Can I use silicone fuel tubing to temporarily hold the guides in place? I am not skilled enough to use the glue stick for placing the guides in place. To the professional Rod Builders I am impressed by your skill level.

Yes you can. I use it on smaller guides (5 and under). Otherwise, I use tape.

Sure can. I use the latex tubing available from Mud Hole. [mudhole.com]

Unless I'm forced to use tape because I nicked a wrap while trimming tag ends or need to place a guide on al already built rod, it's the only thing I use. I like it because it's available in different sizes, and you can cut it to any width you'd like. It makes static guide placement a breeze.

I played around with lots of thing to hold guides and the tubing is my favorite. Tried dental ligatures and they were too tight and hard to cut off. Tried rubber bands and sometimes they’d come loose. Tried guide foot adhesive and had trouble getting it to stick especially on micro guide. Additionally you can’t make adjustments as easily with adhesives. Tubing of different sizes is favorite thus far (newer builder). I got mine from Amazon searching for surgical tubing and they have tons of options. The tubing I bought was marketed for home brewing actually but works fine.

I got four different sizes ID and just put a few extras on in case you make a mistake wrapping or need to add or move guides. Also if I make multiple mistakes I have a pack of small zip ties which also work but are a bit harder to cut off.

Thank you. I am going to look at Amazon.

Sam.....I use the latex tubing from Mudhole......sometimes I use 2 pieces of tubing ....one on the guide foot and the other behind the guide and then slide the two pieces of tubing together to keep the guide where I want it while I wrap....for the last 2 or 3 guides I use 3 CRB micro bands in front and behind of the guides

I load a fly tying bobbin with whatever leftover thread I have in my building kit. I roughly and quickly lash the guide on and finish with a pull thread. I leave the first third or more of the foot free for the actual wrapping thread. It’s easy to get the right tension. It’s also much easier than with the bands to cut the lashing thread off without hitting the wrapping thread. I think the time taken is roughly the same as coaxing the bands down and cutting them off isn’t a fast process. I started with lashing the guides on one at a time, but now I do them all before I start wrapping. This allows me to have them in place and the China marks wiped off before I start wrapping. Regardless of the time, this has taken most of the tedium out of building for me.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 05/13/2023 01:02PM by Kendall Cikanek.

Thank you I would have never thought that step ever. I have even tied flies . One more thing this form has helped me with.

David,
You mention you nicked a wrap when trimming a thread.
If you are using a blade for trimming, this is not unusual to have happen.

To 100% avoid nicking a thread, put down the blade and pick up a pair of scissors and use the scissors to trim the threads as needed.

My preference is to use one of Dr. Slick's fly tying scissors.
The cost is reasonable and the scissors are readily available.

[www.drslick.com]

For myself, I use the "general purpose scissor"

[www.drslick.com]

I first started using a pair of scissors about a year after I took my first rod building lesson. I learned the use of the scissors from one of the teachers at the rod building school.

I use the same pair of scissors today.
I suppose that I sharpen the scissors about once every 5 years or so.

Never use a blade of any sort any more for trimming thread close.

For convenience and ease of use - for general thread cutting, I use a pair of sewing nippers.
Fits my hand. Quick and easy to use. Inexpensive.
I will also sharpen these scissors about every 2 years or so.

Examples of various thread nippers available in 2023:

[thesewingstuffs.com]

Roger, thank you for the advice and the links. I actually picked up a pair of Dr Slicks due to something I saw you post in a prior thread. I really like them. They let me get some nice close clean cuts.

About the only time I use a razor blade anymore aside from cutting of the tubing I use to hold the guides on the blank, is if I misjudged cutting the thread just after starting to pull it under the main wrap. And it's always a trim band thread. Most of the time I just continue wrapping over that little bugger, but sometimes I feel the need to trim it. That's when I sometimes nick a wrap. Otherwise the Dr Slicks have been the deal.

Thanks again...