Thread Tension For Guide Wraps?

[papajoe222]

Just wondering how much tension to put on the spool when wrapping guides? Is it different for decorative wraps? I noticed when soing some practice wraps that if I put a lot of tension on the thread, I had difficulty with the finishing knot. I'm assuming quite a bit of tension is beneficial, but won't the epoxy saturate to the guide foot and rod blank to keep everything together?

BTW, I added a RodSkinz to one of my favorite rods to dress it up a little and finished it off with a couple of coats of PermaGloss. I think it came out fairly good. as soon as I can figure out how to add a pic here, I'll show it off

[Tony Monticelli]

for guides, i do just enough tension to take up the stretch in the tread.

for decorative i go by more feel.. i wrap them with slightly a little more tension than the guide wraps id say but not much more. metalic threads just enofe to take up the slack in the thread.

[Jigfishn10]

I think of guide wraps as accomplishing 2 things:

1. The thread provides color and decoration to the rod.

2. The thread provides reinforcement to the epoxy.

So in the case of providing reinforcement, I tie the guide just tight enough so that I can go back and make any minor tweeks to the guide should I find that it has become out of alignment...So pretty much what Tony M describes.

Decorative: I've only done 1 and found that I used pretty much the same tension.

Good Luck!

[cody161]

I don't crazy tight on them or anything. I make sure that it isn't too tight or as you stated it is hard to pull the line under itself. I also want to be able to push any imperfections around to hide the gaps that may have been there. The epoxy is going to do most of the holding.

[.RM.]

papajoe222

15 yrs custom builder.

When setting up the tension on my wrapper,

I use just enough tension to make the thread sing slightly when plucked with my burnisher.

Not sloppy lose, but not tight enough to strecth the threads fibers either, is good.

The thread does hold the guide in place, and the finish protects the thread.

It does take some practice getting the tension just right, to your way of wrapping.

Good Luck & Tight Wraps!

[fishking247]

never wrap tooo tight but never wrap loose. use just enough tension to take up the stretch in the thread. make sure you color preserve the wraps before you epoxy them. my reasoning for this is not to so much protect the color of the thread but to seal the thread to bond it to the guide and black.