I'll be the first to admit that some times my light bulb is a little dim but I finally did something to come up to average intelligence. I started using Maderia thread # 40 a few rods back but its hard to pick out colors on a computer screen. So I invested $5.00 in a Maderia Sample Card. This card has all 365 thread colors that are available. So there is no guess work at what color to use to match your rod and guides. Just spread out the sample card and lay the rod on top of it and start picking out colors. So much easier. Wished I would have bought one of these a long time ago. I know that a lot of you that have used Maderia are going DUA , but for those of you that are starting out DON't FIGHT IT !!! Get one and see for yourself. This is all part of sharing so that somebody else doesn't go through the same frustrating experiences I went through trying to pick out colors.
Thanks, Terry

When ordering color shades, stick within the same color chart. I'm the first to say the Color Chart is ALL OVER THE MAP, but the blues from chart #1 do not match with the blues from chart #6.

Thanks Billy. I have just made a note of that on the sample card.

If you can find a color card for $5 I would suggest purchasing 2 and using the CP of your choice on one as a comparison guide.

The color cards are $15 anywhere local to me and that is just silly.

Derek L. McMaster
Rohnert Park, CA

Born to Fish, FORCED to Work

Another good point that Billy made in an earlier post is that the darks go really dark when CP is applied. On my sample card i put down a strip of masking tape, covering half of the samples, and applied CP for a side by side comparison.

To Derek McMaster: and all others that find the cards to expensive locally.


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bottom of the page, you can't go wrong!

Hi Derek,

If you contact Maderia you can purchase their color card for far less than $15.00. If fact at least one of the sponsers here sell Maderia thread (sorry but I don't remember which one) and you can get a color card from them.

As a matter of fact it's Acid Rod that sells Maderia thread.

Hank
On The Rocks Fishing
Wells, ME.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/11/2008 12:16AM by Milton (Hank) Aldridge.

Thanks Derek for the idea of putting cp on the sample card. I just finished putting 2 coats of Diamondite CP on all of the samples. Billy V. was right cp really does turn the colors darker ( not that I doubted him ). The darker colors turned almost black and a lot the lighter colors turned to a deep rich color. This will really help in picking out colors.
Thanks

"The darker colors turned almost black and a lot the lighter colors turned to a deep rich color"

I would love to know what causes this to happen. Keep this fact in mind when choosing colors for a wrap, one of the more popular colors I LOVE to use is 842 Blue (Chart #1 2/3 of the way down). The problem with this color on a BLack background, is it "melts" into it and kind of disappears into the background.

More freebie tips (lol) - the threads on the sample card are wrapped on a white background. WHen wrapped over a blank, even with CP - the colors WILL be slightly darker. A quick test to confirm - paint white on a scrap blank for 1". Wrap thread over teh white, then over the black blank. CP and finish, and see the difference in shades. IT's slight, but it is there.

Another freebie tip - For those who like using painted blanks, as I do - rather than useing Black for the background, use one fo the darker shares which turrn seemingly black with CP. Since most paint jobs on blanks are dark, the darker colored black thread is a nice compliment when you take it out in the sun. Looks better than using black imo. But it is hard to see teh thread as you lay it down on teh blank, Ive actually used polarized sunglasses to cut the glare to make the thread easier to see as I lay it down on teh blank. Not often, but I have done it. Feel goofy though,lol.

I wish I didn't rush to take pictures all the time. Tha last tip is waht I did with this wrap, although you cannot tell that the wrap background mmatches the color of the blank pretty closely.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Thanks Billy. You Are The Man.I like the work that you do I just do have the time to do a lot of thread art.
Terry