I am new at this so bear with me this is only my 4th rod. I am building a rod for my granddaughter and I checked all the wraps good before applying the epoxy. After adding the epoxy I noticed the wraps seem to open up and not look tight. What am I doing wrong or not doing at all? Phil Ayers

Follow your winding thread with a packing tool. Then burnish the threads after wrapping. Shouldn't see gaps again.

Tight Lines!

Before you put finish on - did you try to move the guides If so and they moved Easily they are loose They should move with some force

Bill - willierods.com

I do follow with the packing tool and burnish the threads, the guides seem tight but I usually don't have to move them much. It seems like the epoxy shrinks the tread, that is just the way it looks. I don't see this when I am applying the epoxy it is after it is applied should I try to make the wrap tighter I am using A thread and I have had the tread fray so I am not making them as tight. I put the epoxy on and thirty min. later I see a cap. Its on a pink rod, its for my 2yr old grand daughter, and it seem to show between the treads.

I would think that you should get a piece of scrap blank and do some wraps with difference tightness Finish them and see what happens
If when you pack if the thread seems like it wants to Return after pushing it It is to loose
make sure your guide feet are tapered nicely I hit my guides with 220 dry sandpaper Thinking the feet are kind of ruff and the thread will move yet the roughness will hold them in place

Bill - willierods.com

Phil,

I have tried using some threads from the local yardage store and applied CP to the wraps before epoxying the wraps. As soon as the threads had the CP applied the became fuzzy. I too was building a rod for my grandchild. I removed the guides and rewarped them with a different thread and all was fine. Perhaps the thread type is causing your problem. I know you probably don't want to think about it but maybe a rewrap with a different thread would solve the problem Based on what you said above, threat tension doesn't appear to be causing the problem.

Don Campbell
don@sensorfishingrods.com

That is a good point about the guide feet, I use a file to get them down on the ends, I will sandpaper them good on the next build and see if that helps. Thanks to everyone. Phil Ayers

Are you using regular nylon and no CP If so the thread will become transparent ??

Bill - willierods.com

I am using Pro Wrap color fast A, and no CP. I put a second coat on last night and it looks a little better to day. It is finished now so I have to live with it. Its a cheap rod buillt for my grand daughter and for me to get experience building. Learning is not cheap but that is what it takes.

Using any light colored thread over a dark blank can result in the blank showing through tiny gaps. Using CP on a color fast or NCP thread will help. Tension, packing, burnishing (especially NCP because it tends to flatten out with burnishing) and CP can all help........or.........use darker colors.