I've been augmenting my rod building 'tutoring' from Smitty with L.A. Garcia's book "Handcrafting a Graphite Fly Rod" ($14 at the Marlboro Show from Angler's Art!). Found a tip in Garcia's book to be particularly effective: he uses a bobbin threader (BT) to finish his guide wraps (by pulling the tag end of the thread back under the preceding wraps).
I suspect I won't explain it well here, but you start by wrapping over your BT about 7-8 wraps from the end. When you've completed your wraps, cut a 7'8" tag end of thread. Maintain pressure on the wraps & thread the tag through the BT. While keeping constant pressure on the tag end, you then pull the BT back under the wraps.
Once the BT tip is under the wraps, you then apply equal pressure to the thread tag end and the BT. The thread eventually "ruptures" under the wraps and I've found it to leave a nearly seamless finish.
Hope this isn't entirely unintelligible. For those NE folks, suspect the book may be found at this weekend's show in Wilmington.
I suspect I won't explain it well here, but you start by wrapping over your BT about 7-8 wraps from the end. When you've completed your wraps, cut a 7'8" tag end of thread. Maintain pressure on the wraps & thread the tag through the BT. While keeping constant pressure on the tag end, you then pull the BT back under the wraps.
Once the BT tip is under the wraps, you then apply equal pressure to the thread tag end and the BT. The thread eventually "ruptures" under the wraps and I've found it to leave a nearly seamless finish.
Hope this isn't entirely unintelligible. For those NE folks, suspect the book may be found at this weekend's show in Wilmington.