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IMPORTANT
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Visit the relaunched
Fish & Fly at fishandfly.com
Building
your own fly rod - part 3
Our March 2002 contribution from Terry Lawton
< continued from previous page
Some people use the same loop method but pull the end of thread out through the whipping, approximately half way along. The thread is then cut close to the whipping and can be trimmed right off after the application of the first, thin coat of epoxy sealer.
To add a contrasting trim of two or three turns of metallic thread, cut a short length of the appropriate thread. Start the whipping with the main thread in exactly the same way except that you will also wrap in the end of the trim thread. After the chosen number of turns, start the trim over the main thread. Make the required number of turns of the trim thread but pass this thread under the main thread ie between the main thread and the rod. Make sure that this happens where - or just past - you started the turn or turns of trim thread to ensure that you have a full turn of thread. Now carry on with the main thread, this time over the trim thread which you hold tight with your thumb. When the end of the trim thread is secured, you can cut it off. You can now complete the whipping as already described. The tag end of the trim thread at the start of the whipping can now be cut off carefully, up against the first turn of the main whipping, with a sharp blade.
If you find that there are big gaps between the turns of thread which
cannot be pushed up against their neighbours because the tension is too
tight, or a ring is seriously out of alignment, then you will have to
remove the whipping and start again. Small gaps can usually be removed
by gently pushing the turns against each other with your thumb nail or
the handle of a scalpel or something similar.
Do not wrap the rings too tightly. It is unnecessary and may damage a
blank with a very thin wall. You should be able to move a wrapped ring
with firm finger pressure, so that you can make sure that all the rings
are aligned perfectly. As long as you can do that, the tension of the
wrapping is about right.
The tip ring is fixed with epoxy adhesive. (This ring can be removed should it become grooved or damaged, by gently heating the adhesive and twisting it off with a pair of pliers once the glue starts to soften.) All that is required to finish this ring is a very narrow whipping - with or without the contrasting trim - snug up against the end of the tube of the ring.
Salmon rods often have an under-wrapping on which the rings are seated. This is for extra security and to lessen the chances of a ring moving as it will bed-in to the under-wrapping. The underwrap can be the same colour as the bank or a colour that will complement it and the wrapping used for the rings. Mark the extent of the underwrap, making an allowance for the extra length required over and above the length of the ring foot, and simply whip as described. This time I would suggest that you add the nylon pull-through loop towards the end of the whipping as the end of the thread will be covered by the whipping holding the actual ring. The rings can be held in place with elastic bands, rather than tape.
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Coating the wraps with epoxy
I have used Seymo Quickpro epoxy finish but it yellowed and it was not
flexible enough. I now use Flex Coat Lite Formula rod wrapping finish
and have had no problems so far. You can make a rest for the rod sections
when you have coated the wraps by cutting a v-notch in the opposite sides
of a cardboard box or box lid.
If you use Flex Coat you must follow the instructions to the letter. When
applying the coating, use two thin coats rather than trying to get away
with just one thick coat. Do check the alignment of the rings or guides
before applying the first coat. The Flex Coat locks the ring in place
and will stop you moving it if it is is-aligned.
If you have any odd ends of thread that you cannot trim-off closely enough, do not worry. All you do is apply a very thin coat of Flex Coat, allow it to cure - rotating the rod all the time - and then trim away any imperfections with a sharp scalpel. You can also remove dust particles or air bubbles. All the cut-marks will vanish when you apply the second coat.
Coating the wraps should be done it a warm room. Do heat the two components before mixing and do not mix too much. Half a cc of each component will make enough for a thin coating for all the rings on one section of a nine foot rod, as well as being the smallest practical quantity to mix successfully. Use a good quality paint brush to apply the coating as you do not want the odd bristle falling out and getting stuck in the epoxy.
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The longer you leave the coating before applying it (this helps air bubbles caused by mixing to disperse), the less time you will have to spend turning the section as it cures. It can take up to two hours before the coating has cured enough to be able to stop turning a rod section. If you do stop too soon and the finish "droops", you can remove it with a scalpel and re-cover with a second or even third coat.
Wrap tape round rod to mark limits of the coating which must flow from the wrapping on to the rod blank by about two or three millimetres. Do this for first coat only and by keeping second coat just short of the first one, there will not be a hard edge to the coating. Alternatively, mask one end for the first coat and the other end of the second coat.
Once again, do follow the instructions precisely and give yourself at least two uninterrupted hours to sit revolving the rod section slowly as the coating cures
< Read Terry's introduction to rod design and construction
COMING SOON... Handles
Terry Lawton is a passionate nymph fisherman who caught his biggest wild brown trout (in the UK) - 4lb 2oz - on a home-tied variant of a goldhead, Sawyer-style pheasant tail nymph.