What is the secret for holding one foot fly guides in place until they can be wrapped? I have been using small slivers of masking tape, but keeping it in place is an ordeal. I don't want to glue it because I may need to better align it later. Surely someone has come up with a better idea??????-gb-

Flex Coat guide foot adhesive or, as I do, ordinary hot melt glue from a glue gun.

Gene,
I use the smallest "zip ties" or cable ties I can find. Wrap up a little ways and snip em' off with a small pair of side cutters.
Hope this helps,
Noel

Small slivers of tape will work fine. But you have to use the right procedure. Put the tape on the guide (forget about the blank for a minute). A short section of tape, with equal amounts protruding past each side of the guide foot. Make sure to leave a little of the guide foot end exposed so you can wrap thread there. Now pick up the guide by the ring and lower it to the blank. With your other hand, press the free ends of the tape to the blank. That's all there is to it. The guide will stay put and you can remove the tape once you've made about a dozen wraps of thread onto the foot end.

One mistake beginnners often make is in trying to tape the guide to the blank - none of us has enough fingers to hold the guide and apply the tape to the guide and blank at the same time.

................

I often use the little rubber bands that my son got from the orthodontist. For what I paid that guy, I think he owes me a lifetime supply.

I got some of those little rubber bands but they're too large to use on the tip piece. I've been trying to tape the guide on the blank; gonna try tom's method of centering a piece on the guide and then applying to the blank. Thanks for the help; will report results-gb-

I go a bit further than Toms suggestion with tape. My method is to cut a thin pice of tape say one eigth of an inch wide about 6 inch long. I actually mount the ring almost the same way as Tom. I start at the ring end and wind down the tape with overlapping turns as tight as I can until just short of the toe of the ring foot. I trim the scrap end of the tape if left with too much. Now I also fold back the tape on itself and leave a short tab so I can unwind the tape as I move up the ring foot with my wrapping thread. Once I have enough turns of thread on the foot I unwind the rst of the tape and chuck on the floor with the rest of the junk. The most difficult guides are the ones near the tip. If you don't prepare the toe of the ring properly you may find that the thread will push away the ring back under the tape. This is frustrating but happens I reckon to most of us so just keep plugging away.

Hope this helps

Mike O.

Gene, make sure you prep the guide foot good by filing it down to a gentle slope. If you don't do this, the thread will actually push the guide away as it tries to climb up the ramp.
I have started using bigger rubber bands, about 1/8th" wide, that I cut into pieces and then tie a single knot around the blank. I then slide the foot under the rubber band and it seems to stay put pretty well.

Larry

Guide foot adhesive pops free after you wrap if you need to adjust. I use adhesive about 99% of the time because the thread can push the guide with the other methods. I put the hot adhesive on the guide, smear the excess onto a paper plate, and then reheat the guide for a very thin film.

I ty on rubber bands then cut the ends off
I put the tape on with two knots several inches up from where they will go. Slid the tape in place and slide the guide under.
If you have to adjust the guide it can easyly be moved



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2005 06:54AM by bill boettcher.

Hi Gene,
I have used most of the methods mentioned previously and find that not one method works best
for all projects so try them ALL as well as trying "electrical heatshrink" tubing and or surgical tubing.
Heat shrink is my favoite most of the time as it holds tight and secure! (no guide slipping!!)

Have Fun!!

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Gene
Got to give you the" shakey old man hand" method that is all that works for me. I sliver tape it on like Tom said but in the middle of the foot. Then take a scrap piece of thread (3-4" long) and just granny knot the foot tight to the blank just above the filed edge. Start your wrap to the knot and cut/remove it, wrap to the tape and remove it and the foot should not have moved. On larger single foot guides I just tape twice. Ron

Too keep the foot from sliding forward you might wrap tape above the eye.....right where you want the eye to be, so that it cannot slide forward while you are wrapping the thread on.

Gem

Jim
I find if the guide foot has be preped correctly there is no need for this.
A nice taper on the foot lets the thread wrap right over it with ease.
Plus sanding the foot with a little #400 sandpaper will help the thread grip onto the foot.

A rounded guide will need this