Guys (and gals if there any out there)....

I am not sure what possessed me to do this but I am working on a rod as a gift for my nephew. I purchased a kit from cabela's (5'6" lw spinning rod) and I think everything I have done so far is ok (wrap, re-wrap, etc.). Question I have is regarding the tip wrap...I had a tough time getting a smooth wrap where the tip meets the blank. I even took the tip back off and re-glued for a more even fit (there was a gap on one side so I guess it wasn't straight). Then re-wrapped with great difficulty. I filed the edge down and I'm not sure I should have done that. I then put a pinpoint of clear fingernail polish (sorry guys) to hold the thread. Is there a better way to do this? How long should a tip wrap be? (It's my shortest wrap). I could also use any info on applying the finish, a link to a tutorial would be great.

My husband just wants me to finish it - I think he wants his shop back and would like his whites washed.

I too use to struggle getting a nice looking wrap on some of the smaller tips sections, so I quit wrapping them. Now I leave it bare and just apply some finish for about 1/4'' and let it leak over onto the tiptop tube for a nice transition. I use subtle wrap colors so it's not really noticeable.

The tiptop should fit closely - you really don't shouldn't have a gap between it and the blank, on any side or even all around.

Tiptop wraps are mostly cosmetic. You make them the same way you do a guide wrap but start at the edge of the tiptop tube and wrap away from it. A light touch helps, as the blank tip tends to flex and move as you make the wrap. This just takes some practice.

Now if the tiptop tube is overly large, you can remove the tiptop and make a trim wrap that will run all the way to the tip of the blank. Then, reseat and glue the tiptop over the thread wrap itself. The wrap should be long enough so that a little extends out past the tiptop itself, effectively creating your trim wrap segment all in the same wrap.

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I agree with Tim and Tom, I have never wrapped any thread around a glue on tip, I think it looks better without any thread in that area. If I remember I will put on a small coat of thread finish to seal the end of the tip to the blank, but I have never had a tip come loose even if I didn’t do this.

If you really want to have some fun wrap a LSG3.5 single foot guide on a blank with a 4.0 tip…

I wrap mine, even on flyrods. I start the wrap at the tip tube, and using light pressure with a bodkin, I fully "seat" the first 3-4 wraps against the tip-top. I then wrap back but not far, I guess the total length isn't more than a 1/4 inch. Now the trim wrap.....well that another story.

I start the tip top wrap down the rod from the tip top at the other end of the wrap. I wrap up to the tiptop, then change the angle of the thread to make "loose wraps" until I get 6 or 8 turns up on the tiptop, then I push the thread back carefully so that all the wraps on the tip top are closed up. If careful, you can keep it from all falling off and making a lump. Then I finish the wrap with about 1/'8" on the top. I wrap up on the top because I still use the heat melt glue and the wrap and finish keep the tip from turning when it gets hot in a car trunk. If you epoxy the tip on there is probably no need to wrap onto the tip.

I wrap All my tips with a trim band. But all tip tops smaller than 5/64 I put on with 5 min. appoxy to hold them better.

We do just what Bill M does, however, sometimes we'll use a little CP or finish to build a short ramp up to the edge of the guide tube. We always make sure to use the closest-fitting tube we can, though.

We always wrap our tips - gives a nice small touch to a rod.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods

I wrap all tips as I think it looks like something is incomplete without it matching my guide wraps. I also do matching trim wraps on the tips. I aint real easy but with a little patience and practice it can be done. I start and finish my wraps a little below the tip and gently pack it up against the tip when it is complete. The same is done with the trim band.

Sam,
I made a support to wrap the thin blanked ice rods that I have been working with recently.
However, the same support works very well when working with equally fine tip sections.
It is a very easy build of a piece of solid glass blank, grooved at the top and simply placed in a hole in a base.
When I made the base, I drilled several holes at different spacing to allow better rod support, depending on the section of blank that I am working:

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Take care
Roger

p.s.
It only takes a few minutes to make such a fine blank support,, and it saves lots of time and effort on those fine blank wrapping chores.

Thank you all for the information. I was amazed at the number of replies regarding tip wrapping. I will use some on my current project and save some for the next one.
Regards,
Liz