I’ll take any hints and/or suggestions from anyone on wrapping thread on thread. It’s almost like my trying to throw a pot, trying to center the guides just perfectly is driving me insane. Although the wife thinks they look great, if it isn’t right it’s just not right. And, folks, anyone who has received my flies in a swap must realize I’m not a perfectionist. So, if you have hints I’ll take 'em! Thanks a million! JGW
John,
Have you tried using orthodontic elastics to hold the guide in place? I find they are held securely enough to get them lined up precisely. Also, when you get both sides wrapped, there’s usually enough “wiggle” room to be very exacting. Try it (aka; practice) on a piece of broken rod or an old arrow, before trying to tie on the blank. I have a couple old guides and an old rod piece that I still try out color combinations on before committing it to the new blank.
Betty
Line the guides up as best you can, then turn the rod over so the guides are on the bottom. It should make any guide that isn’t straight very obvious. Just be sure you can see the same amount of guide on both sides of the rod. They can be adjusted even after you wrap them, if you haven’t overtensioned the thread.
If you put a reel on the rod when you do this it will hold the rod in place
I have not tied thread on thread before; however, I think I would lline up everything the same regardless. I just can’t get it very straight by eye and when I can’t, it really drives me crazy. I finally started using an inexpensive lazer level from sears to help line up the guides.
I use small masking tape that I cut with an exacto knife into small strips to hold the guide in place. I have heard of using small orthodontic rubber bands – and I have a ton of them but personally don’t use them for this purpose.
I use a white china pencil to roughly locate the correct alignment – using a lazer level to make sure of the alignment. I tape the blank section down to the table top. shoot the lazer down the length of the blank, and make marks on the blank for the guides feet. Using a small white piece of paper lets you see the lazer.
Once taped on and after one side is wrapped in, I again use a lazer level to sight down the section of the blank to make sure the guides are straight. THen I tied the other foot down and check it again. I continue the process over and over - taping the blank down, checking alignment with the white paper and lazer. You will find that you can make the feet line up exactly
Sometimes a guide needs a little nudge, but usually there isn’t much wiggle room.
If I screwed it up, I cut off the guide and start over.
I recently wrapped a black rod with black and gold trim thread. I don’t know why it was so difficult but I had a very hard time getting everything to line up the way I wanted. All I could attribute it to was the lack of color contrast (black on black) but it was just a difficult tie for me.
Anyway, good luck.
Rather than depending on my eyesight, I like to check the alignment of guides by laying my rod section on a level table.
I rotate the rod so the left (or right) edge of the guide just touches the table top. Any guides that are out of whack show a small gap between the wire and the table top. I douvle check when I have wrapped one foot, I can usually tweak the position a bit when only one side is wrapped.
Note: The stripper guide is usually too large to check this way…that one I do by eye.
Orthoman! I’m surprised at you!! You’ve got bazillions of the best liner-up-ers ever, and you don’t use them!! I like them because they are adjustable, and don’t leave a sticky residue on the threads (that will surely work through the finish!). Put the elastic on (maybe doubling them over), push them clear up to the guide middle (still on the foot), and wrap up to it. Clip the elastic with some really sharp little scissors, and complete the wrap. Love 'em!!
I found that re-aligning the guides is much easier line on line. My problem is not the up and down but making sure the guide is equally distant from the end threads of the bottom wrap. And, I’m also wondering about thread to thread alignment of the overwrap. No matter what I do there seems to be something peaking through the top wrap. A sliver of guide. A bit of the underwrap. This is the first line on line wrap I’ve done, and like the rest of rod building it will likely improve with experience and time. My most recent Mudhole catalog was the muse, and I just love the effect. Yet, I’ve already razored the top overwrap off twice because it just hasn’t laid down right. The overwrap has a complete “mind” of its own. Thanks for you comments and help. This is definitely a stress buster! JGW
I recall a tip to the effect that you sand the top of the guide where you will be wrapping the thread gently with fine sandpaper…helps to keep the thread from sliding.
I hate to disagree with LF, but I don’t think I would recommend sanding a blank, especially for a new person. The finish on a new blank is prepared from the factory to allow the thread to be packed against the previous wraps, and a dull spot on the blank would cause the thread to “roll” rather than slide next to the previous wrap when packing the thead. I would also think that the friction of smooth thread against a rough blank would cause the thread to fray, thus causing problems with the finish when applied. I have no education in this regard, but this is just my opinion.
Learning to work with thread from someone who has built rods before is probably the best way to learn so you develop good practices for a good outcome.
Joe
Hey, Joe! I think she meant sanding the top of the guide foot and not the blank. And I agree that sanding your blank is playing with fire for most of us.
not the blank, the guide!
Mea Culpa! I mistakenly thought you meant the blank.
Joe