Basic Guide Wrapping

I get quite a few emails with folk that have questions or are having problems with wrapping their guides. Hopefully this will help. I will spread it out over several posts as there is a lot of photos.

OK let me start by saying before you even start worrying about wrapping with thread the most important thing to keep the job as easy as possible is to properly prep your guide feet. By tapering the foot and by making the "toe" very slim the thread will have little chance of slipping off once your thread starts "walking" up the guide foot.

GUIDE PREP


You can see in this photo that at the end of the foot (where it transitions on to the blank) has very little step in it. To do this take a file and gently remove material until you get it to look like this. As you file lay it on something flat to check how much "step" it has left. This photo should help for visual reference. The time spent here is well worth it as it makes wrapping so much easier. Take your time go slow and have a light touch. No need to dig the file in hard just a nice smooth forward stroke. No need to go back and forth as the file will only cut on the forward stroke.

HOLDING THE GUIDE




Use a thin piece of masking tape to hold your guide down on the blank prior to wrapping. If it wont sit nice and flat take it off and touch the bottom of the guide with a file. You want it to sit flat. Now there is no need to wrap the tape all the way around the blank. This only makes it more difficult to get off while wrapping. You will see what I mean later!!

MAKING A SHOULDER



Next take a full width of masking tape and wrap it around the blank twice where you want your wrap to start. The length of the wrap is up to you as it will be your rod. By doing this you will create a shoulder for the thread to sit against to get a nice square edge. It also makes a dam if you like so you can pack the thread against it. I find that this is the easiest for beginners.






THE WRAPPING



Now the meat of it. OK my for wrapping setup the thread comes from behind the blank so bring the thead over the blank against the shoulder then wrap it in open turns to your right hand side 3 or 4 times. If you want you can put a temporary peice of tape on this tag to keep it tight or hold it with your left hand putting mild pressure by pulling towards you at all times. Dont let it go.



While still pulling with your left hand use your right index finger to gently nudge the thread over creating an "X". As you make this "X" rotate your blank so it traps the thread underneath. This is why it is important to not let it go with your left hand which is holding the tag end. If you do the blank will tend to spin within the wrap.



Make a few wraps and use your thumnail or in this case a tool to gently push the thread against your shoulder made of tape.



Make 4-5 turns again using your right index finger to guide the thread over your tag end and so it lays against each other and does not criss cross. If you look at the photo there are 5 wraps all laying next to each other. You can release the pressure with your left hand and cut the tag. The thread is trapped now and wont fly off.