I just finished building my fifth rod. I took it by the local art store to try out pens for the inscription. The guy there said he was impressed with the artwork and offered to post my business card -- I think I'm getting the hang of this new hobby!.

I wrapped the the butt section using a 3D box pattern on 8 axes. I spent a lot of time and went over every cross, packing the threads to get them as tight as possible. This pattern has a lot of intersections! Despite my best efforts to keep it as tight as possible, if you look cloely, you can see some gaps in the outermost threads. I tried going back over it afetr applying CP, but still had small gaps.

Is there a trick to achieving tiaght packing with the outermost threads in a open pattern? I'm pleased with my efforts, to date, but I'm going for perfection.

I've acquired a great respect for those of you who do this work professionally. With the amount of time it takes me to plan and build a rod, nobody would ever be able to afford the end product and I couldn't stand to part with it for mere money. I'm going to stick to building for personal use and gifts...

Thanks

Chuck E.

P.S. The Sanford PrismaColor pens work great for inscriptions. The ink/paint flows through the tip, so there's no skipping that you sometimes get with gel ballpoints. The ink dries fast and permanent. It doesn't smear when coating with finish.

try burnishing your threads be for adding CP also try not to wrap to tight

Packing after applying the CP will usually work, unless you wrapped with too much tension. I also completed a new wrap yesterday, and had teh same thing happen to me. I wrapped an extra couple of threads into the pattern with a lot of tension, and when I tried to pack them after applying the CP - I still had small gaps.

It is also harder to pack the outermost threads when it is crossing over a lot of threads. What I mean is, the 3D pattern on 8 axis, the last few threads will be passing over a lot of crossover points, then over bare blank. The crossover points are higher then the blank, so this may also cause you minor problems.

I feel the same way, but after you apply the epoxy I doubt most people will notice. It's just that YOU know that is what bothers us. YOu ythink the regular guy is gonna sit there and look at each individual pattern and notice 1/2mm gaps? He'll see the entire wrap and be impressed. Still, kills me to see those damn spaces because I know where they are!

Billy

Hi Chuck,
where do you pick up those pens?
Pat

To get a tight pattern start packing at intersections(corners) i pack after every 5th thread my favarite tool ist a nail file from the Lady. if you still have a gap apply CP and let it dry 1 hour than take a thick needle and roll it over the gap with threads with a lot of pressure. I wrap half round scales on 8axis i cant allow any gap or the effect is gone, since i have them shaded
Mark the Rod man from Munich

Thanks for the responses. People have always told me that I was wrapped too tight - I guess my rods are too. I'll have to try to loosen 'em up a bit.

Chuck E.