Having made several rods over the years, including boo rods, I’ve alway had to temporarily fasten the few top guides with a separate wrapping because the diameter of the rod is smaller than the width of the guide feet. Without the temporary fastening, the guide feet would invariable rotate around the rod shaft while wrapping. any suggestions?
What I do not know about rod building will fill volumes, but why not use tape. I did on the scrounge rod I am finishing up.
I use these little goodies. They work like a charm, are reusable, cheap, and everyone comments, “Now why didn’t I think of that?”
Get a package or two of the small sized bungee cord looking hair thingies (technical name for these things) that are used for pony tails and the like. Get a package of METAL beads. Use a bit of string or heavy thread to pull the hair thingy through the bead. The metal beads are best because they grab the fabric cover and do not slide. I can pretty much guarantee that a plastic bead will slide and let things loose that you don’t want loose.
I do not use tape or anything but these things to hold guides before wrapping. Yes, you can do a static test with these and even test cast.
If using double foot guides then a small piece of tape as Uncle Jesse suggested works perfect. if using single foot guides then I normally dap a tiny spot of super glue to the guide foot and hold it in place for about 5 seconds. The guide will stay put till your done wrapping, then if you need to realign them it’s easy to break the glue bond with a very slight push with the thumb and index finger.
Steve
Wow, Steve, that might revolutionize my rod building - I always thought if you got super glue anywhere near a guide it would bleed right through the thread - now I might go back to single foots. Thanks!
Nope no worries at all with the superglue. I’ve been using it for about 7 years now to hold the SF guides on for wrapping, and I also use it for doing the EZ method of single turn trim bands as well. Your only using a very small amount so it doesn’t hurt anything. Just make sure you don’t use too much or then it will turn white in that spot. It really takes all the pain out of starting a wrap on a SF guide.
Steve
The hair thingies work fine for single foot guides, too.
I think the super glue solution is the best. Using tape will not prevent the guide foot from rotating only because the tip diameter is small than the width of the guide foot. The hair bands would work for larger diameter rod blanks
Fritz,
If the guide foot is that much larger than the rod diameter, I would file down the guide foot so that it is more slender.
Ted
One of the things I do before wrapping the rod is to grind the feet down to match the rod diamiter where the wrap will be placed or approximate location. the hair thingies that kevin uses are fabulous. I have used both the super glue and the hair thingies. I will not pick between the two. Both have their place in rod building…Once you grind the fet down use a wet dry sandpaper in 1500 to 3000 to polish. The polish kits that you can get for the dremal work good as well. I always take a piece of charmin and run it across both sides of the guide and only then do I run the guide across my lips to make sure there are no burrs.
great suggestions. thanks