Hello Chaps

Please could you give advice on how to do transparent rod wraps that will show the guide foot underneath.
I think it is all to do with the type of thread used and the varnish and thinners but the benefit of your experience would be much appreciated.
Please could you bare in mind I am in the UK so may not have easy access to the materials you do in the USA although that said the web is a wonderful thing.

Thanks and regards
Jeremy

If your looking for the thread to "disappear", Silk thread is the answer, in my experience the shade of Silk used depends on the base color of the blank.

Some examples:

Clear or off White Fiberglass (translucent blank), I have used White Silk, you could not see the thread at all, I did do some test samples with other light shades of silk, 10 total, like Natural Silk or Off White, Light Tan, all of them, you could see the thread, slight retention of the color against the clear blank, something I expected, but wanted to see for myself.

On blanks that are semi translucent, either carbon or glass, Natural Silk worked the best, where White Silk looked like crap on the test samples.

I've never done a test sample on an Opaque Blank (solid color).

Now, if your just looking to get your wraps so you can see the guide foot, but still want a slight color contrast, use a shade of thread that is lighter than the blank, regular nylon will still work fine.

Your best bet is to do some sample test wraps, if you don't have scrap pieces of blank in the same color as your build, just do them where the grip is going and remove before installing grip.

I use Thread Master Lite for all of my builds, never thinned it, no need to. I doubt the brand of two part thread finish matters, I have only ever used two, in the end they all do the same thing, look great if you learn the curve with each brand, and the curve is not all that big.

I have no experience with using Spar Varnish, although I know several builders that do, that stuff since it will have an Amber hue to it, depends on what color the blank is. I've seen it on several builds, and in my opinion, on the light colored blanks, like clear glass, it really does not look all that great. If it is put on a dark translucent blank, it looks great. Also the Bamboo builders have used it for years, it really looks great on bamboo.

Another way to test is the old trick of just dabbing some alcohol on the wrap.
It will mimic the color the thread will be with finish on it.
Then just remove and wipe clean.
Hope this helps,

Best wishes,
Ron Schneider
Schneider's Rod Shop
Mountain Home, Arkansas
[www.schneidersrods.com]
mtnron40@yahoo.com
870-424-3381

Hey guys
I have had great success using a size D transparent thread I purchased from my local sewing shop.It looks and feels like fishing line only with slightly more stretch. It disappears completely on finish application. The only problem I have had is a slight yellowing after 2 years of customer use. Hope this helps
Rob

If you're going for truly transparent wraps, where the wraps are clear to nearly invisible, on other than a white blank then natural silk is the way to go. I've not tried white silk on a white blank as Bill H advises. You need the lowest viscosity finish you can manage whether epoxy or spar. The low viscosity helps the finish penetrate the thread and avoid the tiny, tiny air bubbles sometimes called shimmers. If you use spar varnish, try a 50 - 50 mix of varnish and mineral spirits and then adjust the mix as needed.

If what you want are translucent wraps, where the guide feet are still visible but the wraps are a desired color, then silk or nylon (NOT NCP nylon) are options.

It's really important to make test wraps to practice your technique and verify the end result, transparent or translucent, are what you desire. When going for translucent wraps it is very difficult to predict the color resulting from a specific thread color, blank color, and finish combination unless you have experience with that exact combination. Frankly, I find making the test wraps fun and frequently surprising as the thread color I think least probable to work well is sometimes best. Go figure.

If you wish to have a truly transparent wrap, that is one that appears to have no thread, use Gossamer silk thread, then apply a thinned coat of epoxy to saturate the thread, followed by regular epoxy coat. I have done a number of these on different blanks and have had people swear there is no thread on the guides.