So, I wrapped my first two guides and must say I'm really bad at this. When I was using my burnishing tool, I inadvertently pushed too hard, and the tool jumped and ran over the entire wrap. My eyes are not very good, but the black thread looks to have white score marks. Will these marks become visible when epoxy is applied?

I also think my wrap might be too tight. How do you know if this is the case? More practice:) Thank you in advance for sharing your wisdom. It's very much appreciated.

Start over. The more times you try, the fewer times you'll have to start over. Eventually, you'll get adept at wrapping guides.

Almost anything you see on the wraps will be visible when finished. This includes dust, pet hair, china marker picked up from wrapping over it, etc...

A.P.

Dave

The wrap tension need be no tighter than necessary to hold the guide in place while permitting the guide to be moved around the rod for the purpose of aligning the the guides after wrapping. The wraps should be sufficiently tight to permit the gentle use of a burnishing tool. Sorry those are not objective tension measurements, but it is what should be.

You wrote your eyes are not so good - welcome to the club. Are you using magnification? If not, a strong (bright) light that incorporates a magnifying lens else a bright lamp with a pair of strong "cheater" lens from the local drug store will help you see your work in greater detail.

I’ve been wrapping rods for many years, but it wasn’t until this winter that I mounted a yellow backdrop onto my thread carriage. Very helpful.

"The greatest barrier to discovery is not ignorance, it's the illusion of knowledge" - Daniel J. Boorstin

Dave,
You may be seeing the result of "polishing" the thread by compressing the thread fibers. IF that is the case - youwill not see it after finish is applied. The finish will "plump-up" th thread again.
Herb
PS - I rarely burnish my wraps. I pack frequently which eliminates the ned to burnish to a great degree.

The "skid" marks on the black thread will disappear when you apply epoxy.

.........

Dave,
Simple.
Any time you have the least doubt about a wrap - use a sharp blade and cut off the wrap and do it over. If you run the knife along the top of the guide foot, the end of the blade will contact the guide foot and not the blank and won't scratch the blank.

p.s.
A really nice thing to have around is a scalpel handle with a pack of #12 blades. The hook on the end of the blade make short easy work of any sort of trimming or cutting chores. This blade also makes a terrific bag or envelope opener.

[www.amazon.com]

The weighted scalpel handles feel very good in the hand and let the user to a better job of cutting, due to their design.

[www.amazon.com]

p.s.
I always keep one of these in the rod room, the kitchen, the garage and the office. The hook on the end of the blade make short work of opening virtually any thing made of plastic, paper, or cardboard.

They are also terrific to cut off guide wraps.

Dave,
The above replies are good and certainly worth considering. Rather than wasting the time to rewrap your guides, go ahead and apply the finish to them as they currently are and see how it turns out; if it looks perfect = done deal. If not = learn from the experience. I tend to agree with Tom and Herb that the dry appearance of the thread may be hidden after wet-out with finish. I am still very proud of my first rod build, but looking at it now only verifies how much I have learned since!!!

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

Right, Mark. The first response to a problem should be the least disrupitve.

Then if that doesn't work go to Plan B.

Thank you all for sharing your thoughts and experience. I'm keeping the guides as is and will report back.

Dave,
I would suggest applying a few drops of isopropyl alcohol to the guide wrap and see if you like the way it looks. This will give a very close representation of what the finished wrap will look like. If you are happy with the results, let it dry thoroughly and apply finish.