I have benn useing colour preserver (gludebrod), with my guide wraps. When I put on the epoxie some of the thread at the top of the guide foot would turn dark. I finally figured out that the epoxie would go into the tunnel at the top of the guide foot and soak the thread from behind/underneath, as it should but turn the thread dark. So I have been getting the color peserver into the tunnels so the thread retains its color.
My question is: 1 does the pesrever prevent the epoxie from getting in all the way around the guide foot? 2 How do I get the epoxie in around the foot without leaving a blob that touches the guide foot on the bend up that later cracks with rod flex? Oh yes I have been useing the Forhan guide locking wraps (4 wraps) which are just a super idea, mine seem to go up a little towards the guide foot bend, but not onto the bend. Cheers Ron

As long as you get either CP or epoxy along the guide foot you're fine.

One thing to remember, is that the area along the tunnel may well be darker than that elsewhere. This is not a failure of the CP nor is it because the epoxy has gotten into the tunnel and darkened the thread from behind. It's because the background under the thread is different along the length of the tunnel than it is against the actual blank. The thread that is over the tunnel does not rest directly on the blank, therefore the background there is darker. Any finish you apply, with or without CP, is going to be a shade darker along the length of the tunnel. This is more readily apparent with lighter colored threads.

.......

Ron,

When epoxying guide wraps I normally will use a toothpick to get the epoxy into the tunnel first then apply the rest of the epoxy with a brush. It all seems to go together nicely once done without any webbing or "blobs" underneath the guide foot.

Just my $.02


Russ

As they say, an artifact of process. If anyone protests, just tell them to go have a look at the rack rods and see if they like those any better. I was looking over workmanship on some Lami rack rods. Not bad at all to the casual eye, but certainly distinguishable from any custom quality I've seen from dozens of hand crafters.

I have some of my early rods still around, and when I inspect them with a hand glass, I want to puke. To the casual unaided eye, they look great, but when someone says, "Wow, that is really nice!!.", I just thank them but know better.

I suspect you are seeing "flaws" that are invisible to your buyers generally. I know I can inspect any wrap I've ever done with a hand glass and see less than perfection. It keeps me humble, always knowing improvement is possible, but to the unaided eye they are judged flawless by 99% of anyone who cares to look.

Tip: more grinding of feet can make for smaller, thinner tunnels. Round file the bottoms to fit the blank, then the tops to a near knife edge, then deburr the edge. More time, more skill, more practice can lead to smaller tunnel volumes in every case.

How many of your customers think it is worth the extra cost to reduce this artifact of process they typically will never notice??? Practically perfect ought to be good enough. What level of perfection does your market demand??