An individual on another forum suggested wrapping with Kevlar thread.
To me this seems a very good use in reinforcment of the ferrules.
Twice the strength of nylon with less stretch.
Has anyone utilized this thread and are there any sources for non-lubed Kevlar in size A or equivalent ??

Thanks,
Gene

It isn't necessary. Based on my use of the thread for fly tying, I don't think it is optimal for rod building.

Using braid in the field for emergency repairs is probly the best thing to have.Just strip some off your reel and go to town. But, totaly overkill for wrapping ferrules on a new build. Besides ,what are your color choices.

Dennis J. Danku
(Sayreville,NJ)

There are exceptions of course but most manufacturers reinforce the ferrules with an extra flag of material just for this purpose. A few don't. As the gents above already stated, regular rod building thread provides good hoop strength to reinforce the ferrules.

Terry

There are a ton of Kevlar fly tying thread colors, but I don't see the necessesity of it in rod building. I use it tying flies, spinning deer hair, etc.

David Dosser
Coshocton, OH

If a ferrule is going to break or crack/split nothing you wrap around it will stop that. The carbon/ glass/ resin used in a ferrule is stronger then the thread and epoxy you can apply so if it breaks the thread will do nothing! The way ferrules are made today you don't need to reinforce them BUT I always use a wrap on a ferrule as protection when the rod is a part and I think it's just good practice!!

I use 20-lb braid on the connections on my surf and pier shark/ray rods, where weight is not a major issue. It has always proven trustworthy, as I landed a 300 lb. stingray on an old Okuma Sentara spinning combo composite blank at Hatteras in October. (cheap blank too) It is a 10 foot, 2-8 oz. I built it into a 'caster with an aluminum Stuart double locking seat and Fuji Hardloys. I have an Avet LX MC on it with 400 yds. of 65 braid and 1009 yards of 60 Ande mono topshot. I pushed the drag almost to full, and stopped him in about 80 yards. It was around a 20 minute fight. The combo took all the physical strength I could lean into it to keep him close in, as he kept taking short bits of line under tremendous drag pressure (for a pier and a 10 footer) and I'm about 250 lbs! I think it makes a lot of difference in the strength of the connection. There's 3 layers of the braid at the hole for about an inch, jumping down to two layers another 1 1/2 inches down, and down to 1 layer for another inch or so, then covered with metallic purple Prowrap metallic. Not as bulky as one might think, and virtually impossible to split. Ever tried to break a single strand of it? Think about multiple loops three layers thick. That's a heap of strength.

I used Kevlar thread on a military themed rod and it's extreamly hard to work with; it's slick and just getting the wrap started is difficult. There is no stretch so your tie off could be tough too. The thread will leave lots of little fuzzies to stick up through your first coat but they're not too hard to clean up for the second coat. The colors on the thread I used, yellow and black, were blotchy. As mentioned above the strength is overkill. Kevlar thread has little going for it in wrapping; however, I've also used it in weaves and it has some excellent properties there. Because it's slick it pulls tight through the wraps easily and it's strength and lack of stretch helps out as you muscle the threads into alignment as you progress.

I learned a trick from bamboo builders that seems to work
Wet the thread then wrap and lock it on the blank
Seems to help

Bill - willierods.com