Tiny guides for a spinning rod

[oldmanjoe]

Every Fuji guide I have ever purchased has had their stamp on it. If your eyes are like mine you'll need a jeweler's loop to see it, especially on the smaller examples. It almost seems like they made it even smaller over the last few years.  Or maybe then, again, it's just me. 

I think they are also making them more blurry and fuzzy looking than they used to.   

Thank you , I though i was the only one that though they were fuzzy looking !!!   

[philaroman]

hey, I thought my really old (2nd gen.?) 5's & 6's had a defect, but under a loupe the smudge becomes "FUJI"
they're tall Match Guides, though, w/ plenty leg-room for branding

[JasonGotaProblem]

They really weren't as much trouble as I thought they would be. I guess over thinking can have that effect. In a way the bigger ones were almost more difficult, because it was a much longer period of time you need to stay focused on even tension.

10 guides, only 15 restarts. I really expected worse. Finished wrapping in about 2.5 hours.

I think it's quite visually clear this is my first build. But i really expected worse. But is there a way to deal with those tag ends that I should have cut closer?

The last  pic was both the first and worst wrap job. I may redo that one.

Gonna epoxy tonight after I get one of my coworkers to lend a set of eyes to verify I have them all lined up. I wanna try this thing this weekend.

[Swami805]

For the tag ends put the first coat of finish on then when dry shave them off with a razor blade. To check the guides look down the rod with the guides on the bottom, you should have equal amount of guide sticking out from each side. 

[oldmanjoe]

      What did you use to cut the thread  with , a hacksaw blade or scissors   ?
  Don`t get to impatient , you can do better ...         We all have redone a few guides wraps .   Use a sharp razor blade to cut tags off .    Fix the last turn on the stripper guide "cross over "  the rest looked good that i can see .

  Yes you could put finish on and fix / cut the tags , but this is not a 10 dollar stick your playing with...........

[thrasher]

Like others have said you can knock the thread off with a razor blade between coats. I've dug my thumbnail in and then trimmed the tag end with a new razor blade pushing against the nail, very lightly. Do you have a motor to spin the rod or are you gonna spin by hand?

[JasonGotaProblem]

For the tag ends put the first coat of finish on then when dry shave them off with a razor blade. To check the guides look down the rod with the guides on the bottom, you should have equal amount of guide sticking out from each side. 

I've been doing roughly that approach for aligning, I just want a 2nd opinion. I think its my eyes that are crooked   
And the plan is to only do one coat of epoxy. I got the flex coat 'light' version, and the goal is to not add any more weight than the absolute bare minimum needed for adhesion. In general I've never been a fan of the "high build" style. To each their own but that ain't me.

     What did you use to cut the thread  with , a hacksaw blade or scissors   ?
   Don`t get to impatient , you can do better ...         We all have redone a few guides wraps .   Use a sharp razor blade to cut tags off .    Fix the last turn on the stripper guide "cross over "  the rest looked good that i can see .

   Yes you could put finish on and fix / cut the tags , but this is not a 10 dollar stick your playing with...........

Nah, I used a rusty butter knife.
But really I was using a brand new exacto knife. I was just scared to bring the blade too close to the wraps. Apparently too scared.

You're right, though, its a $30 rod.
But it's not a lamiglas or something.

I'll likely redo that first one, and ill try to straighten out the wrap on the stripper guide. But in general I'm looking at this as a functional rod not a wall hanger. So I'm probably just gonna roll with the rest of it as is. If it starts to really bug me I'll use it as motivation to do better on my next build. Or just cut em off and redo it a few months from now.

Like others have said you can knock the thread off with a razor blade between coats. I've dug my thumbnail in and then trimmed the tag end with a new razor blade pushing against the nail, very lightly. Do you have a motor to spin the rod or are you gonna spin by hand?

A certain forum member who will remain unnamed was generous enough to give me a rod dryer they had built. Otherwise I would have built my own.

I found the easiest way to start the wrap on the micro guides was to use a super thin piece of masking tape as several of you wonderful folks had suggested, and to get the first wraps to lock down I started it with a few inches of the tag end through the ring of the guide. Frequently the first few wraps started like a quarter inch lower than i wanted, so i just scooted them up. And each micro guide has 2 loops of the nylon thread around the base of the head. That should discourage it from pulling out. I had to pull really hard to get it to come out when i tested it. Likely far harder than it would take to snap the braid first. I think they'll be secure.

