Hello, i've been building rods for a while now, but they are basic, no frills rods. mostly trout and bass rods. My friends and family love them. I build two or three a month and it's fun, but I wanna learn weaves and other fancy thread work. What is the best way or resource for me to learn this? Or are there any builders in the Katy, Sealy, rosenburg area that would mind me looking over their sholder? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
John, Weaving is not hard, it just requires patience and attention to detail. Cross wrapping does my head in! But I've never invested the time to fully understand it either.
Weaving is not hard to do, it just takes time like Owen says and I agree with him in that cross wrapping really bores me. That is not to mean that I don't like cross wraps; the process is what I don't like. For weaving you will need some loom or tape method to hold your threads. For most weaves the loom that Doc Ski sells will do the job. His CD will also help out a lot. I have it in video form and although Doc uses tape to hold his threads the process is the same. The video shows how you can do a one color weave and a multi-colored one also. Next you will have to either buy your patterns or make your own using some type of computer program like Owen developed. Let me try and post a picture of a bug pattern that I made today that will go on a fly rod. This will be my first time to post here so bear with me. The picture that I made looks very light. I am almost out of colored ink in my printer.
Wow, weaves are less nerve racking than cross wraps? I'm sure glad yall mentioned that, according to my wife I'm very impatient lol. I found a Doc Ski video at acid rod and an 80 thread decorative weaving jig. Ellisredfish, Is that what you mean by loom? If yall think thats all I'll need to get started than I'm gonna place the order. I really like this forum, it's the only one I know of that is totally geared toward rod building. I really appreciate everyone's advise and input. Thanks John
You will also need some double stick tape which you can buy at any home improvement store such as Ace, Home Depot, or Lowes. You can also use masking tape and double it back on itself but the double stick tape works much better. There is a carpet tape that looks like cellophane tape that is my favorite. When you get ready to do a weave, put down a layer of masking tape, a layer of double stick tape on top of that, then start laying out your threads. In other words, put a thread on the tape and then stick it on the loom in the numbered slot. And yes, that is what I meant as a loom. The 80 thread loom will allow you to do just about any pattern you want except one that goes completely around the blank.
I completely forgot to mention Jim Upton's book which I also recommend. Jim and Doc have been a great help to me in learning to weave. Before these two gentlemen I used to go to shows and see some fellows with weaves on their display rods but could not get help from them.
Start with a simple weave in one color and go from there. If you have any questions, I will do my best to help you. Something like this fish in black thread on a white background.
Thanks Ellisred, I ordered the stuff and picked up the other items you mentioned. I really like that fish so I think it will be my first. I appreciate the info and will let you know how it turns out. Thanks again John
I should have mentioned the book by Dale P. Clemens "Custom Rod Thread Art" It shows you guide wraps & inlays, crosswrapping, & weaving with both many crosswrapping and weaving patterns.
Supercaster Wecome to the rodrack. We are going to have a rodbuilding class on January 23rd at Fishing Tackle Unlimited on I-45 south at Fuqua. It is an all day class from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM. There will be several subjects from basic rodbuilding to weaves. I will be teaching the rodbuilding class. I have 2 different styles of looms that I will be demonstrating plus I will show you how to use just tape. Come join us Pat