Just wondering how everyone prepares setting up their guides to their blanks. I currently completed my split grip and have marked my spine. I will attach my spinning reel to the seat and run the line through the guides to get the best guide placements. How do most of you secure your guides to the blank prior to wrapping - I know some guys use masking tape. Wasnt sure if some of you employ different methods. I am open to any advice or tips that you all use when setting up your guides for wrapping.

I find slices of surgical tubing to be better for me than masking tape because I can slide the guide/surgical tubing.

You can use the low-stick (blue) masking tape which works just fine and doesn't leave much, if any residue, or use surgical tubing as Ken described. If you have touble finding the smaller diameter stuff, just visit your local hobby store and ask to see their fuel line. They often carry a selection of smaller I.D. tubing that would suite your needs. The advantage of using the tubing is that it allows you to reposition the guides very quickly, which comes in handy when making adjustments while test casting or setting up your static guide placement.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/06/2009 03:26PM by Ray Hartley.

You can pick up vinyl tubing in various diameters at any hobby shop. It's used for fuel lines, etc on model airplanes and is very inexpensive. A few feet, a cutting board and a razor blade and you have a couple years worth. I always slide them on (with a few extras) on the blank before I glue on the tip. Makes guide placement/adjustment a snap! Just touch with a razor and they fly off

The reason that I use the rubber bands instead of adhesive is because I never know the final guide placement until the rod is in a rod holder on my bench and a static test is performed. With the rubber bands, I can have the rod flexed and easily move the guides around until I get the line path that I want and can even test cast if I want and make guide adjustments "on the fly"

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!!

Jay,
I use the thin masking tape - either 1/8th inch or 1/4 inch that body men use when they are striping a car. This tape is readily available from most auto and body shop supply stores.

I use the 1/4 inch tape for the larger guides and the 1/8th inch tape for the smaller guides. Works very well.

If I need to reposition a guide, I simply twist the guide, break the tape and move the guide as needed and retape.

I also use the same tape to hold the end of the thread when I am doing guide wrapping. It is also nice and thin so doesn't take up much room on the blank, but holds the end of the thread fine.

Take care
Roger

you can use the small orthodontic rubber bands used to hold Braces. I get mine for free from the local orthodontist office. they must come in various strengths I get 4 and 6?

I use 'Round Cord Elastic'. StretchRite is the brand name.
It comes in 5 yd packs at your local Sewing store. I was 'stealing' them from my wife. She bought me my own. I think it's <$1 for the 5 yds. I'm cheap.
These work well for me. A bit better then the little rubberbands/ cut tubing. I alway forgot to put enough of them on the rod, or they were to small for the butt end, or to big for the tip end, or one would break.
I tie a clove hitch, slide a leg under it and pull tight. To release, pull one end it comes right off.
They hold as well as the bands, you can cut them to the sizes you need, they are reusable (See: 'I'm cheap." above) and they are cheap. Did I already say that.

Here is what I do: First I bought me a selection of surgical tubing some time back and cut them up into little bands so I have a selection of different diameters to choose from for the different diameters of the blank from tip to butt end. I put enough rings on to hold all the guides then install the tip top. Once the tip top is installed (hard to put these bands on with it in place, but not impossible) I roll the rings down in the area where the guides go and start securing them in place with the bands. Now if you think you may change your mind and add another guide or so you can also put some additional bands on the blank, not much of a loss if you don't use them. Now I align the guides with the tip top.

Now this is a change that I did on a 4wt I am just finishing up. I noticed in the past that sometime the guide(s) may shift a little from the spot where I aligned them during the wrapping process. What I did was to take some thin CP and put just a tad bit up against the guide foot. (you want thin so it will wick under the foot). I waited a bit to let the CP dry and wrapped the guides. It secured the guide in place and I didn't have any shifting of the small single foot wire guides. This may slow up big production jobs on the other hand I didn't have to re align the guides after they were wrapped.

For what it is worth.

Kerry

No one else does what I do, maybe that's good ?? But I buy a bag of Kids Rubber bands, Depending on size, I cut the long ones in half. --But I take them and Tie them onto the blank, wet them first, and put a double knot in them. Easy for me to tie. And I can add as many as I want even with the top on.

Bill - willierods.com

I used to, but never wet them.

Think for the time being I will tie rubber bands around the guide foots until I can allocate surgical tubing. Might need to order that

Jay,

You can get the tubing at any hobby store that handles models. They carry various diameters for fuel ines and other uses.

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!!

Mud Hole caries tubing. Not sure of the sizes.

My rubber bands I tie about 3-4 " above where I want them, and then after tying them trim the ends and roll to where the guide may be. I give a quick measure from the tip to the butt.

I wet them to help the knot get tight or the band slide into place.

They can be a pain if not used to them.

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/2009 02:33AM by bill boettcher.

If I am not using an under wrap, and it is not the first time I have used that particular blank (meaning I have previously determined guide spacing), I mark the position of the guide with a china marker and affix the guide with guide adhesive. Then I do the wrap.

If I am building on a blank for the first time, I use thin bands of vinyl surgical tubing. That allows me to easily move the guides to determine the best position for them. Then I do the wrap. If I am doing an under wrap, I mark the outer edges of the wrap on the blank with a china marker, lay on the under wrap, and then typically use very thin pieces of masking tape to affix the guides to the under wrap.

I suggest that you find what works best for you. All the methods described here work, but one will work best for you.