Hi All,

I'm planning on doing my first cross wrap on my next build, so far I have just been burning up thread practicing on blank scraps.

I've come across a few things, that I've been pondering;

1). How to determine if a wrap design under consideration is going to be suitable for the size blank diameter. Is there a ratio of say thread crossing points to diameter or circumference that can be used as a good rule of thumb to disqualify certain patterns as non starters? Particularly thinking of open wraps here.

2). Wrapping tension - with my practice wraps, I've noticed that sometimes it is difficult to pack the threads together after doing a few passes because there isn't enough 'give' in the thread, which tells me either I've wrapped with too much tension or I haven't laid it down close enough initially.. Thing is I don't feel like I'm over tensioning the thread and I don't want to wrap it too slack as the threads have a tendency to cross over. I would be very interested to hear from the more experienced wrappers their views on tension and initial thread placement.

3). I find the outer threads that have no other threads locking them in, tend to be difficult to pack, they tend to spring back towards their initial laid position, Is there a remedy for this?

Thanks for the help.

Euan

Hi Euan,

There are many more experienced guys on here than I but maybe I can help a little.

Crossover spacing should be apx the same as the diameter of the rod where the wrap will be....1 inch diameter....1 inch spacing. Larger spacing gives you an elongated wrap....shorter spacing a compressed wrap.

Don't try to put too much tension on each pass....packing will fix up the pattern for you. You should maybe pack more often....I find that if I pack every 6 passes or so I get better results. Too many threads are hard to pack.

The last thread always wants to come loose....try a sacrificial locking thread after the pattern is complete.....make one more pass than you want and then remove that thread after applying CP.

Thanks a lot for the advice Joseph, especially your last point, very helpful indeed.

You can also use an old Rooster tip. After several passes, make a pass with a larger size thread. It gives you more heft to push and pack against. Remove the large thread after packing.