Glue Sticks for rod building

[pureinsanity]

The other day I was using some hot glue to place my eyes on my rod blank before wrapping them. After the heating up the guide foot scraping it along the glue stick, reheating the foot again, pushing it onto the rod blank and feeling the burn on my finger I got to thinking.

I have candle warmers to warm up my epoxy before mixing my finish. Now the room I do my building in is the same consistent temp year round so I no longer have a use for them.

I cut up some chunks of hot glue for placing my guides on my blank, as well as the higher temp hot glue chunks for the tips. I place the guide that I am going to be working with next on the warmer, all my glue is in a puddle. When it comes time to fix the guide to the rod blank I can pick up the guide, touch it to the hot glue on the warmer and go right to the blank with it with out burning my finger, or having to use a lighter again!

Worked pretty slick for me and I will probably do this from now on. seems to produce less mess as well! If you want to replace the glue, let everything cool and peel it off the warmer!

[c0untryf1sh3r]

Pretty slick idea there pure. Thanks

[Carpenter]

Maybe a stupid question, but don't we want the epoxy to get between the guide foot and the blank? I'd think that glue would hinder that. Thoughts?

[CAMAN]

Maybe a stupid question, but don't we want the epoxy to get between the guide foot and the blank? I'd think that glue would hinder that. Thoughts?

Actually the epoxy doesn't really even stick to the blank, if you've ever disassembled a rod, once you break the grip of the thread and epoxy around the blank, everything just peels right off. So getting under the guides really wouldn't do much good anyways. Really the only place you should worry about getting epoxy is under the thread nearest the eye. There is usually a big gap there that water can get into if not sealed, but that isn't really holding anything in place.

A lot of builders use hot-melt glue to hold the guides on before wrapping and I've never heard of a problem doing so. I would, and have tried it, but I'm not really fast enough to put the glue on the foot then place it on the blank before the glue cools. Then if I'm lucky to get it to stick, I'm too picky and want to adjust it after it cools and it breaks off and I have to start all over. Tape has worked for me, so I will stick with it.

[Carpenter]

I'll stick w take too, and for the same reason. I heard glue is about the only way when it comes to the micro guides tho

[CAMAN]

I'll stick w take too, and for the same reason. I heard glue is about the only way when it comes to the micro guides tho

I tape micro-guides also.

Press a piece of tape against your clothing to reduce the tackiness. Then slice the tape lengthwise into 1/32" wide pieces that are about 2" long, wrap the tape once around the foot as close as you can get to the guide, then loosely trail the tag end of the tape off away from the foot to keep it out of the way. Wrap the thread as far as you can before you hit the tape, then just pull the tape off carefully and finish your wrap.

[Hardyboy]

+1 on using the tape! allows me to easily adjust the guide while still holding it on.

[pureinsanity]

The gluing of the guides was shown to me by A.W. It is a sweet trick. Once you have them glued and close to the right placement you simply wrap your guides. Once wrapped you can break the glue loose and adjust your guide.

I will continue to do it this way as I have gotten pretty good at gluing the guides with minimal adjustments to them.

[upnorth]

That is something I have not tried. I use thin sections of surgical tubing myself.

[pureinsanity]

That is something I have not tried. I use thin sections of surgical tubing myself.

I use to use twist ties for loafs of bread, then switched to the small rubber bands for braces, and then now I just use the glue! By the time I mess around with rubber bands I can have almost all my eyes glued on.

so thanks for that trick Andy!