Danny,
I am glad you have the ability to make your own tools, fixtures and such; it affords an additional sense of satisfaction to the entire endeavor (just ask Roger and me). The ability to adjust your thread tension will be a great asset as you have already discovered. Concerning one of your latest comments, “I was not tightening the final wrap and pull through very well”, consider that if the tension is correct for the wrap, actually backing off a bit for the last 3-4 rotations prior to pulling the tag under with the pull-through may not distort the straight end of the wrap as much as if the final few wraps are tight.
Lynn,
I think Phil answered your question for me. The tiny rubber bands cut to the desired width from surgical tubing is about the easiest, fastest way to secure guides to the blank for static load testing yet allowing them to be moved as required. After their ultimate location is determined, I mark the blank for each guide, remove the guides and slide the rubber band out of the way .5in down the blank. I then apply guide foot adhesive to all the guide feet, and one by one install each in my machined guide alignment fixture, briefly reheat the foot and rotate the fixture with guide attached down onto the blank. After cooled and fixture removed, the rubber bands are reposition on the foot as added security and/or possibly apply a very narrow strip of tape on the tiny micro feet. Even with the guide foot adhesive, a guide can be repositioned to accommodate for blank irregularities to achieve perfect sight alignment.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

I suppose we do a combination of what is cheap, easy, known to work, and familiar.

If the guides are big enough it is quite easy to use tape. If the guides are very small I found it impossible for me.

On very small guides someone suggested starting your wrap, laying the guide over it, wrapping up the guide foot several times, and then edging the guide forward until the foot was under the threads. I could do it but it was tricky and had to start over a few times. So I tried the Flexcoat guide foot adhesive. WOW, that made things a breeze!

No problem at all if you need to move the guide after wrapping it.

I see no need for it on larger guides....but for 4's and under....nice solution for those who's hands and fingers don't work as good as they used to.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Some prefer to do things the old, hard way.