Most of my rod building is with bass and crappie rods. Recently, I have been trying fly rods, but the upper sections, by the tip, is too flexible for the jig I am using. With my current setup, there is too much tension on the rod and it bends too much for my comfort. Are there any suggestions out there on how to wrap the upper section of a fly rod?

Don't know what your wrapping set up is, but if your uprights are movable,, get them as close together as possible and still have access to the wrap area. This will help reduce the area subject to bending.

And back off the thread tension a bit.

I agree with Phil, your supports are too far apart. If you can't move them, I would add an intermediate support of some kind to reduce the sag. I personally would not reduce thread tension unless there are no other options.

You could also try using a thread bobbin with some weight added if necessary.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

When building very light weight ice fishing rods, I use the blank support shown above to support the very flexible tip sections.

The base is a piece of plastic kitchen cutting board. It is cut to a size that works with the base of my wrapper. Holes are drilled into the base at intervals to support the blank supports that are made from solid fiberglass blank sections.

A dremel abrasive cut off wheel is used to cut a notch into the top of the fiberglass solid blank that is wide enough to support the blank being wrapped or dried. The fiberglass section is then cut to a length that will allow the blank to sit level when the rod being wrapped is in the wrapper. My wrapper uses a simple base with a 1/4 inch notch down the center of the base. The blank supports are bolted to the base with 1/4 inch carriage bolts that run from the underside of the wrapper base up through the blank supports.

When using these tip supports, I drop the thread so that it will pull from below the top of the fiberglass support section - compared to above the blank supports with the rest of my blank supports. The notches do not have a top on them, so if the thread comes from above the blank, the tension on the thread will tend to pull the blank up and out of the support notches.

Cost was 0 and it works very well. i.e. the supports were made from scrap materials from the shop.

I don't change the tension on the blank tip wraps because if I do- the wraps will be too loose.

Be safe

i agree with jim..i use a fly tyers bobbin holder...let it hang from rod over the bench edge and turn it with both hands...if rod angle is set right, the wraps will climb up the guide and lay right next to each other...it only takes seconds to wrap a guide and i never had to add weights to the bobbin..so far.

Roger,
It doesn’t really surprise me you fabricated such great, unobtrusive, simple and effective uprights. When wrapping an ultralight blank, I can move my supports very close together but then the wheels can possibly interfere. It is comforting knowing there just might be others guilty yet blessed with over-thing now and then. lol

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Thanks Roger. great idea and the pictures certainly help!