[steelfish]

They really weren't as much trouble as I thought they would be. I guess over thinking can have that effect. In a way the bigger ones were almost more difficult, because it was a much longer period of time you need to stay focused on even tension.
10 guides, only 15 restarts. I really expected worse. Finished wrapping in about 2.5 hours.
I think it's quite visually clear this is my first build. But i really expected worse. But is there a way to deal with those tag ends that I should have cut closer?
The last  pic was both the first and worst wrap job. I may redo that one.
Gonna epoxy tonight after I get one of my coworkers to lend a set of eyes to verify I have them all lined up. I wanna try this thing this weekend.

what were you using to keep tension on the thread? a book?  a DIY thread tension?
the wrap job on the last pic seems more problem on the tension of the thread, telling this because you said "in a way, the bigger ones were almost more difficul because it was a much longer period of time you need to stay focused on even tension"
if you had any thread tension you wouldnt have to "focus" on it, the thread stays tensioned as even and for the time you need it, 2 seconds, 45 secods or 2.5 hrs.

I dont know what you are using to wrap the thread but you seems to be on a hurry to "use" your new custom rod, get one of this basic wrapping stations from CRB and it will help you to control the thread tension a lot or check some of the hundres of DIY wrapping jigs on the web

https://www.amazon.com/CRB-Advanced-Hand-Wrapper-System/dp/B08NTXN8F5


by the way, IMHO normally you had to wait at least 4 days or 5 to let the epoxy to completely cure and be able to use the rod on a normal fishing day (rest the rod on the car, drop it on the soil or branches, etc, ), that its what I say to my friends, actually depends on the weather, epoxy brand, amount of epoxy used, that amount of time can vary from 2 days up to 5 or even more, Im considering the rod is ready to use when you try to clip the epoxy with your nail and its really hard but you are only use the rod to test it and make some casts you are good to go

[thrasher]

A certain forum member who will remain unnamed was generous enough to give me a rod dryer they had built. Otherwise I would have built my own.

Very cool of that unnamed person, always amazed of the generosity of this forum!! My first dryer was a rotisserie motor that went out on me just after I finished applying resin and had to turn by hand, not fun 

[oldmanjoe]

       If you are question your shooting eye , put the reel on ,thread the guides and use your spit shot for the load .
      Prop the stick and look at each guide .....

[JasonGotaProblem]

      If you are question your shooting eye , put the reel on ,thread the guides and use your spit shot for the load .
      Prop the stick and look at each guide .....

Man It's crazy, I've got great vision but I legit think my eyes are crooked. I can put em in the same hole at 20 yds with my old S&W 65-2 that I hot rodded, or at least I could 5 years ago. but if you put a few frames on the wall at slightly different angles and ask me which one is level I'll give the wrong answer 10 times outta 10.

That is a good way to test. My coworkers agree I have them dead straight as they are but i know once the epoxy is on, its a done deal. So I'm double checking as much as i can.

[Midway Tommy]

Fix your tag ends before you epoxy or you'll regret it later. You can get rid of a little of the end carefully searing them with a lighter. It will be interesting to see how you like one coat of Flex Coat light. One coat of that stuff won't give enough thread protection for me.

[steelfish]

... One coat of that stuff won't give enough thread protection for me.

I was about to post something related to that but Jason also posted

In general I've never been a fan of the "high build" style. To each their own but that ain't me.

so, I didnt posted anything,  I better wait to see what the result of the Flexcoat light version with just one coat on Jason's rod, well, depends on how generous is Jason on one coat, one coat could be as thin as water specially if you apply any heat to the epoxy by alcohol torch, heatgun, etc or one coat could be thick if you apply too much.

I dont like to feel the threads after epoxy them, if I can still feel any at any place, I apply another light coat.

[JasonGotaProblem]

I have nothing to compare it to, not having built a rod before. But if I feel it's insufficient I can always add more. If its not ready for Sunday bummer but not the end of the world.

My understanding is that the intent with this stuff is to glob it on and wait a few moments to start spinning, so the excess will run down and you remove with a dry brush. I want it to soak in fully but I don't want any more weight than I need.

This thing is crazy light as it sits now. If i can maintain that I'm a happy camper.

[oldmanjoe]

   Just put one coat on for Sunday , after that then deal with it ..
   By now a lot of us are remembering  that time that we know we doing something not quite right ,but we are going to do anyway.....