How wide should a ferrule wrap be? I'm speaking of the thread wraps on the female part of the blank. I write that to make sure I'm explaining the right part of the blank. Thanks, Bruce

A ferrule wrap should be at least 1/8" longer than how far the male end goes into the female end when fully assembled. Put the rod together snugly then make a mark with tape on the male section where the seam is.

Now pull the male end out and place it next to the female end with the tape as a marker for how deep that section inserts into the other. Your wrap should go at least 1/8" further up the blank than where the male section ends. This is the way my grandfather taught me and I haven't had any problems yet.

I should mention however that I usually go about 1/4" further up with the wrap instead of just 1/8" because it makes me feel safer to do it that way.

~Jackie

Wow...

That's a lot further than any wraps I've ever done.

I think that (on most blanks) wraps that go up a half-inch are more than sufficient. Somebody wrote me once about making them longer than the female ferrule is wide. I forget by how much though.

Some make ends extend into the blank for aconsiderable distance....No way you need to wrap all that way up.

Keith

2 times the od of the female end.

Guess I'll pass that info. on to my Gramp.

~Jackie

If the blank is a fairly thin light and thin walled blank such as the Dan Craft series V you need to make your wrap as you are describing it otherwise twice the length of the OD normally suffices.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

If you can put a guide on each ferrule you kill two birds with one stone, guide and ferrule wrap.

I agree with Kenny. I use a minimum of 1.5 times the ID of the female connector but 2 times the ID is sufficient. If I have a guide close enough to it, I will continue the wrap all the way up to the guide. By going a longer distance, you add weight to the rod. So i will use the smallest amount of wrap at the connection point to make sure that is strong enough. If you want extra security when wrapping up to a guide, put a second wrap over the first wrap at the ferrule to a length of 1.5 to 2 times the ID of the female receptacle.

MI Builder

Read a great string of comments on this subject in a recent Thread by Peter Mulbjerg. In fact, all the Replies were excellent and merit careful consideration. Tom Kirkman, Ken Preston, Emory Harry, Todd Vivian (of LamiGlas) and myself (Cliff Hall) all had something important to say (even if we didn't all agree). I advocate a wrap around the female tunnel as long as the male's insertion + one blank diameter. Read the full Reply if you want to hear the physics behind my reasoning. Below is an excerpt from that Thread located at:
[www.rodbuilding.org]

Re: Lamiglas fiberglass and ferrules Cliff Hall Dec. 17, 2004
[http://www.rodbuilding.org/read.php?2,125819,125839#msg-125839]
Peter - whatever you do, do not forget to thread-wrap the uter barrel of both the female end AND the male end (with he spigot) of the ferrule before you start flexing the blank when joined. In fact, there is no reason not to wrap both these barrels before you even find the blank's spine. It is, of course, uncommon for an un-wrapped ferrule to fail under the moderate stressing of static-deflection and test-casting. But you don't want to discover thru carelessness just how common it can be, either ! -Cliff Hall-

Just yesterday the need to wrap a ferrule before flexing, and how wide to wrap a ferrule, came up with a builder who had 2 blank failures while flexing UNWRAPPED ferrules, before the rod-building was complete. Link and excerpt follow. [www.rodbuilding.org]
Was this a case of bad blanks, ... or a long lucky streak that just ran out? -Cliff Hall-

2. Testing Blanks... Gene Maxson 01/24/05 10:07AM
[http://www.rodbuilding.org/read.php?2,132179,132179#msg-132179]
... Now, I know your supposed to wrap the ferrule first, but in 50 or so blanks I've done [without first wrapping the ferrule], I've never had one break. That is, until Friday. I put the first blank together; gave it a slight bend, and "snap" - broken ferrule. Hmmm. I put the next blank of same make, wt, length, etc., together and again - almost immediately - "snap"!