Any tips on tapering micro guide feet? I can file them a little but find them very hard to hang on to. I do not think they need a lot of work but do need a bit off the front of the foot.

I only do the tip of the guide foot enough to catch the thread.

Forceps, a small file, and magnification, that's how I do it. Clamp the foot in forceps and lightly file the tip then finish with some sandpaper to get the filing marks out.

Bill,
[www.rodbuilding.org]

I just use a flat head machine screw that will fit through the guide being prepped.
I use the belt sander to thin the head so that there is almost nothing left.
Then, I cut a piece of blank material to act as a backing plate for the guide while being prepped. Then, with just a few threads sticking out of the rod blank, I put on a wing nut to clamp everything together.

Finally, I just use 100 grit sand paper on a 1X30 inch belt sander to taper the guide foot from foot to tip.
I sand at 90 degrees to the guide foot. I leave the sanding grooves in the guide foot. The sanding grooves in the guide foot with the 100 grit sand paper leave nice grips for the thread to grip and to help keep the guide foot from slipping out.

It takes about two-4 seconds to bolt the guide in place, and another 5 seconds to make a pass or two on the sanding belt and you are done. So, about 15 seconds per guide to prep.

Take care
Roger

Bill - try this. wrap once in front of the foot, then about 4 -5 times on the foot. Push the threads down over the tip of the foot and wrap it up. You may need to push the threads down over the tip of the foot a second time after about 5 more wraps or so. Tell me if you can see a difference in a "prepped" foot and a this technique once finish is on.

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roger,

you do that with micro guides???

Thoma,
I do the same prep for all guides.
I basically like the very end of the guide foot to be near paper thin for ease of wrapping and appearance
When I prep guides like this, I can start on the blank using a power wrapper and not even slow down until it comes time to put in the pull loop.

Roger



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/15/2011 05:11PM by roger wilson.

Sometimes folks are concerned about the strength of guide feet.
Generally speaking the strangth of guide feet far exceed the needed strength for the line and blank.
I have never seen a guide foot bent as a result of fishing if the rod did not hit something when fishing.
The biggest reasn to have guide feet the thickness and width that they are is for guide durablilty.

Take care
Roger

I hold them with the forceps but I file the teeth and put two coats of electrical shrink tubing on each end just so it does not crack the ring

Bill - willierods.com

Roger,

Your idea sounds like it works very well for 6 mm guides and up, what size machine screws are you utilizing for 3.0, 2.5 as well as 2.0??? I would love to see the blank material as well... has to be VERY tiny to work the way you describe it.

I personally only scrape the top of the guide so the thread will adhere and not shoot the guide out as you wrap. I also start the wrap with about 3 turns and the foot placed on top of the wrap. I proceed to wrap the guide and will gently work the guide until it slides off the threads. Works PERFECT with NO need for prep.

Tom Kaufmann

thomas,
Simply use the machine screw that nicely fits into the guide being prepped.

Take the guides that you want to prep and go to the screw section of your neighborhood hardware store. Find the screw that is of the right size and is long enough to provide a handle to hold the guide. The use of a machine screw and matching blank for a handle works many times better than a forcep or hemostat or your big and bulky fingers.

Then, use a matching size rod blank.
Plenty of old rods around that have every diameter you need, just chop the blank at the spot to get the diameter that you need. It will be somewhere between the butt and tip of the rod.

Take care
Roger

Roger do you have the exact sizes of the screws? I have not been able to locate the sizes that will fit in the micro guides and am looking to procure them. I was wondering if you could measure the size and pitch of those that you use for the micros.

as I measure the rod to chop where else would it be if it were not between the butt or tip?

thanks,
Tom

Thomas,
I was being a bit silly when I spoke about chopping the blank.
Bottom line you have a typical blank that is tapered. Somewhere in the taper of the blank will be a location where the blank will be a nice fit on a small machine screw. If not, find a lighter action blank.

With respect to machine screw sizes.
Essentially, starting at 2-56, 3-48- 4-40, 6-32, 8-32, 10-32, 1/4-28 are the typical machine screws available in the machine shop and or hardware store for machine screw sizes.

Generally speaking, depending on the thickness of the ring on the guide, one of these screw sizes will fit the guide of interest.

Generally when you find a screw size that will fit into a guide, it will normally cover two or three guide sizes, before the guide ring gets too large to be clamped into the head of the machine screw and rod blank.

Of course, once you get to the large guide sizes with the larger feet, there is not need to use a clamp, since they are easy to hold in your finger for prepping.

Good luck.
Roger

Thomas, perhaps this will help.

[www.physics.ncsu.edu]

Roger,

trying not to be disrespectful here but have you actually done this with a micro guide? I asked for the specific sizes and I got a generalized response. I was figuring since you said you used them you could give them to me. I have already explained that I have been unable to find the appropriate sized screws in my area and needed the exact sizes for the guides I listed. I am sorry I am sounding frustrated but I feel like a dog chasing his tail when I ask you questions and I get generalized responses.

Tom

Thomas, a 2-56 screw works on BLAG 4mm. I just did a batch. However, I touch up the tip of micros with a little rubber polishing disk on a Dremel tool.

If you use 100 grit on a belt sander you better have a soft touch or there will be nothing left. Even then, you will have a rough edge that will fray or cut thread at the tension you will need to keep a micro on the rod under real-life bass fishing situations.

I speak from actual experience.

Chuck

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

thank you Chuck THAT is the type of info that I was looking for!

Tom

Thanks guys I will try some of your methods. I went to work on the three bottom guides last night (25, 16. 7 high frames) with a Dremel and a bit of filing. I plan to look into a small belt sander since I spent at least 15-20 minutes on each. I did file the tip of my micro giudes (3.5) and will need to get something better to hold them that my fingers! I do wrap on top of these small guides and slide the thread down over the foot and I have also put a short wrap on the guide (and a couple in front of the guide) from the ring down 5-10 wraps tie it off them start wrapping from the foot up. Micros are a bit of trouble but worth it to me and since I am building for myself I can take as long as needed! Size 4 up seem to be no problem at least in the Fuji line.