What is a good medium for "sticking" micro-guides to a blank ? I was thinking "super glue" , my smallest rubber bands are too big , & my fingers are too big for tape . So whats a good medium? Larry

You can pick up 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) the blank before I glue on the tip. Makes guide placement/adjustment a snap! Just touch with a razor and they fly off

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!!

Larry,
there are as many ways as there are builders.What works for me may not for you.
I used to use the rubber bands in 5/16ths diameter that you get from orthodontists offices. Doubled for thinner sections. Still do when test casting etc with a new blank.I have used thin strips of masking tape and cable ties, they did not work as well for me when adjusting guide layouts.Cable ties adjust smaller not bigger. There is also that lump that gets in the way when winding.
But when i am ready to wind on i start my thread as per usual plus 6 or 8 turns, that would be about 1/6th inch back from the china white marker for the guide position. Not very tight, but packed back on itself. I then slip the foot of the guide under the thread about 1/8 inch and push it around the blank 6 times in the opposite direction to how i have wound my thread.When you practice a little the tip of the guide vanishes and you still have the three turns on the blank i favor running up to the guide foot. 6 turns holds most properly dressed micros while you do the rest.
Be sure your guide is properly dressed and no burrs exist that can scratch the blank's surface.Keep it flat on the blank as you are increasing the tension on the winding by a lot.

I buy 1/4 inch "pine stripping" masking tape from the auto parts store and slice in half on the roll by running a razor blade around it.
Then peel off what is needed as I go.

I found that I only need a 3/32nd inch piece of high grade super tackey auto grade masking tape for micros, the blue stuff does okay if I use two strips and remove the first one when I get on the foot, the tackey stuff @#$%& for most other jobs, but is great for holding micros, anything larger and it's almost too tackey.

I use these. [www.rodbuilding.org]

I have tried tape and little cable ties, etc. All that is a waste of time after you've tried these.

_________________________________________
"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane

I found out the best thing to use is nothing at all. I start a few wraps of thread. Then I slip the tip of the guide foot under the next wrap of thread. I do grind just the very tip of the guide foot just enough to make it easy for the thread to grab it. Then I do a few more wraps of thread. After that I wiggle the guide just enough to get it to move and the tip of the guide foot will slip under the thread. I then finish up the wrap. You have to make sure you just wiggle the guide to get it to move. If you pull on the guide, most of the time you will pull it all the way out of the thread. Now for testing guides positions I use the bands used for making lure skirts, they have small enough of a hole to even hold on the tip section of rods. I then mark the locations on the blank and start wrapping.

Larry,
You can buy various sizes of the small o rings that fit both the blank and the rod.
Slip a bunch of the o rings on the rod before starting the guide placement. Move the 0 rings up the rod as you place guides. As you are wrapping the guides, have a pair of clippers to cut the 0 rings. I find that razor blades etc. don't do as well a job of removing the 0 rings as a pair of clippers. Easy to adjust and plenty of grip to hold the guide where you want it.

Roger

I use guide foot adhesive. It works great for me. Just hold the guide with small pliers and heat the end with a lighter. Then touch to the adhesive and the apply to rod. After you wrap you can still move guide for adjustment.

I use guide foot adhesive. It works great for me. Just hold the guide with small pliers and heat the end with a lighter. Then touch to the adhesive and the apply to rod. After you wrap you can still move guide for adjustment.

Mike Sledden Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I found out the best thing to use is nothing at
> all. I start a few wraps of thread. Then I slip
> the tip of the guide foot under the next wrap of
> thread. I do grind just the very tip of the guide
> foot just enough to make it easy for the thread to
> grab it. Then I do a few more wraps of thread.
> After that I wiggle the guide just enough to get
> it to move and the tip of the guide foot will slip
> under the thread. I then finish up the wrap. You
> have to make sure you just wiggle the guide to get
> it to move. If you pull on the guide, most of the
> time you will pull it all the way out of the
> thread. Now for testing guides positions I use
> the bands used for making lure skirts, they have
> small enough of a hole to even hold on the tip
> section of rods. I then mark the locations on the
> blank and start wrapping.

It seems as though you are using bands, then taking them off. With the dental bands, you do the static testing and then wrap. No marking the blank and then removing a band. If I get a phone call or whatever, the guides are all in place, ready to wrap when I get back to the rod.

These little dental bands really hold the guides tight. It has made my life much simpler.

Chuck

_________________________________________
"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane

Chuck,

How do those ligature ties work?

With the bands I am using and removing them before I wrap, I am not having to cut them off. I just end up re-using them for the next rod.

Try using 20# mono and tie a uni knot in it. Leave the tag end ~2". Slide the loop over the blank and guide foot and pull to tighten. This loop allows you to reposition the guide and when the thread reaches the mono just touch it with a razor blade and your done. I make several of these while I watch a sporting event on the TV. If you watch the Dallas Cowboys you will get bored and tie several hundred before you know it. This is not my idea, a good friend shared it with me many years ago and I have been using it ever since.

Pat Barnard

The best & simplest for me, and I seem to be the only one using it, is elastic thread used to make "stretchy bracelets". You get rolls of it in craft stores and it comes in .5mm - 1mm. Just cut off 6" and wrap the guide under tension - tie it off to its other end and you are all set to go. You can test the rod and wrap. When you reach the elastic cord when wrapping - just snit it and it unwinds itself.
Herb

Thanks for,the info guys ! I will try them and use whichever works best for me . The guides are so small and my fingers are so big !
Thank you very much ! Larry

I don't have a picture of the dental bands in use, but they work just like this....

[www.rodbuilding.org]

_________________________________________
"Angling is extremely time consuming.
That's sort of the whole point." - Thomas McGuane

Try Duco brand glue that you can pick up most anywhere.

If you need to know where to get ligature ties
for a good price let me know.
Scott