Hey all,

Quick question for you. After you wrap your guides, how easy is it supposed to be to move the guides around?

I ask because I watched "Get Bit Outdoors'" video on YouTube. After wrapping his guides, Kevin goes back and fine tunes his guides to make sure they are perfectly in place. When I do it, I can't really move them along the circumference of the blank. I can move them laterally pretty well but I can't move them around the blank without getting the wraps too loose to where they eventually fall off.

So, am I wrapping them too tight?

Ps. I can do it pretty easily with the reduction/high frame guides. It's the micro guides I'm having problems with.

Thanks!

Carlos Saravia

Hi Carlos,

Yes, you should be able to move them a bit without any consequence. However, moving guides on the tip section is less forgiving. If you wrap from the tip toward the butt, I seem to do a better job of getting the guides close to the correct alignment compared with the other direction. If you have to move them too much, they will unravel on the tip section.

Take your time, line up the guides with the tip (I use guide foot glue and do them one at a time) then you won't have to move them much if any at all.

Terry

I will use either the top of the reel seat or the bottom as my sight line and make sure that is dead center of the support its on. Then position your guide foot in the middle of the blank. You should be pretty close to straight once done.

I will do a 11-12 guide setup like that and only have to make very slight adjustments. You shouldn't need to move the guide that much after wrapping.

Single foot guides are a bit harder to move. You sort of have to "walk" them around the wrap.

Try to get them close when you tape them down, and then if you can, make alignment adjustments about 1/2 of the way through the wrap.

Wrap snug, but not tight.

...................

Tom is right, single foots are harder to move. I use an old reel foot placed in the reel seat and put a line level sitting across it to line up the guides while it is in the lathe. On a longer rods, I do this with the first guide on the tip section, then just eyeball the rest down the tip section. It takes a little practice, but let your eyes be your guide.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2013 08:57PM by Randolph Ruwe.

I guess I wasn't very clear, I don't use the line, just the short about 2 1/2" level laid across the reel foot. the bubble lets me know that everything is lined up right.

Awesome guys. Thanks a lot for the help. I'm getting ready to set them up!

G'Day Carlos I use the same method as Randolph with the reel foot & a line level epoxied to it .when I'm finished wrapping I check using the eyeball method & then rotate the rod 90 deg & use a lazer level to double check the alignment

Regards Baz

Bundeena
NSW Australia

For those of us that haven't bothered to cut a foot off a reel.......you can get by using an old wide conventional trolling reel. Also the glare from a flourescent light will cast a stright line down the blank.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

To answer your initial question.
No, I don't think you are wrapping them too tight.
When I wrap my guides, there are tight enough so that I can't slide them up and down the blank. But, I can, with effort rotate them a bit on the blank.

You should have the guides in position before wrapping, so there should be no need to move them up and down. If I have to end up moving a guide up or down the rod very much, (if any at all), I cut the wraps and start over with the guide in the right location.

When I align my guides, I point the pole at the white ceiling or white wall. The guides are easier to align, when pointed toward a light background.

Also, when aligning, guides, I site down the none guide side of the rod. As I squint down the length of the rod from the non guide side of the rod, I should see equal guide width showing on each side of the rod.

I find that this is quite a bit more accurate than sighting down the guide side of the rod.

For a final check, I do sight down the guide side of the rod to double check.

Be safe

Russell, you don't need to cut off a reel foot, just unscrew it from a trashed reel.

You can also mark the seat with masking tape so you have some thing to see when aliening guides

What I do is first put the tip on Glued and Aliened with the seat
Then put guides on How Ever Static Test Once in the place I like I measure the spacing from the tip and Wright It Down
When wrapping I go from tip to butt aliening as I go - And Measuring to keep them in place When about half the foot is wrapped I adjust again and often to have less to do later
Then final side to side adjustments

Bill - willierods.com

I also glue on my tip before wrapping the guides.

G'day Carlos

I will second what Randolph and Barry said.Barry showed me his setup with and old reel foot that i picked up at a fishing shop for free.I then glued a small level
on from bunnings. Just make sure the surface you set it up on is level or it will be out.

cheers

Ray Balmforth
Figtree
NSW
Australia

A line level, made by Stanley, can be purchased for less than $4.oo at Home depot. About 3 12" in length.

I love threads like this because they are proof positive to the myriad ways of doing the same task.

I fished the first rod I ever made over the weekend, a lovely little Sage SPL 2-8-2. The guides are definitely not perfect down the tip of the rod. The last rod I made is darn close to perfect. It really just take patience in the end. FWIW, I glue the tip-top on, then tape one of the feet down well, in the best position I can get it. Wrap the opposite foot. Re-align and wrap the second foot.

But I do have a few questions about the various tools/methods used:
Guide foot adhesive, who uses it and how is it better than tape?
Why not just use a tiny tack of zap-a-gap to secure a foot once you are confident it is lined up perfectly?
Who uses the latex tubing or rings to hold feet? I imagine this is better than tiny strips of tape, I may try it next.

Thanks!

Is this after a Static Test and test casting And now you have the guides in place where they work the best ??
Then you can tape them in place
I always put rubber bands on static test adjust When they are in the best position Then tape

Bill - willierods.com

i use a fly reel / baitcast reel (due to the flat surface on the upper part of the reel( in the reel seat and put it down on a flat surface. from there (this is after i have done static flex testing and wrapping), i adjust my guides to ensure they are in line. works so far, and for me, it has been more accurate then sighting down the guide train. doesn't seem to matter if it is a baitcast or spinning or even a fly rod..

i have done it using size 6 guides, but will try on 4.5 micros tp see if the micro guides are harder to align.

tried the CA glue, but didn't like it when adjustments need to be made as it left white crusty bits if the guide was moved. I use the guide feet adhesive prior to wrapping, after i have done the static flex test, for which i use small strip of tapes. I personally find it a hassle to try are remove the tape as you wrap up to it, especially if the guide size is small.. when i remove the tape, i sometimes move or pull out the guide. the guide foot adhesive doesn't give me that problem.

-
Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day..
Teach a man to fish, he'll be broke!