When doing a spiral wrap - where do you make your “dirty” side - normally would be on the bottom of a casting rod, but this is where 2/3 or more or the guides will be, putting the tag ends with the guide, which likely is where folks will focus looking.

Bottom of the rod.

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Thanks.... that’s what I assumed buy seemed wrong to put those tags on the guides....

Michael,
I agree with the bottom of the rod, with the caveat that dislike putting the tag end on the guide foot itself. So, typically, I will put it on the lower side of the blank where it will mainly be out of sight and out of view.

I have found that if I try to leave the tag end on the guide foot itself, it normally does not end well for the wrap.

Take care

Doesn't matter, nobody looks. YOu spent 2 days at the ICRBE last year, how many rods did you look at? how many did you look at where te dirty side was for every guide?

I think the most important part is to be consistent in where you start and stop wraps. If you start and stop every wrap and inlay at a different place, it shows a lack of attention to detail.

I put mine 180? from the guide foot. My line of thought is that when someone is looking at a guide wrap close enough to spot the dirty side with the naked eye, they are usually looking at the guide itself. When holding a spiral wrapped rod while fishing, the first guide that has a dirty side on the top side of the rod is going to be close to 3' or more away from the reel seat. My eye isn't going to be able to resolve a tag end or the cross-over thread on a simple inlay at that distance, and my eye usually isn't on the top of the rod while I'm fishing. Maybe it matters a bit more when working with larger thread than the A that I typically use.

Joe Vanfossen Wrote:
> I put mine 180? from the guide foot.

Same here. And I agree with the comment above "Does't matter, nobody looks."

And even if someone did look, for the way I do it, you will never see it anyway even if you did look you'd need a really good magnifying glass or microscope.

I use a razor blade to cleanly slice it off right at surface of thread wrap. I then use a lighter to melt anything that might be remaining to stick up and push it down with my finger while still hot. Then use a dental pick to shape up any thread deformities or gaps, and push inwards to tighten it all up. So even before the epoxy goes on, there is nothing to see.

I also agree with another comment that if you do it on or, next to the guide foot, you stand a better chance of it coming loose and not holding which is why the opposite side of the rod from the guide foot is the best place no matter which way the guide is placed. Once under epoxy it is a non-issue.

Joe Vanfossen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I think the most important part is to be
> consistent in where you start and stop wraps. If
> you start and stop every wrap and inlay at a
> different place, it shows a lack of attention to
> detail.

I'll have to disagree with this statement without a clarifying reference.

It can only be an overlooked detail if the end result is visible to judge.

If this detail can not be seen, then it can not be a lack of attention to detail. So maybe this statement needed a clarifying reference to say if it is visible then it is a lack of attention to detail. If it is not visible then this is not the case.

And with spiral wrapped rods, the starting and stopping points follow the guide placements around the rod blank. I can only see your point if all the guides are on the same side of the rod and tag ends are visible... I will stay with doing tag ends on opposite side of rod from the guide no matter where it is placed. On my rods you won't see it so it won't matter anyway.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/2020 09:15AM by Kent Griffith.

Kent,

Good stuff. I do much the same with my tags. I'll clarify a bit. I agree, it is tough to spot where the tag end tucks under a wrap, but with close examination it can be found. My tags are well hidden as well. The issue becomes more readily visible when doing inlays and other decorative bits. A lot of times if a rod is going to a family member or friend I'll dress up my wraps a bit with a simple inlays and trim bands. If your main wrap thread is crossing over the inlay thread at different points along the rod, it can be spotted much more easily due to the contrasting colors.

I save all my stressing out for guide alignment. That's what everybody looks at first and forever. If your work looks neat, who's gonna @#$%&?

There are no dirty sides if you do it right. Just do the tag before you rap over the foot and close to it. If you do it right after it, will want to unravel and not be tight. Messy.

All of this "doing it right" stuff is leaving one factor out of the equation. Thread color. It's a whole lot easier hiding tag ends with darker colored threads. It becomes even more problematic if there are trim bands or inlays involved.

I watched a guy wrap once who cut his tags off short BEFORE he pulled them out through the wrap. The tag end stayed under the wrap......never came up between threads