guys i have done it again, as in messing up somewhere.................... i wrapped my guides and used the same finish (Flex Coat Light Build) i have always used and after the finish dried i cannot see the thread wrap. i can actually see the Guide Foot............lol . where or what did do wrong????
Riichard

No Cp and a lighter color thread will turn transparent

i was using Grey Thread. so i guess i guess i can chalk that one up mas experience
Thanks
Richard

You may also have hit a home run! Many people have tried for the invisible thead look and failed miserably. You can call yours the Threaded Threadless and raise the price!

Without color preserver all guide wraps will turn sort of dark and clear. I can visualize grey or charcoal thread right now. It would turn clear and almost the same color as a dark charcoal rod blank. And the guide foot would be visible especially the area that you filed or ground.

I actually like that look.

I rarely use CP because I like the translucent look. Sometimes I will wrap the guide on with flat oval 6/0 fly tying gold metalic thread and then over wrap that with size #100 silk leaving the metallic stick out the ends a few wraps. Boy doe sthat make a nice effect with the gold glistening under the silk, especially if you use garnet or blue silk colors.

Sometimes I will also use the feet showing through as a design element. You have to grind the feet very clean and leave a good finish (800 grit is my favorite) so they look nice and clean peeking through the wraps.

Ray

Hello Richard,
A couple of things I have learned in my short time of building is Light wraps on a dark blank just will not work.. I have read where some say to paint the area of your wraps. Well that would never work for me. So, I keep away from light color wraps for now. In regards to the guide feet showing, After grinding or fileing which ever you do, you can take a black permanent marker and cover the shineing steel. I hope this helps.

Bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

I am going to try this, I like it. When I file the feet though I will sand them after filing with 400 800 and 1000 grit sand paper so it looks nice when finished. I will post pictures in a month or so and let you guys know how it turns out.

On another note, don't feel bad, I learned to build rods by trial and error with very little instruction (which is to say my brother in law told me what to use for finish and warned me to use color preserver). I have had to tear down 4 rods to date because of ugly jobs with either wrapping or finish. amazingly enough the first two I actually finished working on turned out good and great respectively and they were both bamboo. Probably because I have some experience refinishing gun stocks, I am just a lot better at wrapping rods than checkering stocks. Once in a while I believe all of us screw up and have to start over especially when it is one that will be sold. There are a lot of noticeable mistakes on some of my own rods but none that your average customer would notice on the ones I have sold. Also I make sure all of my customers understand that at the moment I am a novice at best and my work gets better with every one I build, And also I usually stick to fly rods because I can build one for about 45 dollars and sell it for 90 which you all know is cheap for a good fly rod. And I am a mill operator at a rice mill so I could not afford to continue building them without selling some. I am starting now to work with some nicer blanks, I am working on a St. Croix for my self now.

Depends on the look that you are after. If like translucent dark wraps, fine but be aware that contrasting trim wrap tag ends and guide feet will show. If you like bright and/or ligt colored thread, use CP. There is no downside to CP that I can see. I use it on at least 95% of all my rods. Why have about 100 beautiful coor threads if I can't see them

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!!

Mike is right about the tag ends. When I do metallic trim wraps The trim wraps are a entity unto themselves. Three wraps will usually hold themselves on fairly well but a two wrap trim is tough. By doing it that way you don't have the metallic tags sticking up under the translucent thread.

It takes some practice because you have to start the wrap with the puller in place but it gets easier after you do it a few times.

I just posted pics of a rod I am currently doing this on on my blog.

I take that back I took the pics today to post tonight. Getting a bit ahead of myself again.

Ray



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/2008 06:59PM by Ray Cover.

You can also use NCP thread and not worry about CP. Some dont like the painted on look you get from it though.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

As the guys have said, thread without CP goes transluscent. If you want thread color, you need to use NCP thread, thread with CP, or thread with a paint or light colored underwrap beneath it. There are a lot of stories out there about how CP gives you drastically weaker wraps, lots of trouble with milkiness if you fish in the rain, and a few other wacky thoughts. They don't hold much water (no pun intended) if you do enough testing. I can't tell you how many guides I've put on a scale to see when they failed under tension while wrapped with different threads, finishes, with and without CP, etc. It comes down to personal preference.

thanks guys . i think i understand now. i too like the look of the guide feet showing on that particular blank. it sorta looks like the guides are floating sort of....
thanks again
Richard