I am doing my first tiger wrap, and I wanted to know how using 3 base threads effects the outcome of the wrap. The base colors would be black, white, and gudebrod sunrise, with a royal blue overwrap. The guide wraps are royal blue and sunrise, so I wanted some sunrise color in the tiger wrap. Would I be better off just using black and sunrise in the base, and having a more subtle effect?

Most of the color tone comes from the top layer. The extent of your burnishing process on the bottom and the contrast between the colors there is what determines if the effect will be subtle or more striking.

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The guide wraps are predominately royal blue with only sunrise trim rings, so I was trying to carry that through the tiger wrap. I want the wrap be mostly blue with only sunrise undertones. Can this be achieved with three base threads, or should I remove the white thead? Thanks for the help.

I think you're going to have to do a few short test wraps to arrive at exactly what you want. That's the only way you're going to know for sure.

I think I would use black and sunrise on the bottom and royal blue on the top.

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I would leave off the white off and run the blk and sunrise for the underwrap as Tom suggested,the contrast should give you the undertones you want......But anytime Im uncertain,I run a 2'' tiger wrap test of those colors on a scrap blank....It lets you know pretty quick if its gonna work or not.

I get excellent results by doing the opposite of what has become somewhat conventional thought on tigers. I like to put the colors I want on the bottom layer, and go with black on top. With only two colors on the base wrap it turns out really dark, like said above most of the color tone in this case comes from the top layer. However, If you go with three colors on the base with black and TWO sacrificials on top, the bottom colors really come alive and even kind of blend - with colors seeming to appear that you didnt even use.
I even use different thread sizes to make one color stand out more than the others.
Using black and white or black and yellow (sunrise) for the base layer will always produce a good tiger (contrast is the KEY here), with the color being dominated by the top layer. For a standard one color tiger, you cant go wrong. However, If you want what you described as a two color tiger, you should definatly do a test with the three color base.
If you want the royal blue to stand out, I would do the following:
Three on the base - white and sunrise in SIZE A and royal blue in SIZE C. then burnish in random directions (not so random once you start figuring out what combo of directions result in what effects). Give it two coats of finish.
Then on top - black and TWO sacrificials all in size A.
This will give you a killer looking tiger that IMO, takes it to the next level.

I'd like to see pics of the tiger wrap.

Joe

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

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Joe. I'm having probs trying to post the three thread tiger from my iPhone, so I'll try to get one up when I get to work tonight

Andrew,

Here is an example of one I did in Gudebrod Scarlet and Medium Gray. The base layer is one thread each of scarlet and medium gray with medium gray over.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

I would think that the royal blue and sunrise would have enough contrast to try a test wrap using only those colors.

Let us know what you choose and how it works out.

Joe

Steven, I have been curious on the wrapping of the top 3 threads. would the order be sacrificial, black, sacrificial? or sac, sac, black? I've done quite a few tigers but never with 2 sacrificials only with 1

Underwrap: Fishhawk "forest" variegated nylon, Pac Bay "cinnamon" NCP, Gudebrod "black" nylon - all size A.
Overwrap: Gudebrod "chestnut" nylon with no CP.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Cheng,
It does not matter how you do it, as long as two of the three threads come out........
Start with your black, then inlay two other threads and then remove them.