How can I see what the color of thread will look like before applying epoxy?
I thought that I remember something about how you can do this.
Thank you.

Do you mean how it will look with finish but before you have actually put on. I have read DNA applied will be the same, unsure but. What I have done is wrapped an old blank with all my colours put finish on now I have a guide and a colourful blank

Hi John,
I use madeira and get spool colours after finish so I know what I'm going to get. I use three coats of Chromaseal and Threadmaster finish. I can get translucent colours by not using cp but I'm not fond of that look. Experience will teach you what you will end up with. If your desperate then do some test wraps and put finish on them and you will see.

ESFNEM Col
Port Kembla, NSW
Australia

apply DNA and it will give you a close look at finished color

if you don't have DNA handy, cooking oil gives a fairly close end color, it's just messier to clean up of course.

Water will penetrate to yield the darkened look that nylon thread will have with finish if no color preserver has already been applied to the thread. After it dries the color returns to normal with no clean up necessary.

Hello Chris.

Wrapping an old blank does no good unless the blank you wrap is very close to the same color as the one you want to know about because the blank color comes through some to a lot depending on color of thread, and how well you pack.

I do use the DNA procedure.

Tight Wraps.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

I was advised by the builders on this site to throw some water on them. It's always worked fine for me. Make a wrap, wet it, and see how you like it.

John Powell, I hope you are not advising to put cooking oil on a blank that is to be made into a rod. I wouldn't even use it on a scrap blank that I later wanted to use for test wraps.

Randolph X2 no oil near blank!!!

Randolph, Phil.

No rods, just scrap blank or cutoffs. For me, I found the light yellow cast or color of the oil more closely matches the effect of epoxy without cp than DNA or water which are clear. I think water or DNA better matches permagloss.

I really only use oil when doing a plaid or tartan wrap to judge how the bleed will look. I lay down some simple crossing bands to judge how much bleed through I will get. The oil, being thick, also better represents the depth of the final finish and the level of sheen I can expect compared to DNA or water which comparatively contribute no depth of finish or sheen.

But hey, use whatever works for you. The oil is messy and you have to toss the sample after you are done with it.