Hello to all and thanks for this great forum. I'm starting with my first rod (actually rehabing an old Shakespeare of my Dads). I'm using Fuji Hardaloy guides and Gudebrod metallic thread size D. The fellow at Cabelas said D would easier to practice with and see (50 year old eyes). I don't quite have the knack of getting the wrap thread started. The slick thread and slick rod won't give me much friction to hold the thread in place to get started. Would someone pass along a method to get the thread tight and get my wrap started? A basic question I know, but sometimes the small things do get in the way. Thanks to all.

Ed


"We got the motive which is money and the body which is dead" - Gillespie

Take a piece of masking tape and tape the end of the thread near the point of the guide foot. Then make your first turn over the thread a quarter inch or so from the point of the foot. Pinch the overlap and wind about 2 or 3 more turns. Should be locked in at that point so you can then remove the tape and continue wrapping up the foot.

The latest RodMaker Magazine has a great article on that very subject.
Easier to show you with pictures than type but I would suggest you increase
the thread tension a bit and what I do is roll my finger or thumb with the first
thread wrap until it goes around once and locks the tag down. Takes a bit
of practice. Pull your first loop tight and it wont slip as easy.

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

When I start my thread wrap, I pull a generous amount of thread off the spool about 4-6 inches and lay it over the top of the blank towards me, I then use my left thumb to hold it in place. Then my 1st wrap goes on the left side of the thread coming off the spool, ( up over the top of the blank toward you then down under and away) then I wrap the tag end some three of four times (up over the top of the blank toward you then down under and away from you) around the blank with my right hand (but these 3-4 wraps are on the right of the thread coming off the tensioned spool) All the while. my left thumb holds the thread taut as it comes off the spool and is under no significant pressure. Then I grab the tag end and pull it taut while rolling the blank towards me. (top of the blank turns toward me while the bottom of the blank turns away) The thread coming off the spool now wraps the blank over the top of the blank towards me and then down under the blank away from me. The tag end in my right hand grows with each revolution of the blank. Roll on the 3 or 4 starter wraps keeping the growing tag end taut and making sure each sucessive wrap coming off the thread spool is to the right of the last wrap on the blank, it may try to jump back to the left as you cross over the prewrapped starter tag end wraps. Then pack the wraps together when all 3 or 4 are finished rolling on the blank, straighten the package of wraps making sure the bundel is peropendicular to the blank, tug on the tag (which will tighten the 1st wrap on the left) end then roll one or two more times around before cutting off the tag end. From here on you will keep the thread coming off the spool taut unless you place your left thumb on it, then you can allow slack. There maybe a starter post Rod Maker how-to post someone will direct you to



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2006 07:45AM by Chris Karp.

Just a suggestion from a fairly new rod builder my self, get Ken Preston's DVD (first one) his way of starting a wrap is great and works every time.

Bill in WV

Ed,

I'm a rank amateur, currently working on my tenth(ish) rod. I started my first rod after reading Kirkman's book, in which he describes pretty much the same technique Chris Karp has above. The article mentioned in the current issue of RodMaker is based on what is in Kirkman's book.

The main point is that you need to cross your thread over itself. The tag end (free end) goes around the rod, over itself, and then wrap around the rod a few times (four works for me). Then, keep a little tension on that tag end as you make your first few wraps.

Give yourself plenty of extra thread, so that you can comfortably hold the tag end.

The pics in the book and magazine are extremely helpful.

-Rob

Right, if you just cross the thread over itself and start to wind, the locking "X" will just spin around the blank. But if you cross the thread over itself, then take the tag end and wind it around the rod about 3 times, and then pin it down and start turning the rod, your wrap will lock in and you'll be off to the races. It's terribly easy but many newcomers miss it and thus resort to all sorts of oddball things like tape, glue, tension adjustment, etc. All work to some degree but just winding that tag end around 3 times is guaranteed to work and only takes a second to do.

The photos are quite helpful. This is something I may put in the library over the summer since so many seem to have trouble with it. I'll see what we can afford to do.

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

Ed,

The key part is to hold the thread for the first couple turns over itself IMO....once you get it going over itself for a couple rotations it will hold itself and you are off to the races. After you do it once or twice it becomes very easy and you will be able to do it almost without even thinking about what you are doing. Also once it is locked you can slide it assuming your tension isn't too tight....this is important because you do have to worry that it is exactly perfect where you want to begin with....at first until you get your fingers trained it can be awkward...just worry about getting it started then you can adjust it after it is locked.