Any tips on securing he initial turns of the thread wrap would be appreciated. I've read the instructions and still don't seem to keep the first few turns from coming loose, which is especially frustrating after I've completed the wrap all the way up.

MAke more turns over the tag, and pull the tag before cutting. Keep practicing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/28/2009 11:25PM by Billy Vivona.

I pull lightly on the tag for the first few wraps, making four to five wraps. Then like billy said Pull on the tag when trimming tag off.

The book, Rod Building Guide, shows how to do this. You need to make your starting X, and then wrap the tag end around the blank a few turns. If you don't you're likely to just spin your crossing X around the blank, not really accomplishing anything.

It will also help to wrap over the tag end at least 6 or 7 turns before cutting it.

...............

The amount of tension you have on the thread will also affect its ability to hold in place. A simple guideline for tension would be the phonebook method; I have a 4" thick phonebook and if I lay the phonebook onto my working surface and pass the thread through the middle of the book, centered on the pages, then I've got the tension that I like to use for a guide wrap. As mentioned above, the first half dozen or so turns should be run over the tag end. These first wraps will require you to keep tension on the tag end to keep the thread from simply spinning on the blank; I'll wrap the thread around the blank to form my X and hold that with the edge of my thumb and roll my thumb along as I turn the blank until I get two or three wraps done and then I can usually make the next few turns without having to babysit it so much. Once you've got the tag end secured by a half dozen wraps you'll want to pull it snug and remove any gaps in your wraps (packing) and then the thread should be secure enough to snip off the excess tag and continue wrapping.

If your first few turns are comming loose after you've completed the wrap all the way up then you may also be losing tension by not packing correctly. As you go along with the wrapping you want to keep the wraps close together so they don't loosen up on you. The thread should be coming from your tension device onto the blank at a slight angle that helps to keep the wraps tight. Every few turns you should pack the wraps together; I just use my thumbnail to nudge the wraps together by pushing them from the newly wrapped end toward the starting end. With the exception of some fancy crosswraps you should be wrapping from blank butt end toward the blank tip end so your packing should be pushing the wraps from the tip end toward the butt end.

Jim,
Some folks use it and some don't..
A good aid, especially when just starting wrapping is to use a piece of masking tape to hold the end of the wrap to the rod.

I still use tape, even after building many many different rods. This is especially true when using several different colors and threads at the same time. It is just much easier to hold the threads in place.

I generally use 1/8th inch or 1/4 inch masking tape for all of my rod wrapping.
I use the 1/8th inch tape to hold the guides in place, and then will just use a short section of 1/4 inch tape, several inches up the rod to hold the tag end of the thread in place. After getting about 6-10 wraps in place to hold the tag end of the thread tight under the wrap, I take off the masking tape and clip off the tag end. Then, I proceed to finish the wrap. Easy and quick.

Generally, when wrapping, I will just take my scissors and clip off a bunch of 1 inch long 1/4 inch wide tape pices which I hang on the edges of the rod bench. Then, as I proceed down the rod, I just grab a fresh piece of tape to hold the tag end of the thread in place. This is particularly useful, when you just get the tag end in place and then have to answer a phone or talk to a customer. Nothing comes loose, and you can pick up where you left off without having to worry about anything coming loose on the wraps.

Take care
Roger

Roger,
I use the exact scenario, I always have and always will, it just seems easier especially if you have shakey hands or very large fingers, here I thought I was the only one who did it that way. Its an additional step but makes life that much easier. I even teach that method as well as the normal method in my classes. It seems less frustrating to the kids to tape the tag end up the rod a little bit.

Vern

Being fairly new to the craft I share your frustration and feel your pain Jim. I looked at myriad videos and pictures trying to catch the the technique but none of them really, really explained it well. However, after getting out a practice blank and tying on about a hundred practice wraps with various techniques not only do I not struggle, I hardly think about it anymore. This is probably why the videos, pictures and tutorials didnt go into simplistic detail. After you do it for awhile and repeat the process it becomes like tying your shoe. Ever try to explain shoe tying to someone? Things that are second nature are often the hardest to teach because we dont even think about each step involved in the process anymore and forget that someone might not understand it. When you tie your shoes you just kind of do it and it works...starting your thread wraps will be the same way. You just have to practice about 20 times before gettin busy on a build.

So anyway, I went with the masking tape idea for awhile as well as tossing the tag around the blank a few times. I can see how taping would be a terrific aid for a person with less dexterity but I've been tying flies, egg loops, spinners and various terminal tackle arrangements for nearly as long as I could cast not to mention typing on a keyboard for 50 hours a week and playing guitar. Anyway, my fingers are plenty dexterous and taping was just an extra, wasted step for ME. However, it just may be the ticket for you and might give you a great visual with regard to what is takiing place. My epiphony came when I loosely wrapped the tag a few times around the blank and actually observed what was taking place with the oncoming thread locking the tag down. Now I just pick up the oncoming thread a tiny bit while holding the tag against the blank with my index finger. Then I lay the oncoming thread (making an X) over the tag, make a rotation while holding the tag on the blank with my index finger and the X in place with the thumb of my other hand and voila--the thread is basically locked in place with one full revolution allowing me to continue the rest of the "locking" wraps.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2009 06:10PM by Ron Asker.