I’m starting my wrapping on the blank tonight I have completed the stripping guide and the winding check and hook keeper. I think I am going to end up redoing a couple of wraps maybe I am being to picky but there just not as good is I think I can get them the hook keeper has as small amount of silver showing through the tread and the stripper has a little bit of looseness in the first couple of turns from packing it forward I am assuming its a learning experience but its fun for sure....

I’m sure it’s just a technicality but should the wrap in front of the stripping guide be the same length as the back wrap or do you keep it the same distance from the front of the foot as you do in the rear?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/05/2006 07:12PM by Rob Culver.

Yes. "Learning experience"... Getting the tension on the thread "right" is important. If you created gaps by packing forward then chances are the tension was a tad low (or you were too aggressive in burnishing). Call it a "do over" until you're happy 'cause it's a long winter still

Rob: I like to see both front and back wraps of the same thickness. That means they might not start the same distance from the ring. Looks more pleasing to the eye. I'm on my fourth rod and still rewrap almost everything at least once but they are getting better and better. Maybe a couple more months I'll have it looking like I want. What areas are you having the most trouble with?

Repetition will improve your wraps. The more you do and the more often you do them, the easier and better looking they'll get. Nobody turnout out perfect wraps on their first rod. Keep at it, they'll be better with each one you do.

.........

maybe aggressive in burnishing and getting the first few turns tight enounghI have started to make a turn or two and pulling the tag end to tighten it a bit should I be doing this?Also im wondering if im filing the feet enough the wrap starts up the foot without trouble so maybe not. I think its just getting experiance....

There are different ways you can make them match.
1. You can count the wraps leading up to the foot while you are wrapping so you can match them by counting as you do the other ft.
2. You can use a magnifying glass to count the threads on one side, then match the other.
3. You can use a micrometer to measure each side.
4. You can eyeball it like Leon says.

It all depends on your commitment to the quality of the rods you choose to build. There will always be a learning curve.
Picky is good , because you’ll never get good if your not picky. Some thing I think about when I’m building a rod is
“My reputation is only as good as my worst job”
It helps me to be picky.

Rob,
Try this: Get the wrap started & 6-8 wraps down - farther away from the guide foot than you might normally want them to start. Hold the "tag" end; rotate the rod while you pull on the tag. The end wraps will tighten a bit, all the starting point gaps will close and the leading edge of the wrap will be even. Once you're happy lay the tag end next to the guide foot and trim by touching with a sharp single edged razor blade. I think that will resolve the loose first wraps and also eliminate the gaps on the first several turns. Easier to do than to explain.

Hi Rob,
Sounds like you have a good grasp of it. Lots of good advise already said above but I wanted to say,
just relax and enjoy the journey to a completed project. Try not to be so picky with yourself and your
work that it becomes to much of a chore and as such not very much fun. What Ken said is true, if your
not criticle of your work you will never get better, but at first it can be a bit difficult to get it "just right"
until you have a couple of rods under your belt and even then trying to hard can take the fun right out
rodbuilding but like Tom said, practise, practise!
I started a thread entitled "Perfection Good or Bad" last year and I think the thread is a good
read especially for beginning rodbuilders. Here is the link to the thread.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

I would love to see your face when you catch the first nice fish on YOUR new rod!!

Welcome to the club!!


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

the best part of it is that I will get to see my sons face when he catches his first fish on it he is helping me as much as he can he is only seven so I have him doing some simple things like being my exta set of hands and helping turn the rod while wrapping helping with the handle and working out the bushing simple things. We are haveing a good time with it mine is next infact I already have 3 more planned (hook line and sinker baby)

thaks to everyody for the great advise.People helping people isnt that what its about....

That's fantastic! When my daughter was 8 or 9 I helped her make her first fishing rod. She's now 33 and is still hooked on fishing. One of her criteria when she was dating was to ask the boys "do you like to go fishing?" .

You can read a thousand books, watch master craftsman wrap a thousand wraps. None of it will impart to you any skill at all. Skill comes from practice. After you have done a thousand wraps, you will see the skill we all seek, and re-wraps will become rare. Trial and error, do it wrong to learn how not to do it wrong, leads to doing it right by elimination. Do it too tight, then too loose and you will develop the feel for the happy median, just right or nearly so.