How the heck do you test cast with micro guides? I hold them on while wrapping with very thin masking tape, but it seems like it would be hard to get them to hold very well with those tiny feet for test casting 3/8oz lures. Do I just put four or five wraps of masking tape on them as tight as I can get it and let 'er rip?

In the past I've just wrapped them, tested, adjusted, rewrapped, tested again, and then finished if it was good. This is a lot of work though and there has to be an easier way.

Use small tie wraps and cinch them down tight with needlenose pliers. Cast all you want and they won't move or fly off.

Lance

The rubber guide tubing has always worked well for me.

Try these Kyle don't be afraid to pull on these and use more than one for your test casting they work for me and it you need little tape with them go ahead! it wont hurt ! these are very inexpensive and cut and a throw away. You can find them at any hairdo place like Rite Aid or other convenient stores Link below so you can see the critters!

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Rick H.

rwheil@msn.com

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I agree Kyle. It amazes me how LITTLE stress the guides seem to be under when you cast. Tape seems to work fine though it is always a tedious thing dealing with micros. I stumbled on a neat trick early on that has helped me a lot for handling micros. I use tape for testing and hot glue for final alignment before wrapping and it's a tricky thing to get a flame on the foot of a micro without burning a finger. Pliers, tweezers and such seem to get my hand/wrist in an awkward position. The answer for me was a small (bean sized) "gob" of the stuff they sell at Walgreens for sticking posters on walls. It's called Blu Goo or Sticky Tacky or something like that and it will hold a micro in ANY position well enough to heat, swipe and stick on a blank. You can even use it to hold a micro in place while you tape it on the blank (which is REAL handy sometimes). Best of all, the stuff "pops" off with no residue left behind, none.

There's a big advantage to Lances suggestion too (that can also work against you if you're not careful). The nylon ties are THE BEST for static load positioning IMO for one simple reason. THEY SLIDE! You don't have to untape and retape. IF you make sure you tighten them slightly BEYOND where you think the final position will be you can slide them rearward into perfect position. CAUTION: 1) Make sure you've done your foot prep well to avoid scratching the blank and 2) never force anything too far, you'll have a couple of inches (maybe 3 if your lucky) to play with. Beyond that things get too tight. The thing that can work against you is that this is a one way deal. If you trim the tag end of the tie, you can't tighten it if you need to move it back out...so don't trim the ends until you have a final position.

Try the Blu Goo, you will wonder how you ever did without it.

One thing I found that works well is the rubber tubing used for making lure skirts for spinnerbaits or jigs.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Lance and Jim, are you talking about the zip tie things you use to bundle electronic cables together (or miniature versions of the things the police use when they run out of handcuffs)?

Jim, with the blue goo stuff, are you putting it between the guide foot and the blank to hold it down while you tape it? How do you get it out from under there once you're taped up?

You just use a small pointy piece and jam it gently in the ring hole. Sounds funny but holds good ;•) When you pull it off quickly it comes off clean as a whistle. I'll try to post some pics now that I've opened my mouth.

Lance is talking about a little tiny nylon cable tie as you describe. He has them for sale and they are worth the money.

These should help [www.rodbuilding.org]

Bill - willierods.com

I've used masking tape from day one and have never had a problem, have tried a few other things but always end up going back to masking tape.

use the bands to static test the blank and guides Then when going to cast Put several turns of 1/4" tape on What the Hay

Bill - willierods.com

I lay them out on the rod and wrap them before test cast. It's true, not every blank is the same. Building alot of the same type of rods (casting and spinning) all with micros, I keep track of the layout measurements on each build and wrap them at that location on the next one. Now, even though the blanks are identical, they still vary, some what, so the adjustment after many, many test cast and static testing is not so bad (sometimes any way). Works for me anyway..........

To Jim and anyone else using the hot melt guide glue, how do you line the guides up? I use 1/8" dental bands and have to painstakingly eyeball down the blank to get my guides lined up. I couldn't imagine trying to do that in the amount of time it takes for that glue to harden. I'm assuming you place a mark on the blank where you want the guide to go but even then I can't imagine that they are perfectly straight. Do you wrap them where they sit even though it's a little off and then go back and break the glue to straighten up after they're wrapped?

Its the easiest I've found. By the way, you use a tiny amount of glue that breaks free very easily for final adjustments, and I've never seen a problem with CP or epoxy over that little smidge of glue.
I work with the large size Flex Coat wrapper, not sure of the exact name, but all of the wrappers with a base (rather than a stand up, vertical back with rollers) have a raised "spine" in the center of the base that tracks the thread carriage up and down the length of the wrapper. That spine is the perfect alignment tool to let you know when your eyeball is DIRECTLY above the blank. Put the blank in the "V" stands, get the reel seat in the proper position and lock it down somehow (flexcoat makes a fixture for the motor for this that stops things solidly). Stand up and look down on the rod. Move your head around until your eyeball and the blank and the spine on the wrapper base are in perfect alignment. You can do this in about 1 second. From this orientation you can very easily "see" the exact center of the blank (where the guide needs to go). Pick up a micro guide using the Blu Goo and test position it on the blank. This will form the blu goo into the exact shape you need to place the guide back on the blank quickly while the glue is still hot. It will also assure that the entire foot is touching the blank.

Heat the foot, swipe it quickly across a stick of glue and WHILE STANDING and looking down from DIRECTLY overhead, you will naturally position the guide in the exact center of the blank. You can complete 11 or 12 guides in less time and with better alignment than any other method I've seen.

[www.flexcoat.com]

Things to watch out for:
1) Too much glue can squish up between threads when you wrap. You get the hang of how to avoid this real quick
2) Heat feet with a clean flame or risk soot on the foot...not a pretty thing.
3) Lock down that blank. If it walks on you your "off" for sure

If you have a vertical backed wrapper you might be able to plumb a line off of a blank and tape or screw something down in a straight line to use this method with vertical-backed wrappers.

By the way, the coolest thing ever is Flex Coat's new little "spaghetti" glue for tops. Shove in a piece of "spaghetti" heat it up, top done. More glue than you EVER shoved in that tiny tube before.

Hope this helps. I've always been pretty good with my hands, it just seems they are not connected to my brain as well as they were when I was younger. What used to be little "shortcuts" that made things easier are become ESSENTIAL it seems.

Silicon fuel tubing for remote control nitro engines works good for making small rubber bands; comes in 3 sizes 1.5mm, 2.3mm, and 3mm ID.

Chuck

Thanks Jim, that makes perfect sense. I will definitely have to play with it some and see how it works out for me. I appreciate the tip! That spaghetti tip glue sounds great too.

you might want to try elastic thread sold at walmart . first tie it to the rod then grab a hold of the knot and give it a little stretch slide the guide under the knot you have tied, this secures the guide to the rod . wrap more thread around until it is secure. You will be able to slide the guide up and down the rod . depending on how tight u make the wrap will determine the sliding and stability. after you have found the locations leave the string on push it back to expose the tip of the guide and start wrapping . Cut the string off when the guide is secure cost of string abt 3.00 you will be able to wrap at least 10 rods probably 4 a couple of pennies a wrap. There is also an elastic string that looks like mono fish line holds the guides on even better and also is very cheap. use same process as abv.

I do the same thing with a bag of cheep elastic or rubber bands Kids stuff

Bill - willierods.com