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Thread: Does anyone have a good tecnique for sf guides?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
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    Default Does anyone have a good tecnique for sf guides?

    I have built a lot of rods, most with snake guides. I have built 3 or 4 with single foots.None of those were fun! Sounds like a good idea, only half as many wraps.I have never found a good way to temporarily hold the darn things on for wrapping. I spend half my time crawling on the floor, hunting the last one that squirted off like a watermelon seed. Today I lost one, said the heck with it and wrapped the rod with regular snakes. I like the single footers on a finished rod. They look good and shoot better, but are a bugger to wrap. How do you guys do it? Has anyone got a good method? Can anyone convince me to try them again?

  2. #2

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    It is funny you say that. I am a beginner (3 rods built) and I absolutely hate to do snake guides. I would much rather do single foot any day of the week. I did my first fly rod with snake guides 2 weeks ago and said I would never do another rod with snakes again.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
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    Lebanon,TN 37087
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    Snake or single foot. Lay the blank out, assembled. mark the guide spacing. Preferably on the table or bench, you are working on. Prepare and fit the guides.
    When ready put a drop of super glue gel on a scrape of paper. Barely touch the bottom of the foot or feet of guide to the drop of glue. carefully line up the guide and when in position touch the guide to blank and hold for a few seconds. This should hold the guide fine for wrapping. The glue joint can be easily broken for fine tuning after wrapping or if a mistake is made.
    Member FFF , TU, MTFF
    Ron

  4. #4
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    I don't know if it's the right way to do it, but I take a x-acto knife and cut approximately one eighth inch strip of masking tape on the roll. I just use those strips to hold the guide in place till my thread reaches the tape then remove the tape and finish the wrap. It seems to work OK. Hope that helps. I like single foot guides as well.

    Beaver

  5. #5

    Default Elastic String

    oldster -

    Elastic string - you can probably get it at JoAnn Fabrics.

    Take a couple wraps around the foot, pull it taut, and tie a couple overhand knots.

    The elastic string makes it very easy to "adjust" the guide both up and down the blank and around the perimeter, if needed, and it will hold the guide securely in place while you wrap.

    After you get enough wraps on to hold the guide securely, just nick the string with a sharp blade and it will pop off and out of the way.

    I hesitated to do single foot guides. But I found it easier to work with them that two foot guides. If I don't use them again, it will be because of the effect I'm looking for, not any difficulty working with them.

    John
    The fish are always right.

  6. #6

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    I bought some orthodonic rubber bands and they work perfect. Two different sizes 3/16" and 1/8". Works great for snakes, should be a walk in the park with single foot.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Beaver View Post
    I don't know if it's the right way to do it, but I take a x-acto knife and cut approximately one eighth inch strip of masking tape on the roll. I just use those strips to hold the guide in place till my thread reaches the tape then remove the tape and finish the wrap. It seems to work OK. Hope that helps. I like single foot guides as well.

    Beaver
    Exactly what I do. Works on single foot wire and single foot ceramics.
    Better to be an active environmentalist than and environmental activist.

    FFMIRSWTNBOF
    (Full Fledged Member in Raunchy Standing-Within The NBOF)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2006
    Location
    Nampa, Idaho USA
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    John hit it on the head. Elastic thread or I use rubber bands designed for rod building about a 1/16th of a inch in with and I double or triple them. Move the guides where you want leaves most of the foot available for thread when wraping and then they break very easy when the thread gets to them.

  9. #9

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    I picked up a stick of glue to temporarily hold guides on while you wrap. It's white color and works pretty much the same as the tip-top version but isn't as strong. I've found it holds the guide just enough while you wrap but if you need to adjust the guide the glue gives and you can move the guide around.

    I've used tape in the past but I always seem to get little pieces of tape or glue residue around the guide feet.

    Graphite rods - single foot. Bamboo - snake
    Take Care ...
    Steve
    \><((((((*>

  10. #10

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    I also use the elastic string purchased from the fabric store. It is cheap and works really well. When I wrap the string around the guide foot I wrap it around twice. It is easier to tie that way.

    I have found that in order to properly keep pressure on the guide to the blank so the wrapping thread climbs up it properly and to keep the guides from turning each guide needs two elastic strings on them. That includes single foot guides as well.

    Try the elastic sting method. Since each guide needs two strings or bands on each you might find it is easer for you to use a combination of elastic and tape. Sometimes I use a thin slice (around and eight of an inch) slice of tape as well.

    Whatever works is the best method for you!

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