most light weight snake guides arent underbound to keep weight and action as light as possible common practice Im sure.
this then raises the question of how do you minimise the risk of blank scoring when the foot is directly in contact with the blank. Now I know a properly epoxied foot isnt supposed to move but the travel of time and use tends to loosen them all eventually. So im wondering what neat methods some of you people employ to reduce the risk of damaging blanks.

Allen

If your guide feet have been properly prepared (see volume 4 issue #3 RodMaker) they will not harm the blank in any way. Obviously you need to grind/file/shape a taper onto the top leading edge to facilitate thread wrapping, but the undersides should be contoured to the blank and should be free from burrs or sharp edges. It is also imperitive that they sit flat along their entire length in order to maximize surface contact with the blank. If these things are done, the guide will not harm the blank.

One quick tip you can try yourself - before you wrap or fasten the guide to the blank, place it on the blank and lightly slide it back and forth a tad. It is leaves a scratch or mark, you need to go back to square one and do a better job of prepping it.

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Better idea test the guide foot for marking on a scrap piece of blank

Allen,

run the underside of the guide lengthwise along a round file of a similar diameter to match the guide to the blank, finsh off with wet and dry.

Good to see your getting into fly rods, e-mail me if you are in need of good cheap saltwater blanks.

Cheers,
Kev

Carefully prepare the guide feet and then underwrap. I know many of you do not like to underwrap but it is an effective way to protect the blank as te guide feet never touch the blank. I use it on all my rods.