I'm having trouble getting a clean cut when I pull the thread through with my pull string.
I am using a Exacto knife. I have a New blade in it but when I lay the blade on the thread and pull it down against it I either get the angle wrong and fuzz the thread underneath or the thread I'm intending to cut. Is this normal? Is ther a certain # of wraps that one should do over the pull thread before pulling the thread through? SHould I not worry about it and just use an alcohol lamp to toast the frayed part? I'm guessing if one wraps several extra wraps then cuts the thread before pulling it through there would be no need to trim it. However there are time on Trim type band this likely wouldn't work. I'm just a novice so I may be off base. Gotta do something diff though... Tired of re-wrapping and it not turing out looking right ;)

An Xacto blade is rather thick. Get yourself some single edged razor blades and change them out often. A super sharp blade is a must. Just put a bit of tension on the tag, touch the blade on the tag end where it disappears under the wrap and you should be good. No burning needed. I read once that 5 or six wraps over the pull loop is enough, and have used that ever since.

Ditto what Bill said !

J.B.Hunt
Bowling Green, KY

On guide wraps pul your thread until it just goes under your wrap then cut it at that spot and pull your tag through and you won't have anything to cut as it will be hidden under the wrap. On trim bands get yourself a cuticle nipper from the beauty section of a discount store. You can cut the tag end of metallic thread right down to the wrap without any nub showing.

Lance's suggestion to cut the thread before pulling under works well for me. As for blades, I use double edge blades but first place a layer or two of masking tape on one edge. Essentially, I turn it into a single edge blade. Before using double edge blades I carefully wash them with soapy water, as it seems to me that they have some type of lubricant on them in the package.

I use the double edged blades like Jeff. They seem to be a lot sharper than the single edged ones, definitely a lot thinner.
But, being cheap, I cut them into two pieces, right down the middle. Then, put masking tape on the cut side, to give something to grip. That way, I end up with two blades from each.

Once you pull the tag end through, if you grab the tag end and pull up and away from the rod lifting the wrap slightly with the tag ends pressure, you can razor that tag end off easily and clean as a "pin". When cut correctly, the tag will fall UNDER the wrap everytime, and if it doesn't, one burnish and it's gone. Flame your wraps a touch before finish application helps with the stray fuzzie as well.

DR

I pull the thread back toward the end of the wrap a bit and then nip it with a pair of cuticle clippers ... very effective.

Do like Lance or Jim. I love the cuticle nippers. Best thing ever made! [www.rodbuilding.org] Lifetime guarentee and free sharpening. I have two and alternate sending them in for sharpening every year or two, Less than $20 at Walgreen's Bill Stevens showed them to me at the big show a few years ago. I consider them indispensible

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!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2008 10:55AM by Mike Barkley.

Good Advice from everyone so far. When finishing a wrap just cut your tag 1/8" long after pulling the loop tight so that it tucks under your wrap. The way I do my trim bands leaves a tag, for that I've found the cuticle clippers to be the best tool for cutting as close as possible to the wrap. In other situations when I need a blade, like the Exacto knife, I use a surgeon's scalpel. you can find them on @#$%& for around $5 for the handle and blades are between $5 to $10 for a box of 100. They are sharp as @#$%& so be careful.

Thanks guy's... for those who are cutting the tag before pulling it completly through how many wraps ovr the pull thread are you acustom to doing?
I've tried but seems the 5-6 wraps I'm doing isn't enough. What's your experience with that? Gonna get a set of those Cuticle clippers tomorrow ;)

I can't say exactly how many turns I use, but it's more than 5-6 (more than when I used to cut the tag end). One key thing to do is pull the loop just under the last wrap. Then cut the tag thread within 1/16" to 1/8" from the loop. Then I do something else before pulling through. I use the tip of my left thumb to hold the last wrap in place by pressing with my left thumb. If I don't do this, a fair amount of the last wrap can be pulled under and the tag comes through anyway. By holding it in place just above where the loop has gone under you limit the amount of thread pulled under. I hope you can picture this. As with any technique, practicing it for awhile usually helps.

Good luck,
Jeff

I pull the thread all the way through, but when I trim the tag end, I pull the tag back toward the end of the wrap creating a little gap for the tag end to drop into, then a quick touch with the razor blade and it is all over with no little nubby sticking out.

I find that my wraps look better and are a bit easier to finish if I start over the pull loop laid alongside the guide foot, wrap all the way to the other end then pull the tag all the way back thru, the start tag is on the other side of the guide foot and it goes clear along the foot to the opposite end. When I'm done burnishing I give the tags a last tug and then cut them off flush to the wrap. Having the thread laid along both side of the foot helps wick the finish into the tunnel and the wrap looks better because there's no bump where the tag is just pulled under. I start my wraps with 5 turns of 3/0 on the blank before it hits the guide foot and that is enuf to hold the thread after the tags have been cut.
john

A buddy and I are using disposible razor blades. Easily removed and they are L shaped and small for great holding on to and the bottom part of the L acts as an excellent base to lay flat on the wrap to pressure cut the thread. They don't last too long but with 3-4 per head the wife hasn't missed them.
I am wrapping amature, with 6-7 poles under my belt and I am finding I can get decent close off with as little as 3-4 wraps if I wrap good and tight. Use the smallest test line for the loop. Make sure the loop is pinched narrow so only 1/4" or less is being pulled under. Hold the last wrap dead solid just North of the loop with your finger. I think it matters which way the thread it put thru the loop. Notice which way everything is lined berfore putting thru the loop so the thread doesn't twist during the pull. Cut the thread for a clean end is a must. I like to have a good inch left incase of F-up. I can recover. Pull the loop thru with athourity. With the tight wrapping I find too many overlaps of the loop has the everything binding up before all the thread is thru and I'm trimming all over the place.