I have done diamond wraps on rods, but do not recommend them. They are purely decorative and serve no purpose, except perhaps to make the rod builder feel good. It's a bit like adding "Go Faster" checkered tape on a sports car. On the other hand, as Bob Haering pointed out, a diamond wrap will stiffen the rod where it is applied, especially after it has been coated with whatever the rod builder is using. Now, people are referring to the finish as epoxy. I'm not a chemist, but I believe most two part finishes are resin polymers. They are not glues. I can personally recommend FlexCoat Lite and U40 Dura Gloss LS Supreme. IMPORTANT try to avoid getting any of the polymer on your fingers or hands as continued use can produce adverse skin reactions. Mix very carefully. I warm the separate bottles of resin/polymer by running under the hot tap first. This thins the polymers a bit and makes it easier to mix and apply. Mix thoroughly but don't stir too fast, as this will produce more bubbles than you want. Be careful with what you use to stir it with and what you mix it in. I use a metal spatula for mixing and a clear plastic disposable cup supplied by the maker of the rod wrap finish.
With all due respect to Bob Haering, it is the thread wrap that attaches the guide to the rod. Wrapped correctly, this has a great deal of strength. The wrap is then protected by the wrap finish or two part polymer. If, as Bob says "It is actually the epoxy that fixes the guide to the rod", there would be no need to wrap the guides in place. Keep the wraps short, i.e. don't extend them unnecessarily beyond the end of the guide's foot. Remember that two thin coats of polymer are often better than one thick coat. Spend your time carefully choosing the guides and placement of the same. I use 1/8 inch wide masking tape to tape my guides in place. This was made especially for rod building I believe. Neville Gosling Greater Vancouver, B.C. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Eric the Flytyer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, October 26, 2002 11:25 AM Subject: Re: [VFB] Rod wrapping-thread colors? > Looking for some opinions/advice/resources. > > Building a 3 wt with a brown gloss finish. Will be > doing a diamond wrap on the butt. Is there a good > guide as to complimentery colors for wrapping? > Thinking about a garnet/candy apple red/red metallic > combination. > > Any other ideas? > > __________________________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Y! Web Hosting - Let the expert host your web site > http://webhosting.yahoo.com/
