Just wondering if anyone has only used three guides to transition around the blank. I am also wondering if I should use the same size guides for the spiral wrap. Guide charts show me staring with a size 12 guide. I have seen in articles with starting at zero with first guide. Has anyone started at 10 degrees.and went to 60, 120, and 180.

You can do it in one guide, search simple spiral.

Thanks

Actually, the Simple Spiral has zero transition guides. Sometimes folks will add one at 90 degrees, but this is not a guide to transition the line - it is just there to keep the line from rubbing on the blank as it goes from the top to bottom guide. The spacing of the top and bottom guide would be the same whether you put that "bumper" guide in there or not.

Otherwise there are lots of spiral systems and any and all number of transition guides can be used. Some use just one at 90 degrees. Some use two and some use three. The O'Quinn Spiral makes all the guides transition guides, from butt to tip. So in the long run, there are many ways to do this and most all work. If you have an idea, mock it up and go out and try it.

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Thanks

In the last rod maker mag Rich ForhaM mentioned that he built a true spiral..the line was guided around the rod one and one half times and he did not see any loss in casting distance conpared to a standard rod..i hope he used the new tangle free guides..lol.

If you are using a level wind reel your first guide from it may be 10 degrees the opposite direction of the spiral for the line to lay down evenly on the spool. I did that with my X comp build so I can use both kinds of reels and I like the line to lay in the middle of a non level wind reel anyways. On that build I went from a 16mm down to a 12,10 to 8. I would have changed anything I would skip the 12mm size and go to 10 or possibly right to 8mm the running guide size.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/07/2018 12:37AM by David Miller.

I like the RV 6, it has the height you need and yes you can offset the stripper but you want to make sure it level winds back on the spool evenly. Sometimes it will try to pile up on on one side of the spool more, even with a level wind if you offset that top guide (stripper). Just dry fit everything and let a lot of line out and wind it back in a few times to see.