Good afternoon all,
Was wondering everyone’s thoughts on using 40wt embroidery machine thread for building.
Does anyone have any first hand experience trying it and what were the results? Amazon has such great deals on multiple spools and an incredible selection of colors. Out of the game for awhile and getting back into it. Waiting on my Alps wrapper to arrive and getting my #%¥€ together.
Thanks in advance

Mike,
I can only comment to your question from what I have heard and learned on this site, and as you probably know, there are a lot of veterans here. Basically, all threads are not created equally so why take the chance with a thread which is not specifically intended for rod wrapping? While price may be a consideration, there are much more important issues to consider first; the most important is whether the thread has a lubricant added for use in sewing/embroidery machines. While lubricated thread may wrap just fine and look good when the wraps are finished, applying epoxy over it may cause all kinds of nightmares. There are other issues as well.
While I suppose any thread will work to wrap a guide on a blank, if you are going to use a thread other than one specifically designed for rod building, I strongly suggest you test, test, and test some more. Personally, I will take the stand, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

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

The two names I see mentioned the most are Sulky and Madeira (Poly Neon 40wt). You will need to use CP and I'd think two coats, just to be safe, as these threads do have lubricants. I have not tried them myself although I did buy some Madeira.

I just bought the Alps wrapper and have also been out of the game for awhile. I'm working on an idea to add some length without buying another 4 foot section. BTW the nice folks at Batson included some free apparel with my wrapper order that made it an even better value.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Maderia Polyeon embroidery thread is used extensively in rod building but primarily for decorative purposes - cross-wraps, weaves, etc. as mentioned above it has a silicone coating to lubricate the machines which does not play nice with rod finish epoxy - so you need to use color preserver to seal it (plus it would wash out anyway if you didn’t). Most do not recommend it for use for guide over wraps and such.

Lots of post on the board regarding its use. Some that report that you can overcome the silicone to putting some clippings in your finish when mixing it abs such / but since I want the colors I chose which is why I’m using Maderia I’ll use the CP anyway.

Color choice is why we use a lot of the embroidery threads. Some makers offer over 250 colors. There is a learning curve for some of them. The key is test wrap. It's also perfectly ok to use the same thread for both guide wraps and decorative wraps. Did I mention doing test wraps?

Wrapped a rod ten ago with Madeira on the guides and it held up just as well as any rod wrapping thread. Used CP of course

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)