Tried to make it 36A by using only one bonder and adding one piston, but I just couldn't get it to work.

Using only one bonder basically means you have to place the two product outputs side by side, which means you can't produce both products at the same time. you have to make the golden rod first, since it doesn't leave behind any extra quicksilver to block your path.
The real problem is that one reagent (copper + iron) only produces 5 quicksilver, but you need 6 to complete a golden rod.

I even tried pulling in another reagent just to get the last quicksilver for golden rod, but there just isn't enough space to move everything around.

It feels so doable, but I just CAN'T DO IT.

Maybe I'll try using one piston and 10G of track. It might give me a bit of extra space to move things around, but maybe it's just impossible to make 36A.