I have been doing my trim wraps as Tom suggests in his book. My problem is that when I want to do smaller trim wraps such as four wraps or less, I have trouble keeping the wrap snug. It seems to get real lose on me. Any suggestions?

Look here under trim bands.
[www.mudhole.com]
John

This might help you.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

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A builder once shared with me the use of "SuperGlue" to hold the one or two strand trim bands. Another option, but it takes longer is color preserver.

SK Custom Rods
American Tackle Pro Staff

Fish now, cause you'll be dead for a long time.

I pull the two ends snug, hold it for about 10 seconds so the thread "sets" in place. Then I color preserve and trim the next day. Works great. Learned that method from this board.

I pull the two ends snug “parallel” with the wrap.
Then rotate the ends “perpendicular” 90 degrees to the wrap.
Then add color preserve with a tooth pick.
Let dry and trim with cuticle clippers.
Learned the method from this board.

If you use the nail knot method in Tom's article I have some hard learned advice to offer. Due to the way in which you must trim one side of the tag end I suggest you do one trim band at a time and trim both tag ends before adding another.

I once added three trim bands on each side of some double foot guides. The rod was long so it was sixty trim bands in all. I'm sure enough of you are laughing now so I'll stop while I'm behind and hope you don't repeat my mistake:)

There are a great many ways to add trim bands and inserts. IMHO the nail knot method really shines when you decide to add something after the wrap is finished.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

For thin trim bands you need to make sure that the both ends of the trim band ends are pulled back under the main wrap. If you are putting a trim band at the start of the wrap put the trim thread and a pull loop on before you start the wrap then after you start and get a few wraps down cut off the trim thread and wrap around the pull loop. If you want a trim band at the end of the wrap put the trim thread and a pull loop a few wraps from the end of the main wrap. I always put a trim band at both ends of my single foot guide wraps, I make them with a single piece of trim thread, I put the trim thread and a pull loop on before I start the wrap after a few turns of the main wrap I wrap around the first loop and then I put in a pull loop for both my main wrap and my end trim wrap. It may look a little hairy with 3 pull loops at one time on a single wrap, especially when I am wrapping a #3 micro guide on a very small diameter tip, but you will never have to worry about a trim band coming loose even if you make it with a single wrap.