I have been building a Stand-up tuna stick and the material layers as you progress away from the bare blank are as follows:

Blank
Underwrap/Trim bands
Color Preserver
1 Coat Finish Epoxy
Guide Foot
1st Guide Wrap
2nd Guide Wrap
Color Preserver
Final Finish

The reason that I sealed and finished the underwrap is that in the past wrapping on top of the underwrap I find difficult as the guide wraps seem to want to fall in the cracks of the underwrap thread.

The same seems to hold true for the double guide wrap. The top wrap is difficult to pack because it wants to follow the thread contours of the under-layer.

Should I just assume it is the case that each layer needs to be completely finished before moving on to the next or is there a better technique for layering-up the thread so that the top layer lays nicely?

Thanks,
Joe.

Joe; I put a coat of finish between the first and second guide wrap, CP also if required. You might get away with just the CP, but then I'm really not in a hurry. You can also go up one size with your thread. For example underwrap first with "A" and next with "C" over it.

I build a lot of stand up and trolling rods and never finish each individual wrap with epoxy or color preserver. I underwrap with size A J Metallic brand thread then start my guide wrap about an eighth of an inch inside of the underwrap then wrap towards the guide foot but don't put in my tie in loop. Once I get to the foot I start wrapping over the thread back towards the beginning of my wrap then put in my tie in loop. I stop about four winds before the start of my wrap then tie off as normal. I never have any trouble wth gaps and if I do get any they are easy to pack together. I use size D on those type of rods then finish with three coats of epoxy.

Lance

Go with Jim's suggestion
Good Wraps Bob

I second Bob Balcombe's technique - wrap everything, then finish.

Lou

I learned to double wrap just like Lance Dupre and the only problem I had
was when I used to much tension. I never used any thing larger than "C"
thread though. If you wish to wrap the layers separately I would suggest
using a smaller gauge thread under a larger gauge. That will fix the problems
you are experiencing.

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

I think that Ray raises a good point...when I cranked that tension down during the wrap I got the wraps to lay much better. Although more time consuming it has to be easier to finish each layer before proceding on to the next.

Another trick is to do your under wraps in one direction -- then when you do the over wraps, turn the rod around . This way the over wrap is going across the under and not with it. Helps to stop digging in.