So, I am about to start on a 3wt glass fly rod. I started looking up some pictures of some other builds for some inspiration on thread color and what not. I have never built a glass rod before, and only actually built one other rod. The bright color blanks (usually) make for some pretty and colorful designs with thread wraps. But what I started to notice was a trend of people doing some interesting wraps. What it looks like to me is that they wrap without the guide on the rod. Then seem to place the guide over the wraps, and just epoxy them on. Are they doing wraps with like clear monofiliment thread to keep the guides in place before epoxying? Or are they just epoxying them on, without actually wrapping? What is the reason for this? Just a cool effect?
Glass rods with clear wraps
- Thread starter mcflylures
- Start date
Nice effect, but it's an illusion.
If you wrap the guides with, for instance, silk thread, but don't put any color preserver on the wraps, they'll disappear when you apply the epoxy.
Nylon thread will do the same thing but might not give that 'clear as glass' look.
This method is not just for glass rods. It works equally well on graphite.
If you wrap the guides with, for instance, silk thread, but don't put any color preserver on the wraps, they'll disappear when you apply the epoxy.
Nylon thread will do the same thing but might not give that 'clear as glass' look.
This method is not just for glass rods. It works equally well on graphite.
sdtrout
Well-known member
We have a group of veterans in our Project Healing Waters group building rods right now. One of them chose to build a rod on a sweet looking ORANGE fiberglass blank. If I were doing that build I would have went with the silk wraps/no color preserver route to make the transparent look described above. I think it's a really cool effect, especially on more vibrant colored blanks.
This particular vet chose to go with green wraps on his orange blank. This is also going to make for a pretty rod.
Royce
This particular vet chose to go with green wraps on his orange blank. This is also going to make for a pretty rod.
Royce
I'll give my 2 cents until an expert weighs in 
I've played around with transparent wraps but haven't been able to get them to my satisfaction, they can be tricky.
Wrapping silks or nylon thread without using color preserver will either darken the thread or make it translucent like this:
However to get transparent wraps, where the guide appears to be sitting on the blank with only epoxy over it is harder. It calls for white silk, or a natural silk thread. You wrap with lighter tension and keep the tension consistent throughout the wrap. Some use Spar varnish thinned while others use thinned epoxy finish for the first coat to really, really get all the little air bubbles out of the wrap. The micro bubbles cause a shimmer effect in the wrap. I found it easy enough to get close but very tough to really get it right. I wasn't motivated enough to wrap a rod with transparent wraps, but lose the translucent look.
Perhaps someone with more experience will weigh in.
I've played around with transparent wraps but haven't been able to get them to my satisfaction, they can be tricky. Wrapping silks or nylon thread without using color preserver will either darken the thread or make it translucent like this:
However to get transparent wraps, where the guide appears to be sitting on the blank with only epoxy over it is harder. It calls for white silk, or a natural silk thread. You wrap with lighter tension and keep the tension consistent throughout the wrap. Some use Spar varnish thinned while others use thinned epoxy finish for the first coat to really, really get all the little air bubbles out of the wrap. The micro bubbles cause a shimmer effect in the wrap. I found it easy enough to get close but very tough to really get it right. I wasn't motivated enough to wrap a rod with transparent wraps, but lose the translucent look.
Perhaps someone with more experience will weigh in.
ravenbc
Well-known member
- Messages
- 135
- Reaction score
- 47
Here are some wraps I just finished on a ARE glass blank. The wraps are red silk with dark blue trim, most wraps will go a little bit translucent if not treated with CP even if you use nylon or silk. The trick to get them to go clear is to use YLI 212 silk thread, which is a natural color of silk, and also it helps if you thin your first coat of finish with acetone etc, by .25 to .5 of volume. I used flex coat lite and thinned the first coat with about 1/3 acetone, and second coat was straight flex coat lite.
Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
Last edited:
el jefe
Well-known member
I am working on a rod right now with transparent (not merely translucent) wraps. There was some discussion about it a couple of weeks ago in another thread (pun intended) http://www.theflyfishingforum.com/forums/fly-rod-building/368976-direction-wrap-thread-guide.html in the rod building section here. Between my previous research and the help I received in that thread (by the way, the guys that responded are awesome, and you should check out their comments and photos), it came down to this, some of which has already been said in this thread.
First, use YLI 212 or YLI 239 silk thread. Second, use light tension. Third, mix the two parts of Flex Coat Lite with denatured alcohol 1:1:1 for the first coating, and make sure you really soak the threads all the way through. One helpful tip I got on that was to use a stiff-bristled brush to really push the finish into the wrappings. Wipe off the excess finish with your finger or some tool. And make sure you eliminate the bubbles. There are various techniques to do that. I've heard of lightly flaming with an alcohol burner, and sucking the bubbles out with a cocktail straw. I haven't gotten to that point yet, so I have no idea what works best.
Good luck, and post pics when you're done. If I ever get back to mine, I am going to do the same.
First, use YLI 212 or YLI 239 silk thread. Second, use light tension. Third, mix the two parts of Flex Coat Lite with denatured alcohol 1:1:1 for the first coating, and make sure you really soak the threads all the way through. One helpful tip I got on that was to use a stiff-bristled brush to really push the finish into the wrappings. Wipe off the excess finish with your finger or some tool. And make sure you eliminate the bubbles. There are various techniques to do that. I've heard of lightly flaming with an alcohol burner, and sucking the bubbles out with a cocktail straw. I haven't gotten to that point yet, so I have no idea what works best.
Good luck, and post pics when you're done. If I ever get back to mine, I am going to do the same.
bear 007
Well-known member
Here's another one accented in red Shane built for me.
