I am building an inshore surf rod on a Lami GSB108 1L using single foot guides in a Fuji New Concept configuration. I've done all my testing, and I'm just about to start wrapping the guides. I plan on using the Forhan locking wrap for durability. My question is how do you do the final alignment on the guides before commiting yourself to the locking portion of the wrap? It has been discussed on this forum as well as others that if you wrap your guides at the proper thread tension, you should be able to move the guides after wrapping to assure that everything lines up. With the Forhan wrap, are you still able to do that, or do you commit yourself to final position once the locking wraps go on? Do you perhaps immobilize the end of the thread on each guide wrap, leave some extra thread, tweak your alignment and then proceed with the locking wraps?

With the correct amount of thread tension, you can adjust the alignment even with a locking wrap. Just get the guides reasonably close before you start.

I build popping rods with single foot guides. I use a lot of thread tension and get them fairly close by visual alignment by taping. I have not been able to use the Forhan, which I like, because the guide wants to twist inside the locking wraps if I need to adjust. I use the practice of two or three security wraps past the foot instead of the locking loops. I also have less trouble with finish trying to climb the foot using the security loops. I have had no problems with guides coming loose.

Gon Fishn

Rich, once I have everything set, spacing etc. and prior to wrapping the guides I use flex coats guide foot adhesive to set and align the guides. Once set with the adhesive I find that I don't have problems with them moving around during wrapping and use the Forhan Locking Wrap with no problems.

Regards......Doug@
TCRds

Thanks for your input gentlemen. Doug, I do believe you have the solution I'm after. I had inquired about the guide foot adhesive a few months ago, but forgot about it. If I lay down strips of masking tape at the front and rear of each guide foot, then stretch a thread down the centerline of the rod aligned with the reel seat, I can mark the exact location of each guide foot, and lay them down with the adhesive. Then I can visually check everything, adjust if needed, and wrap without any further concerns.

the flex coat guide adhesive is pretty nifty, but you have to really get it on straight at the begining. i find myself needing to move the guide just a tad after wrapping regardless of how careful i am and it's very difficult with the FC adhesive(glue stick). any tricks? i'm getting better after 2 rods and perhaps that's the key, practice, but still...

eric
fresno, ca.

Rich,
There are actually several approaches that you can take.
1. You can use locking wraps that loop around the guide foot. This is probably the most secure but it is as you pointed out difficult to reposition the guide afterwards.
2. You can just wrap a half loop around the guide foot rather than wrapping all of the way around the guide. This may not be quite as secure but I think after applying epoxy it is plenty secure enough and it makes it quite a bit easier to reposition the guide.
3. You can just wrap a few laps around the blank directly in front of the guide and push them up tight against the guide foot. This will not restrict your ability to move the guide after it is wrapped but will give you some additional strength against the guide tearing out.
Plus if you look closely at most of the single footed guides they have a small detail in the foot where the foot is a little wider. This is there to make it more difficult to pull the guide out after it is wrapped and epoxied. This detail in the foot and just a few wraps in front of the foot will make it very difficult to pull out during normal use and do not limit your ability to adjust the guide allignment.
In my judgement a locking wrap that wraps all of the way around the guide foot is really over kill.

FTW, if the rod will be used in a boat where it is being pulled from a rod locker or similiar use and where it may be snagged and the pull will be out of the wrap, I use a Forhan locking wrap (eg, bass rods and inshore rods). If it is usually not going to be subject to potentially straight out pulls, then I just use a security wrap.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/26/2005 12:32PM by Steve Rushing.

How about this as a solution? Initially, I was kind of thinking about doing the security wraps in a different color (black) from my primary wrap color for two reasons: 1. My scheme is purple with bands of black followed by small bands of gold at each end, and black security wraps would result in a shorter total wrap. 2. Black security wraps would be less conspicuous. Suppose I was to wrap in purple almost to the end of the foot, then pull a black thread under with the purple end and then simply leave a foot or two of black thread coiled up and taped to the blank near each guide? I could do all the guides that way, then make sure the alignment was tweaked on everything, then go back to each guide and finish the security wraps with the black thread.