For me the most difficult wrap is the tip top to the blank. It's at the end of the rod section and very fragile. I wrap over the tip top for added insurance that it won't fall off . Do you just wrap up to the tip top and not over it? Bill

Usually I just wrap to it then overlap a bit when applying the epoxy. If you need to take it off for whatever reason most of the time you can still salvage the tip wrap that way. It is a PITA to wrap the tip, put your supports as close as you can without them being in the way.

I just wrap up to it, but when I apply the finish I go part way onto the tip top.

Bill,
I wrap up to the tip top not over because if you ever need to remove the tip you will not destroy your wrap.
The tip should not come off if you prepare blank tip and tip top properly and use some tip adhesive or epoxy. (You still may need to replace the tip because of customer abuses)
Wrapping the tip is tough sometimes, but I made a tip holder for my wrapper that works ok and makes it a little easier. Do a search for (tip top) in the tool section on the photo page I think there is a tip holder there that someone made.

Bill, if I can help in any way let me know.

Lynn

I always wrap up to and over the end of the tip top, because I tend to use my equipment pretty hard, and to me the extra durability is worth the extra hassle of redoing the thread wrap when I need to replace a tip top. I don't go nuts wrapping the tip top - depending on the size of the rod, I'll only wrap about an eighth to a quarter of an inch of the top's tube - but I do want the thread and epoxy, when cured, to cover both the blank and the tip top.

I build only larger saltwater stuff that will see hard use, and doing what I do may be overkill on lighter freshwater rods and/or stuff that's banged around a lot less than my gear. But so far the wraps on my tip tops have held up, through many days and nights of fishing, and of banging them against rocks and jetties and other stuff when surf fishing at night.

Regarding the comment "For me the most difficult wrap is the tip top to the blank...".
Check this support tool out, maybe it will help: [www.rodbuilding.org]

And here's another view.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

I dry fit the tip top, mark the end, and then wrap to the mark. I suppose you could get away with an overlapping wrap onto the tip top, but if you worked that same way on heavy-duty saltwater rods, the tip top would look pretty bulky (imho).I apply finish to the wrap first. Then when the finish has cured, I'll affix the tip top

On my last few rods I have decided to not place a wrap up to the tip top... and no one notices! Thw wrap is just decorative anyway.

I do put two thin coats of Threadmaster over the end of the tip top anyway, to help seal it and keep water from getting under the tip.

Like the others, I go to the tip so it can be removed wiyhout destroying the wrap

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

I wrap up and over the tip. Have noticed rods that were not done, that have that the tip come loose or twist to the side after time. I have never had a tip come loose or twist that was wrapped.

Fuji makes one style of tip-top, their BMNAT, that has a foot extending past the rest of sleeve, which can be wrapped over for security. Great for heavy duty surf rods. The "B" stands for black, their chrome CMNAT doesn't have the foot, according to the catalog pictures.

Thread or no thread...wrap over the tip or don't wrap over the tip...if the tip top has moved or rotated on a rod, it wasn't installed properly or the correct epoxy/cement wasn't used.

If I wrap the tip, it is only to the tube not over it. I then make sure the finish seals the threads well against the tube and possibly just a tad up onto it...but so little that it would never be noticed.

Jay

I would have to agree with Jay on the tip top's initial gluing. A bit of thread on that round barrel and some epoxy finish isn't going to solve the problem of a poorly glued-on tip top. If done incorrectly, I seriously doubt that thread and finish up onto the barrel of that tip top will be the savior of it not turning or coming off.

Putter
Williston, ND