I've seen many photos of white thread on dark blanks, but all my test turn grey? How do you guys do that? How do you retain the bright white appearance? Many thanks!

First wrap the blank in white electrical tape and you will not get the fading problem you describe. Good luck!

Use white NCP thread and apply a coat of Color Preserver and let it dry instead of tape. Ralph

If at first you don't succeed, go fishing, then try, try again.

Make sure you use NCP white.

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My white NCP did turn a little bit darker after wrapping on a dark blank. In fact it was a G-USA and you know they aren't really that dark. Instead I used Kilz white primer and then wrapped. The white thread turned out just like it is on the spool. I also painted the guide feet white.

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I'll get best results by priming the area with white spray paint. Then use NCP. Even NCP will bleed a bit on a dark blank.

I have done a few black rods with white under wraps. Like Tom said use NCP thread, and just have tight wraps. Any gaps, and the blank will show through.

-Anthony

Here's another way. Yes, use NCP thread, but use an underlay of 1 mil mirror mylar instead of white paint. The mirror mylar can be wrapped around the blank and trimmed to fit. I use a small dab of rubber cement to hold it in place until it is over-wrapped with thread. I also trim the joint so the edges meet instead of overlaping. Your thread wraps must be tight. Period! Any gaps will show the mylar underlay. The result is nothing short of spectacular, since the mirror mylar reflects any light back through the thread. I did this on a mooching rod with normal nylon thread without color preserver using Gudebrod teal thread and it looked like it was metallized! I also did it under each guide on a surf rod about 15 years ago using red, white and blue thread. The white thread was NCP, the red and blue were regular nylon. No color preserver was used. The colors are as bright now as then, and the red is vibrant over the mirror mylar.

Doug Weber
Weber Rod Works