My apologies if this is a dumb question but I never used a winding check before. I am building a saltwater boat rod with an EVA foregrip and it will have a dragon scale butt wrap with a coat of finish..then a spiral or cross wrap on top of that with 2 more coats of finish. My question is this...at what point would you install the winding check? Before the base wrap? After the base wrap but before epoxy?
Thanks in advance....you guys are always very helpful. Joe

Before the last coats of epoxy if it's a standard rubber winding check, on top of everything if it's a bling ring.

A winding check by definition is a tool to finish off the joint between grips and blanks. If the shapes and fits of your components don't require a filler like a winding check then just don't use one unless you just like the looks of them. It you are using decorative, or bling checks, you may install them at any stage you want. They can even be installed over thread if the fit of the check to blank leaves room you want to fill. For split grips I never use bling checks. They attract too much attention and make the rod look cheap and gaudy, IMHO.

Thanks guys....I appreciate the info.

My winding checks always go on before thread wraps...reel seat, foregrip, winding check. If it's a rubber check, or hosel, it gets the same number of finish coats as the wraps.