I am always looking for a new challenge and I first tried Abalone but I crashed and burned, So I decided to try Diamond wraps, I have done a few now but I end up cutting it off, most of the time it is because of the color according to my wife. My question is How do you get the diamond lined up, They start off good but then go astray. Can anyone help me on this I am going nuts?

Thank you
Jeff Hokanson



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/27/2010 09:34PM by Jeff Hokanson.

A wrap that starts crooked, is going to end up crooked. You need to pay particular attention to your alignment marks and after you lay the first 3 or 4 strands of thread, spend a few moments checking the straightness with a straightedge. At that point, you aren't so far along that you can't move the centers to one side or the other. Get the wrap straight at that point and you're on your way to a straight wrap.

As you continue to wrap, keep checking your alignment every so often with that straightedge. If you find a center moving slightly to one side, use your thumbnail to apply more pressure to that side, effectively forcing the wrap back in the other direction.

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

Thank you for the advice I will give that a shot. I have come to the conclusion I am going to go through a bunch of razor blades and will be ordering some extra thread.. Is there a size Thread that is better than others? for this is a great challenge and I think it will be fun figuring it out.

Thank you for the advice I will give that a shot. I have come to the conclusion I am going to go through a bunch of razor blades and will be ordering some extra thread.. Is there a size Thread that is better than others? for this is a great challenge and I think it will be fun figuring it out.

Jeff,
Size "A" will give you a finer detailed wrap while "D" will fill up space quicker but with less smooth edges.

Kevin

Something I have found is that Madeira thread is easier to move around, just be gentle with it and have a bit of patience. It has a wider range of colors too. That can be a drawback to when it comes time to pick colors. Keeping straight from the start does make it a lot easier. Watch for rodbuilding events in your area, you will be amazed at how helpful other rodbuilders can be.

Get Tom's or Dale Clement' s book and run with it. I mostly build fly rods but have I have built some spinning rods just so I could try a butt wrap. Just following the directions in the books have produced some pretty respectable looking diamond wraps.

I will be making the 14HR drive NC for the Rod Expo in Feb, I cant wait to get there and get as much information and material that my wife will allow, I hope to get some of the tricks of the trade. thank you for all the feedback. I dont have any books at this point but I will be sure to look at them at the show. I have also tried a couple thread sizes. I have recently ordered the 1/8" wide thread in hopes to create something good.

There are some seminars on cross wrapping at the event and you'll also have the opportunity to talk to some of the best thread artists in the business. They'll be more than happy to give you a helping hand.

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

Once I have determined my spacing between canters I lay out a single thread X, check for alignment making sure my centers are equal and the line is straight. Now I take a vary small drop of CP, using a needle. Place a drop directly in the center of each X. This should lock the thread centers so they do not travel. After 4 or 5 wraps check for any miss alignments. If you see the design has started to move. I use a pusher stick to correct the alignment Or a D thread to move the Diamond patterns

Good Wraps Bob

Jeff,
This is my method that works every time for me. I have dozens of large hard paper cut outs longer than most of my butt wraps. I measure the blank and predetermine my design whether 90 degree axis or a compressed or elongated spacing. I then lay out my center marks along the 0 and 180 degree axis of my underwrap. I use this to mark my diamond centers and as a reference once I start wrapping. Your initial cross wraps are the most important and I tend to make these the tightest. Whether you continue to complete a diamond wrap or choose to do some sort of Chevron, these first cross wraps are the heart of most all wraps. As mentioned in another post just use a straightedge to continue to keep your crosses in alignment. A few diamond wraps down the road and it will all come natural. See if you can find one of the books fron Dale Clemens for intricate wraps. That has been my Bible for years as you merely have to learn a few basic designs and all will fall into place. Throw away the razor blades and keep practicing. I have taught myself many intricate wraps so contact me for any advice.

Bob

I used this tecnique for my first wrap and It came out great,by no means am I a authority but I worked for me on my first rod. Take 2 pices of thread and mark them every half inch,tape them to zero and 180 axis on blank thats your x points you can go every other or every foru dots depending on your prefrence. once you have a few passes you can cut and remove the thread. This method works well because you dont have to mark underwrap or blank. Get dale clemens book I read it cover to cover before i built my first rod and It came out better than I expected for the first time. Make sure also you properly measurt the tie offs so they are in sync with everything else. I used a hologram 1/8 inch for the center 4 strands d on each side to and from and 2 strands silver metallic on each side for the finished.

I for got to add the first strand should have the most tension and slightly reduce tension as you change colors. IF you under wrap that should have a decent amount of tension so you dont disturb it when you adjust the diamond. I hopes this helps please read the clemens book you find a lot of usefull info there.

Steve,

What you describe is exactly the method I published in the book I wrote for Amato.

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

I could not thank the experienced builders like yourself and others who take the time to help us new to building by your very well writen books and articals. I was amazed by how clear and helpfull this info can be.
If it wasn't for the time and effort you guys put into the material you publish I would have wasted a lot of time and money but instead I built a first time rod I am proud of . So hats off to you and everybody else who gives us the knowledge to become better crafstmen.

I'm soo sorry Tom I didn't even realize you wrote the book that I used . I'm reading it now to try my finish application. I wasn't trying to take any credit for this I was just passing info that worked. Do you have any other books?

Don't worry about it - that wasn't my point in posting. I was just mentioning that the sacrificial alignment thread is what I highlighted in the book.

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

I would like to thank everyone for there advice I have tried a bunch of them and found one that worked well for me, I WILL be getting the book's. I hope to find them at the show in NC. I was up till 1:00 am working on one and I have a bunch to learn but I did create one that will work for me. I look forward to talking w/ any and all of you.
Jeff H