Thread-Wrapped Footing

[Hashiba]

I was organizing my disaster closet full of my outdoor gear when I was stuck by a thought.  My fishing rods are all covered in epoxied thread wraps for the guides and ferrules.

Could a person not thread wrap and epoxy the front of his shafts to have the benefits of footing?  Just think of the neat patterns and colour options a guy could do!

Anyone done or seen anything like this?

[Grey Taylor]

I've done thread art on arrows and it can look pretty darn good. It's certainly a unique look that you won't see very often.
But I think the pressures on the tip of an arrow are such that the thread won't give a lot of strength. Think of thread on a rod guide: that guide isn't going to come off very easily, but it is still easy to break the rod under the thread.
Great out-of-the-box thinking! This is the kind of thing that really gets the mind going in new directions.

Guy

[Orion]

I asked that question a while back.  A number of folks said they do it and that it works quite well.  Might be able to find the thread.

[hvyhitter]

I did it in the 70s for the old fiberglass shafts so they woudnt split so easily on hard hits. Wraped the first inch to inch and a quarter and painted with epoxy. It made them tougher but not indestructable.

[Grey Taylor]

Splitting... absolutely, wrapping with thread will help a lot. I was thinking of a wood shaft where it snaps right behind the point.

Guy

[Hashiba]

Well there ya go.  Now I have another dang'd thing to try out.  The shafts I'm going to try it on are carbon, so splitting protection is exactly what I was thinking about.  Its good to hear some positive feedback on the idea.

[tecum-tha]

Have fun wrapping...

[Grey Taylor]

Ah, heck. It's not that hard. Get you a couple supports for the arrow shaft and be sure they're set up so you can work on the extreme end of the arrow without a support getting in the way. Also be sure the supports won't mar the shaft in any way.
Get a carriage of some kind to hold the thread and give it tension, reliable tension. Too much tension and you'll break the thread, too little and the thread gets all wonky.
Be sure to measure where you want the thread to start and stop. If you do different lengths on each arrow it won't look very good.
Learn how to start and end the thread wrap. When pulling the thread back under itself at the end use a strong enough pull material that it won't break in mid-pull, otherwise the dog will learn some new words. This also relates to not wrapping so tightly that you can't pull the thread under.
Learn about burnishing the thread, it'll make a world of difference in the final look. Burnishing can take it from "okay" to "holy crap, that's incredible!" Always be sure to lay the thread properly as you wrap. It's pretty difficult to go back and fix something you did an inch ago.
You may want to use color preserver, depending upon the thread you're using and the appearance you want. Oh, yeah... thread. Lots of different kinds and sizes out there, some easier to work with than others. Be sure to order enough, it's pretty frustrating to run out in the middle of the project.
Don't put the final finish on so thick that it drips, unless you have something to rotate the arrow like it's on a bbq spit as the finish dries.

Heck, you're gonna have lots of fun!

 

Guy

[Hashiba]

Very clean lines on those wraps Guy!  Thanks for the tips.  I did re-tie an old fly rod when I was 12 years old.  I hand turned the rod on cardboard supports.  The thread spool sat in a bowl and was run through a phone book for tension. I'll have to post some pics if I manage a half-way decent job.

[Cromm]

Nice looking work.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Grey Taylor:
Splitting... absolutely, wrapping with thread will help a lot. I was thinking of a wood shaft where it snaps right behind the point.

Guy

that's where internally footing a woodie works best, imo.

[Shakes.602]

I would Vote for some Wider than Thread Sinew, Artyfishul of course. The Ingenuity just tumbles out of this site like.......like......... As My  Beloved, God Rest Her Saintly Soul, Great Granny  Used to say "Goose Poop At Grass Time!!"  :eek:    

[Grey Taylor]

I've been thinking about that internal footing jig.
Does anyone besides 3Rivers carry it?

Guy

[frank bullitt]

Fast Flight serving is my choice for this! Tough as a bull, coat with super glue, and your good!
 
I don't shoot carbons, but have used the wrap on river cane and splinters on bamboo backed osage, and selfbow cracks.

Copper or brass wire, wrapped should work also, and add a little extra point weight, too.

[Jim now in Kentucky]

For wood, I don' think you can beat Reparrows. If I did, I'd quit making them.

Jim