Is the proper technique just pack, pack, pack, or is there a trick to filling the last little bit of (uneven) space?

If you use what is known as a taper offset layout you will automaticallly fill those areas. In this type layout the centers are adjusted before you start the wrap in order to take into account the different amount of thread needed to fill in background as you reach an area of smaller diameter. If you don't have much taper and just use the regular spacing then you will have to pack one end tightly and slighty spread the other end to get the same amount of fill at both ends. Happy packing.

G'day Kelly.

I think the real trick is to get your intial layout correct so that it accounts for the taper of the rod. Failing this, one trick I use is to vary the tension of the thread as I do the wrap. Pulling the thread tighter makes it take up less space on the blank, and it is possible to progressively increase or decrease the tension on a thread as it makes its way along the blank.

Regard
David

Too late for either of those suggestions - I'll remember them for next time. ;) I'm 2 threads from done and I had to make room for the last one in quite a few areas.

Unfortunately, I caused the spacing problems by uneven tension (by hand), so there's no real rhyme or reason to it.

It's looking really good (gold/tan/copper scales with pewter outlines), so it will be worth the effort when I finish. Back to packing... =D

I put the finish on and it went on like a dream (Flex Coat over CP). The rod's turning now with the final coat (probably).

If it hadn't been for all of the advice from this board I would have never been able to do it. And thank you Tom for talking me out of throwing out the Flex Coat.

I mixed it on a piece of aluminum foil over a ceramic tile. There were quite a few fine bubbles in it as I mixed (even though I used a wipe/spread action to mix), but after it was mixed, I spread it out across the surface of the foil, and about 45 seconds later all the bubbles released at once. I'm guessing it was from the heat of the reaction.

The drying motor really, really helped. Without it, there's no way I could get as smooth of a finish during application as I did with the motor. If anyone reading this doesn't have one, at the least go to allelectronics.com and get the little $2.50 gear motor. It was really easy to set up using a PVC-cap chuck and a dimmer switch to control the speed.

I did have a couple of "learning moments" during the assembly and finishing of this rod (my first), but overall I'm very happy with the way it is turning out.