Tom, I am about to wrap my second flyrod and noticed that in your book you really don't go into thread fuzz. I am using gudebrod Garnet and it seems to be quite fuzzy. I practice heating the wrap from the side but can't seem to get it all out. It seems that some thread colors may be fuzzier than others. Any thoughts? Tom

Good thread isn't fuzzy at all. If the thread is fuzzed, only three possibilities exist - 1. You got a bad spool (this is rare). 2. Your thread tension hardware has a rough spot that is raising fuzz. 3. Your fingers are rough and as you guide the thread onto the rod you're raising the fuzz.

I probably have 500 spools of thread on my lathe bench right now. Not a single one of them has any fuzz on it that I'm aware of. At least it's a problem that I have never encountered, except for a single instance where the pigtail on my thread feed unit had gotten rough.

So, you can heat/flame the fuzz or get a new spool of thread. Or, check your hardware. As in many things, the best way to get rid of thread fuzz is to not have any to begin with.

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Well Here is my 2 cents.....
I recently got a spool of Gudebrode Garnet and found it to be "QUITE FUZZY" !
NOT my tension device (don't have one)- NOT my fingers- my fingers are smooth sooooo
I believe there ARE a number of bad spools of Gudbrode Garnet out there right now!
I've NEVER had the problem with any other colour thread.

I sometimes work with a colour forcasting (for cloths) company ,with dyers and many thread lots.
It's amazing how much dye stuffs differ from batch to batch....to get the reds to come out right ,they
sometimes have to dye mutiple times and this can adversly affect the texture of the thread.

I found that when using my fuzzy thread (yes i used it) -a thin coat of epoxy allowed to dry, and a quick flame over
before the second coat solved the problem!

I have also experienced the fuzzy thread on Gudebrod size A Garnet color. I bought several spools and have only used one, but I threw it away because of the thread fuzz. I pulled a lot of it off the spool, and checked it under the microscope at work, and it definitely has problems. When I had to go back and redo the wraps, after I flamed it, then put down a coat of LS supreme and it looked worse, I figured why keep using it if it is going to be inconsistent and cause problems. I have basically eliminated the color from my usage. I purchased the thread a few years back, and have not revisited the issue. good luck!

I have been laying down the fuzzies by putting on, then pressing in the undercoat with the flat of a plastic spatula knife while turning the rod by hand in one direction. Wipe the excess on a coffee filter. Works with a variety of finishes and contributes towards a more level finish.

I have a high dust/lint concentration where I put my rods together. There isn't a way to eliminate it, that is until I get my room off the new garage, so I have been forced in some cases to use a jeweler's file to grind down the lint spikes and such before the final coat. It mars the finish and makes it look like you'll never fix it, but soon as the next coat of finish is applied, it all but disappears!

My 2 Cents from a guy with lint issues and allergies.

LOL

Same problem with a Guedbrod size A spool of blue I recently purchased. I marked it 'fuzzy' and set it to the side in case I need a size A thread for purposes other than guide wrapping.

Jay

...

By the way, the thread coming off the spool is fuzzy. This has nothing to do with fingers or tension devises. You can magnify the spool or the thread as it comes off & see the fuzz sticking out. Just a bad spool...& looks like junk if you use it on guide wraps. Only spool I've ever had with this problem.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/03/2005 01:23PM by Jay Lancaster.

With all these negative reports concerning the use of Gudebrod garnet and other Gudebrod colors, which I have also had fuzz problems with, can anyone recommend a thread that will work well?

This is very odd. I have over a dozen and a half spools of Gudebrod Garnet and not a single one has the least bit of fuzz on it.

I think some of you guys should notify Gudebrod about the problem you're having so they can check their equipment and see if something isn't worn or grooved. Thread shouldn't be fuzzy. If it is, there's something wrong with it and it needs to be returned.

..............

I had the same issue with a Gudebrod 206 NCP about three weeks ago. I bought a new one and it worked fine, so I'm pretty sure it wasn't my setup.

I know it's tough when you get a bad spool and you're all ready to wrap. It's a pain to send it back and wait on a replacement, but those bad spools do need to go back. Gudebrod needs to know if they're shipping bad spools.

.............

Ayear or so ago, someone who seemed to know said that thread that was fuzzy off-the-spool was due to too much tension on the thread in the manufacturing process, a quality control issue that should have been caught at the source. Ialso have received one fuzzy spool of Gudebrod, not Garnet.

I outwrap for Lamiglas and last winter they had a problem with Gudebrod #5274 chestnut brown. The way it was explained to me was that in certain humidity conditions they tend to have fuzz problems, I don't know for sure. When they were having this problem I had five four ounce spools in a row that were fuzzy and had to be sent back to the factory.

Thomas F. Thornhill

I really appreciate all your input on this topic. I new I wasn't loosing my mind. I wish flyshops carried rod building material so you could touch befor you buy. Every time I need two bucks worth of thread I spend three times that in shipping. In that way, this hobby can be frustrating at times. You know, I hope this color will be right, I hope the insert in that seat will be a good one. How big are those guides? It's the only craft I know thats all mail order. But I still get a big kick out of it. When I take a break from fishing during the day and sit down to eat lunch or smoke my pipe, I put the rod down and admire my work thinking it's the rod I wanted, its the fly I tied. It just don't get any better! Tom

Tom
Every time you order something -- order several more this way you cut down on the shipping and you also have a little stock. Make a list and try to get it all at one time