I’ve built 5 rods, and just kind of eyeballed the number of wraps I put on the guides, getting fewer as I get toward the tip, but I figure on this rod I would like to get them a little closer to “perfect”, so
is there a certain number of wraps to take before the foot that is standard? If this stayed the same, and the size of the foot decreased, the size of the wrap should also decrease.
Good question. I just finished my first of two tips and I can tell you what too much is G. Next rod will have fewer wraps per guide. I am going to use (with silk thread) about 7 wraps of accent and then 10 wraps before I let the thread start climbing up the foot of the quide. I’ll stop just past the place where the foot gets round again.
I tried measuring it, but that seems too inaccurate, even with a caliper.
signed, your not quite as good as I would like to be rod builder.
jed
On light rods, 3-5 wt, I only do 3 wraps before starting onto the guide foot. That extra thread and epoxy doesn’t do anything for you and just adds weight. On a big rod like an 8wt it looks good to have some bigger wraps, like 1/8" past the guide foot. I cut a strip of plastid 1/8" wide to measure it. This is just my opinion and it’s a matter of what you like aesthetically. As far as using fewer wraps toward the tip, as the guides get smaller the feet are shorter, so your wraps will get shorter, too.
I like to use the Gold or Silver tinsel thread for a trim wrap (I do it with only one turn so not to be gaudy). Then 2 or 3 turns on to the foot of the guide. These are graphite and glass rods - I don’t think the tinsel would look good on a boo (gaudy - but just my opinion).
As Greg F said “That extra thread and epoxy doesn’t do anything for you and just adds weight.” I have seen blanks turn out to be terrible, terrible casting rods because of too much thread and epoxy.
One that comes to mind was a 9’ 5wt built buy a buider who builds ocean rods. Triple wraps and long under wraps. Beautiful looking rod but the additional thread and epoxy was equal to more than an 8 wt line. That rod would would not cast any line of any weight properly. Once the wraps were stripped off and the blank built properly it was a nice 5 wt rod.
Let No One Walk Alone
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Bill
OK, I’m a-winding - thanks.