I've read the Simple Spiral and Tom's "Making the Transition" articles several times each and am trying to glean all of the pertinent information. Here's where I'm stuck:

The Making the Transition article states - use a butt guide with a height that puts the line, at full spool, "just touching the top of the ring". To do this with a 16mm TLNSG guide, it needs to be 26" away. But when I rotate the first 180 guide into place, the line is now in the bottom of the butt guide ring (that makes sense).

In my Simple Spiral I will be using all 6mm TLSG running guides. It doesn't make sense to first static test with these tiny guides on the top and then rotate and readjust again with them on the bottom. Soooo, if I start the 16mm butt guide at the suggested 18"-19", and rotate my 10mm first 180 to the 9"-11" away position, I can get a pretty straight looking line from the reel to the first 180 when adjusting these two guides in tandem. And then I would think placing my bumper half way between the two and then static test from the first 180 to the tip, like I would a spinning rod, should complete the process.

But even with the reel's line guide in the center of the spool, the bumper guide pushes the line to a 7:30-8:00 o'clock position in both the butt and first 180 rings (bumper on left side). So Ralph O'Quinn's method of rotating the butt guide 25-45 degrees would seem to allow the line to lay in the bottom center of the butt ring (and tweaking the first 180 as well).

So I'm wondering if I can use a blend on these methods or must the Simple Spiral use 0 and 180 with a bumper only and Ralph's rotated butt must always be used with several transition guides. I'd like to set this up the best way the first time since Threadmaster without CP doesn't lend itself to guide removal very well. Thanks.








Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/2007 08:40AM by Tim Collins.

"Ralph's rotated butt "

LOL!!! Good one!!

Putter
Williston, ND

<<But even with the reel's line guide in the center of the spool, the bumper guide pushes the line to a 7:30-8:00 o'clock position in both the butt and first 180 rings (bumper on left side). >>

Which comes around to what I've mentioned a few times. Getting as low as possible on the bumper (or eliminating it and using a rail). And also using the largest ring AND lowest riding stripper and 1st 180. That line of thought is what got me into remaking guides so that I could get the height lower on larger diameter rings. Lots of trade-off involved in that experimentation. What I would really like is something like the power oval guides with the ring turned 90 degrees (especially for the first 180).

If you can go with the lighter framed guides, check out the ones made for flyrods. They seem to be the lowest commercially available for given ring sizings.

BTW,,, you are NEVER going to get to a true 6 o'clock. Not unless you run the line thru the ceter of the blank anyway. Thinner the blank and lower the bumper/rail, the closer you get to 6 o'clock.

You can do a lot things with regard to spiral wrapping. I like the Simple Spiral and perform it as stated in the article. I've not found anything better thus far.

The other article was in regard to other types of spiral wraps, all work, but each is done a bit differently.

........