I got lazy this week building a fly rod for my own use, so I reamed out an egg sinker for tension, dropped it over the neck of a fly-tying bobbin, popped a small spool of "D" thread in the bobbin, took three turns of thread around one of the bobbin's legs to maintain tension, threaded the bobbin, and started winding. The bobbin just hung beneath the blank while I rotated it. I found it less tiring, more comfortable, just as neat, and faster than using my rod wrapping jig. Trim wraps, packing and burnishing were done as usual, and when I wanted to inspect wraps I simply moved the blank up to my eyes instead of crouching over a wrapping jig. This maneuver is handy for those who wear glasses, especially bi- or tri- focals.

what weight egg sinker?

Mike: I used a bored-out one half ounce sinker. Depending on the weight of the bobbin/thread spool additional weight may not be necessary. You can judge the weight needed by just suspending the bobbin + thread spool + weight[?] and feeling the tension, just like you would using a thread tensioner.

Hi Phil,

Are you able to post a picture? I find my back gets very tired when I am wrapping with my wrapper.

Thank You,

Chris Tulk

Chris: All the picture would show is a fly-tying bobbin hanging by its thread?

Chris
maybe you should check the height of the wrapper Make it higher so you are not bending over to much
There was some posts on here not to long ago about bensh height if you can find them they may help
try here
[rodbuilding.org]

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/2014 10:14AM by bill boettcher.

Just a thought;
Is the bobbin trying to spin while hanging there as they try to do when fly tying.I would try to steady it from doing so or is it going to make that much of a diffrence if the thread unravels some.
It just seems it would be a better wrap if it did not.Or is that over thinking.
Great idea! Thanks!

Jim: When you tie flies you rotate the bobbin around the axis of the hook causing twists in the thread which will make the bobbin rotate when you suspend it from the thread. When I wrap a guide using a bobbin I rotate the blank, which puts no twist in the thread so the bobbin does not spin. I have only used the bobbin method to wrap guides on the sections of a 9' 4-piece fly rod blank. I don't think it would work for blank sections much more than five feet long.

Jim: When you tie flies you rotate the bobbin around the axis of the hook causing twists in the thread which will make the bobbin rotate when you suspend it from the thread. When I wrap a guide using a bobbin I rotate the blank, which puts no twist in the thread so the bobbin does not spin. I have only used the bobbin method to wrap guides on the sections of a 9' 4-piece fly rod blank. I don't think it would work for blank sections much more than five feet long.

Phil

If you have a wrapper Why bother with that set up
Is it easyer to do ?? Maybe do the old thread spool in the cop and thread thought a book ??

Bill - willierods.com

Bill: Yeah, it's a lot easier on my back than long periods of bending over from the waist over my wrapper or bending down so I can get a close look at the thread wraps to see if they need more packing or burnishing.

I hope you checked the posts on bench height Lots of good info
My bench and chare are fixed the only way to help my back is a pillo and pulling the chair in close
Even then when I get up I am a question mark LOL

Bill - willierods.com

I use a bobbin often. For me it really pays off on butt wraps.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.