Is this cross wrapping as hard as I'm making it?? I have practiced quite a bit the past month and seem to not be able to get my threads to stay together well. I have used the first pattern in the CRTA book and some of the diamonds look great while others are just impossible for me to keep tight. I've experimented with varying tensions and have had zero luck. Any pointers are aprreciated!!!

Patrick

Unfortunately a lot of this is feel. Sometimes too much tension makes the thread actually pull away from itself but too little pressure it does the same. When I do Cross wraps I use one of those Gudebrod nylon burnishing tool and use the pointed end to push the crossing threads together every two or three trips up and down the rod. I find it easier to keep it tight that way. I tend to use less tension so it is easier to push the threads together and the nylon tool seems to be easier on the thread. Hope that helps a little.

What Doc said and a lot of patience in packing threads, paying special attention to the cross over points. With some patterns I pack up in both directions 3 or 4 times when I get a lot of thread on there. I also use real bright light and cheater glasses to make sure I don't get too far and find something that will be a real problem to correct later.

Closed patterns stay tight a lot better than diamonds or chevrons. With diamonds and chevrons, when I am done wrapping I put a little color preserver on the cross areas and repack a little and let that dry. I don't flood coat that the wraps as the thread swells too much when you soak it. I do 3, 5 or more light coats to get good coverage.

I have mostly switched to closed wraps just because of the problems I have with gaps with chevrons and diamonds.

Doc and Scott, Thanks for your input. I have been using my fingernail to try and keep the threads packed. I'll try the burnishing tool. It wouldn't hurt for me to add some extra light to my SMALL work area. I also have tried packing every two or three times as well. I'll keep at it and hope that things will improve as I go along.

If anyone else has some tips I'll be glad to read them! THanks!!

For a cheap packing tool I just sharpen one of the throw away plastic brushes from Walmart, someone else posted that they sharpen a popsicle stick and use that so your options are open. I am sure that either will work better than your thumbnail.