, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the 5wt


Will do. I so enjoy wrapping unsanded blanks  of course the problem could be I’m wearing a magnavisor and still can’t see squat.


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## DRO (Mar 9, 2016)

WC53 said:


> Just started an faf 909 today. The beta is too fast for my old self . An Iconoglass 5wt is next in line


My 5wt iconoglass came in this week. Ordered components today from Proof Fly Fishing. Look forward to your comparison.


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## Flies&StripesForever (10 mo ago)

I just finished building a fly rod using an NFC all Purpose Glass blank-/the lightest model in the series, 7’1”. Did some quick test casting and it could handle everything from a 6 wt intermediate to a 290 grain sinking line. A 7wt Airflo Beach intermediate was the best match if the lines I tried, but it seems very versatile. Will have a better idea after fishing with it.


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## Flies&StripesForever (10 mo ago)

Tough to get a good photo…


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## WC53 (Dec 2, 2015)

Flies&StripesForever said:


> I just finished building a fly rod using an NFC all Purpose Glass blank-/the lightest model in the series, 7’1”. Did some quick test casting and it could handle everything from a 6 wt intermediate to a 290 grain sinking line. A 7wt Airflo Beach intermediate was the best match if the lines I tried, but it seems very versatile. Will have a better idea after fishing with it.


Cool use of that blank. I have been thinking of ordering one to try as a bfs rod.


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