I am new to decorative wrapping and needing some advice of doing a tiger wrap. My question is: Is it better to use a lighter or darker top thread to finish the wrap with? I know that it is user preference but I am having trouble getting the tiger effect in my practice runs.

Thanks in advance

Sam

Have you read the original articles? [www.rodbuilding.org]

There is a quite bit on color in both of these.

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I read the articles in the library. I understand that the top color will be the predominate color with the under layer providing the contrast. I tried using both black and tan as an over wrap on top of a red under layer. I was not pleased with what I saw.

After reading the articles, realized a couple of mistakes I had made and am trying again on my practice dowel. I see the beautiful work people have done and was looking for general guidance for color matching, Not my strong point.

Sam

It appears you're not following the information in the articles.

Making the bottom layer either black and white, or yellow and black, will provide the strongest effect. Try that route and then see how things look up top with whatever highlight color you choose.

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

I recently did a tiger wrap with a red and silver base layer and used red as the primary color on the top layer. Simple colors, but it turned out excellent!

With the advice above you may be all set. However, here's my Tiger how-to if it helps...

You need two threads as a bottom layer. The colour of the lighter bottom thread provides the background of the finished tiger.
IE black and gold with red over will create a red tiger over a gold background.

The bottom threads MUST BE OF HIGH CONTRAST, black and white, black and silver etc.
Wrap these a little loosely, you are going to use your thumbs to push these threads a little to the left and right, to create an "S" contour before applying finish to them.
You only need a slight "S", so don't go nuts...Pushing the threads out of alignment enhances the tiger effect.

Let's ay you want a red Tiger...Once this base wrap is pushed, finished and dried, you will wrap your red thread and a thread of any colour you have lots of over the top of the base wrap.
IF THE BASE LAYER WAS WRAPPED LEFT TO RIGHT, THE TOP LAYER WILL BE WRAPPED RIGHT TO LEFT.

WRAP THE TOP LAYER AT NORMAL TENSION.
Tie off, then heat the whole wrap with a hair dryer. Don't set it on fire, just warm it up nicely so that the top threads want to bite/stick to the bottom wrap.

Let things cool, then carefully unwind the off colour thread from the top wrap. You want to leave a sort of corkscrew of thread to give a Venetian blind effect...You will see your tiger start to emerge as the sacrificial thread comes off.

Add the clear finish and dry.

The Tiger will always be whatever colour your top thread is.
I use NCP (no colour preserver) thread for the Tiger colour thread because I think CP causes problems when I remove the sacrificial thread.
You are free to do whatever you like.
Good luck
Garry2rs

""I use NCP (no colour preserver) thread for the Tiger colour thread because I think CP causes problems when I remove the sacrificial thread. ""

Garry, if you decide to use nylon thread apply CP, and remove sacrificial thread right after cp has been applied when everything is still wet. Do not let it get dry, and you would have zero issues with thread. Then let it dry and finish as usual.
I also tried with good finished result a little different tiger. After one coat of epoxy over base layer i applied coat of epoxy with very fine glitter flakes, then two more thin coats of epoxy, then finished with top thread as usual. It takes extra time, but gives some sparkling to the deep leyer. Looks different then if you apply glitter over top.

It looks like I need to rethink my plan. I was making way more complex than needed. I had seen some wraps on Youtube using three threads and that is where I started. It appears I need to get back to basics first in trying to learn this technique.

Two threads of high contrast on the bottom, black and white, yellow, silver, etc. and the color I want the wrap to be on top.

One more question: Is it better to use one or two sacrificial threads on top? Again, I have seen it done both ways on Youtube . Two threads would definitely be easier to do.

Thanks

Sam

Hey Sam,

I have done a few tiger wraps. Personally I like having 2 sacrificial threads on top because it bring out the real focus color of the wrap. My last wrap had a Black, Silver, and Navy under wrap and a Navy over wrap. Silver and black worked for contrast and the navy brought the wrap together.

Sam,
try both ways and see what you like better. I personally use one sacrificial. I also do not keep tension the same on the outerwrap, I have some spots with normal tension and some with very little tension. Then move it arround prior applying either cp or epoxy. Not sure if it change final look though, since other people keep normal tension and get nice results too. The beauty of it is there are no identical tiger wraps

I've had good results recently using 30lb. Stren braid as my sacrifical, gives a wider gap while only having to wrap two threads on top.

Thank you everyone for the help!! I can see spending more time experimenting with techniques and colors. It may take me awhile to get the rod finished.

Sam Ledbetter