Does anyone recommend small electric grinders for prepping guides or files still the preferred method
Looking at small 3.5 inch units at harbor freight with variable speed control

Thank you
John d

Grinding is fine, just don't overheat the guide feet. It's not hard to remove the temper from the metal, leaving them somewhat brittle. A better all around method for tapering guide feet, is a stationary sanding disk.

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I have this product from Bingham (sponsor on the left)
to do quite well over the years, But still use file for Micro guides

[www.angelfire.com]

I use a Work Sharp knife and tool sharpener Ken Onion edition. It does a very fine job, also sharpens knives well!

John

Grinding guide feet is fine just use care and go lightly.

I would make or purchase a tool to grip the smaller guides to have better control and makes the grinding easier.


Have fun

John

A jeweler's file works fine and works fast, without danger of overheating. A couple of passes with #800 emery paper will smooth your work nicely.

I grind extremely lightly using a small corded or cordless grinder similar to dremel 100.
Aluminum oxide fine stone (think chainsaw sharpening stones or finer for use).
Using a guide holder (tried several types of jewelers, regular & locking types of pliers and practiced on yard-sale rod guides i removed for practice. Learning curve there.
I just do it lightly (extremely light 3 or 4 passes rather than one- but i am not an expert on guide grinding) for appearance and sitting on blank.
I use a wire wheel for final polish and fine cut file(hook sharpener) and an old nylon stocking for burr detection.
just my .02 worth & ideas

John

I too use a Work Sharp, Ken Onion edition, and it does an OK job quickly. Good advice about heat above.

You will nonetheless need a set of small hand files to clean up the feet bottoms.

Check out the Flex Coat web site for a video of guide feet prep using a small grinder belt similar to the Work Sharp.

Thanks to everyone, for the great information !1

I have used a 1 inch belt sander similar to this one for years to take care of a multitude number of jobs around the shop - including prepping guides.
I have sanding belts ranging from 100 grit to 1500 grit. I use the appropriate grit for the job at hand.

[www.harborfreight.com]

1 x 30" sanding belts are available from many many different suppliers in grits of all sizes.

I also use the sander for knife sharpening, razor knife sharpening, hatchet sharpening and even lawn mower blade sharpening. So, it is a very universal and handy tool to have around.

A couple of pictures prepping a guide foot>

[www.rodbuilding.org]

To hold the guides, I made an assortment of holders using pieces of rod blanks, a machine screw with a machine screw and a wing nut to hold the guide tight. I cut the length of the machine screw after the unit has been assembled with a guide gripped tight so that the screw is flush with the top of the wing nut. This allows a guide to be inserted and the nut made tight with only a couple of turns. Quick and easy to prep the guides with no slipping due to the holder for the guide foot.

Take care



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/31/2019 04:03PM by roger wilson.

1 x 30" sanding belts are available from many many different suppliers in grips of all sizes.
Did you mean grit ? That’s makes more sense.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

Fred,
Yes, grits.
I generally use 120 grit or 220 grit.
I also always hold the guide foot perpendicular to the sanding belt.


As a result, the fine scratches that are put into the guide foot when thinning actually work very well to better hold the thread on the guide foot and to minimize the slipping of the guide foot out from under the winding thread.

I don't believe that you want polished guide feet with no sanding or grinding marks left on them. By keeping the perpendicular sanding scratches on the guide foot, the feet stay better and the thread slips less. I normally prep the guide foot so the extreme edge of the guide foot is essentially razor thin. This allows the thread to climb up the guide foot easily and with no back sliding of the thread back off the guide foot.

Take care

I put a Dremel in a vise with a cutting wheel.

X2 on Roger's 1'x30" sander and I use min 220 grit. It works perfectly and you are only having to handle the guide not the guide and grinder since it is stationary. No heat build up and does a quick and smooth job on the guide foot.

Am I the only one here that just uses sandpaper? I just use it enough to get rid of the paint and to rough it up a bit.

Ken,
I use sandpaper, in the form of the 1x30 belt sander.
On many guides, the end of the guide foot is rather thick. As a result, the thick end of the guide makes it difficult for a smooth transition from the rod blank to the guide foot. But, by thinning the end of the guide foot to a near razor edge, a person can start his wrap on the blank and with out doing anything extraordinary, the thread will just continue from the blank onto the guide foot with no back slippage or open space on the thread wraps.

But, by all means, if you have a method that works for you, then use it.

By the way, as you know, the new generation of guides and the preps for those guide feet from the manufacturers are getting very close to avoid having to do any post manufacture preparation of the guide feet before wrapping.

i.e. the manufacturers are now making the guides and guide feet so that in many cases, the guides can be taped on and wrapped with 0 guide foot changes by the rod builder.

Take care

I have only build ultra light rods up to this point so the amount of sanding needed has been minimal. I am guessing that will change once I get to a point that Im ready to wrap the guides on my Striper rod. Using double foot guides up to 40 im sure will need more prep done to them.

Are some guides less likely to need prep (grinding)? Or do y'all recommend grinding all guides feet no matter what? Do I need to worry about grinding the black finish off of black stainless steel guides?

Was going to post a new thread about guide prep, but searched and found this recent thread. TIA!

Hello Robert.

If the guide is flat enough at the tip and a nice ramp up the guide I don't do anything to them unless they are painted, then I will just hit them with scotchbrite to rough them up a little, but not all the way through the paint, just to give the thread a little something to grab going up the ramp.


Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

Thank you, Bob!