February 14, 2017
By Mud Hole Staff
General Advice For Guide Wraps Since manufacturers usually supply guide placement information according to specific blank sizes, use these guidelines to accurately space out each guide along the rod blank.
Remember spinning rods have the guides mounted on the opposite side of the spine while casting rods have guides lined up along the blank's spine.
If wrapping a double-footed guide to start, tape the forward foot in place first and then start wrapping. On the other hand, a single foot guide can be secured by wrapping a small piece of tape around the center of the guide foot. Then as you wrap up the foot of the guide, you can remove the tape without harming the guide wrap.
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8 Simple Steps For Guide Wrapping Follow along with these 8 simple steps to successfully wrap on your guides:
Step 1: Start the Wrap Although this distance is personal preference, we suggest starting ¼ of an inch away from the guide to begin the wrap.
Wrapping from left to right, start with one wrap around the rod blank. Then, place your finger where the two threads meet up again and slowly rotate the blank while also crossing the running thread over the tag end.
This forms a cross-stitched-like X pattern that locks the thread in place.
Step 2: Trim Off the Tag End Execute roughly 8 wraps before stopping to trim off the remaining length of the thread's tag end. Trim the tag end as close to flush with the wrap as possible.
Next, continue wrapping so that each thread is tightly placed next to the previous wrap.
Step 3: Use Caution in Transition from Blank to Foot As you approach the transition from the rod blank up onto the guide foot, wrap more cautiously to avoid any careless mistakes that could cost you the entire wrap.
Never let the threads sit on top of each other, each thread wrap should sit tightly next to the previous one.
Step 4: Make Thread Loop and Wrap Over It Once your wrap is about 1/8 of an inch from the end, use a small piece of thread folded over into a loop and slide it under the running thread. The loop goes in the same direction as your wrap.
Continue wrapping over the loop roughly 8-10 more times. Make sure these wraps are tight over the looped thread.
Step 5: Cut the Running Thread Using one finger to hold the wrap in place, take your off hand and cut the running thread from the spool. Next, with the tag end you just created, slip it up through the loop.
Step 6: Secure the Guide Wrap Pull the loop back through the wrap gently so that both the loop and the tag end emerge from the wrap.
Step 7: Remove Thread's Tag End Then, use a razor blade and lay it flat against your guide wrap with the blade facing the thread's tag end. Now pull the tag end over the blade to cut it flush with the rest of the thread wrap.
Never use a sawing motion to cut the tag end because it will fray the thread, which could end in failure for that wrap.
With the guides aligned and spaced correctly, repeat this process to wrap each guide along the blank.
Step 8: Double Check Guide Alignment Double check to make sure your guides are aligned with the spine mark we made originally.
The easiest way to do this is an eye check. Simply hold your rod at eye level to make sure the center of each guide lines up correctly.
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