Step#8, Thread, underwraps and color preservers.
Before proceeding to wrap the guides, you must first decide on thread size, color, regular, metallic or NCP and whether to use an underwrap. I personally use size A thread, regardless of whether I'm working on a 5 foot ultra-light trout rod or an 9 footer for chucking bunker chuncks. I think it just looks better when finished, especially the decorative butt wraps.
NCP means that color preserver does not need to be used on this type of thread for the color to remain opaque. Regular nylon rod wrapping thread, if not treated with color preserver will turn translucent. NCP thread on the other hand will basically look the same whether you use color preserver or not. Metallic is good for accent bands at the ends of the guide wraps, but can be difficult to work with in decorative butt wraps or guide wraps, because it breaks far easier than regular A thread.
There are in my opinion maybe more advantages, than disadvantages, when it comes to the underwrap. With the key advantage being ease of securing and wrapping the guides. A guide is easy to secure to an underwrap, especially one that has seen a coat of color preserver. The thread is also easier to work up over the guide foot when using an underwrap. The other advantage is decorative, in that you can use contrasting colors and accent bands in the underwrap, to highlight the color used to wrap the guides.
The only disadvantage to the underwrap, and this is probably more evident in fast action freshwater blanks, is that it will soften the action of the rod. It might make an extra fast or fast action blank, perform slower than it would if no underwrap were used. The other thing to consider at this stage, even though it won't be used until all the guides are wrapped, is whether or not to use color preserver. If not used and the wrapping finish is applied directly to the threads, two things will happen. First you will get a better bond, but it will make guide replacement down the road a little more difficult. Second, the color of the thread will be much more subdued and translucent, basically showing through what is below; the color of the rod blank and the guide foot.
There are times when you or a customer, might want the brilliant colors of the thread to be the main focus, so 2 or 3 coats of color preserver are a must. Other times, a more earthy subdued effect might be desired, so no color preserver and posibbly no underwrap might be the way to go.
Re: Don't stop now......
Sorry for the delay, but I've been out of town on business. Played havoc with my schedule prior to the trip and now I'm playing catch up. Hopefully I can find some time this week to get the next one up, but I've also got a friends rod to re-wrap some new guides and my *ss is grass if I don't have that done soon.
Hold the phone, I'll get back on this soon, thanks.
Very good tutorial!
As a teen, I would take old rods out of the trash barrel of the pier, and replace broken guides, and so on, and add them to my collection. I took some casters and made a rod-roller out of it, and did quite a bit of work I was very proud of.
But I never knew the PROPER way to do rod work. Heck, I used to cut and rings of cork out of old rods, and use Elmer's yellow Carpenter glue to secure them. I didn't know you could sand them! I used to think you had to buy the cork rings the exact size you needed. It actually worked pretty well, and I still have a rod with an Elmer's handle that is 18 years old, and still going strong!
Re: Very good tutorial!
Welcome aboard Thill! Been enjoying our email conversation on plastics and striper fishing. I'm soooo pumped up for the arrival of the first fresh fish of the season. I'm also anxious to give the Lamiglass Titaniam rods I used for the pics in this tuditorial a workout with the stripes. I've used them for freshwater for a month now and can't believe how sensitive they are. My brother in law's a finesse smallie fisherman from northern Maine and I had to practically pry the 7 foot spinning rod out of his hands when he took some casts last week during a visit. Maybe know what to get him for next Xmas...lol.
Nice rods!
Sorry for the long pause inbetween postings. I had a forced upgrade in computers, if you know what I mean, and lost the address of this board.
Having fished with you, I have to say those Ti series rods you made are VERY nice. So nice that I almost felt uncomfortable using them!
One thing I notice is that you know how to use your rods for maximum casting distance with light lures. You really load the rod up well! It was a pleasure fishing with you, and I learned some things in even our short time together.
I plan to return to your area, probably with my boat. In the meantime, I hope to entice you to make a trip down. I will let you know when the fishing really heats up.
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