Ok , let me say up front this is my first effort at doing research on this topic . I just did a 3 color diamond butt wrap. I took my time and packed, packed , and packed some more. The wrap before epoxy looked odd to me . One of the colors I used was a light green and the light green thread in the wrap was lighter in color than the same light green thread that was used to make trim bands on the butt wrap . I am trying to analize why this happened, possible causes. Could thread tension be a possible contributer? Any thoughts would be appreciated . Also with threat tension in mind how do you guys hold your spools of thread when you do decorative wraps? I mean do you hold the thread spool in your hand or mounted to a thread wrapper ? I would love to find a way to wrap and have both hands free when I need to pack plus be able to consistantly regulate thread tension .

With light regular thread colors, the underlying blank or thread colors (especially dark colors) will bleed through making the surface threads appear darker than how they look on the spool. Metallic or NCP threads have little bleed through. I hold the spool in my hand for cross wraps. Some use fly tying thread bobbins accommodating the cross wrap angles. Double stick carpet tape (cut off during tie off) on both ends of the wrap frees your hands after a sequence for packing.

From time to time I will deal with an old spool of thread. Sometimes its some from my stock. Sometimes its a new spool I just bought...the just happens to be an old spool from stock.
That being said...thread will fade when exposed to UV. What I will do sometimes is pull off all the thread thats exposed first.
Not 100% sure if thats your problems...but it is one source of a thread being two colorish.

As far as packing goes Steve....I hold the spool in my hand as I think most do. After several passes no more than 6 for me.....I tape off the thread...cut it and pack with both hands free.....then you have to refresh your 2 face masking tape and repeat.
Not sure how you are setting up for butt wraps if you can't do this.

Thank you for the replies . I would have answered sooner but yesterday was a travel day for me . It soundsl ike from your replies I am wrapping like most of you do. I hold the spool of thread in my hands and after every 2 passes I pack . I have a tendency to stretch the thread a bit as I wrap was why I mentioned thread tension as a culprit to fading colors. This is only my second wrap , I stayed with a diamond pattern for simplicity . The wrap is light colored thread on a slate colored blank . The first wrap I did was a chevron pattern ,again keeping it simple . The first wrap came out pretty good you had to look close to tell it was individual threads it was orange thread on a black blank. The second wrap came out just ok , after epoxy a close look revealed individual threads pretty easily . In the hand it looks good but up close you can see individual threads. I was hoping for better results as I spent a good amount of time wrapping and packing. . A bobbin may be a solution to thread tension as i wrap . My personal goal is to get good enough to sell rods . More studying will definately be in order .

Stretching the thread on cross wraps makes it harder to pack them close to each other. An under wrap before doing the pattern helps keeps the packed threads tight as the under wrap is not as slippery as the blank.

Do you think one or. two coats of CP just on the blank would reduce yarn slippage when wrapping and making packing easier and better? Maybe the CP will give the thread a little softer surface to bite into.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2022 10:26AM by ben belote.

Do many of you guys use an underwrap ? That could give interesting effect on open wraps . How many here subscribte to " Rodbuilder Magazine" ?

Nobody mentioned burnishing.

I did burnish the wrap my issue is the threads almost seem translucent and they lost some color . I was surprised that happened . The wrap came out ok it just isnt as bright as I had hoped.

I made a simple tool out of a 4x6 inch piece of wood and a sewing bobbin, Simply secure the bobble to the wood with a scraw and when finishing your butt wrap, just wind your thread around the bobbin two or three times and let your bobbin hang down it's that easy.

Glenn McMurrian

You have me curious Glenn . What does this tool accomplish ? Could you give me more detail please ? Thanks!