Eight guides, one hook keep, one furrel, one tip top, and a few for good measure; 20 total wraps. Until the first coat of epoxy all thread wraps are fragile, and the true identity of the rod is disguised. It is a great sense of accomplishment when you can seal all of that detailed and delicate work beneath a clear coat of epoxy. Between the thread wrapping and the epoxy brushing, It's easy to misplace the thoughts of the handle assembly. These very last steps require a steady hand, skill, and focus.
Above, the Gudebrod brand thread, size A, nylon 1892 (color), changes to a rich dark color olive when wet with epoxy. Unlike nylon thread, NCP thread does not get darker when wet. This makes you wish you were wearing NCP thread pants that day you accidentally splashed water on your crotch in the men's room; or does that just happen to me? Metallic thread color also stays, more or less, unchanged by epoxy.
Nylon thread unquestionably looks better because of the color texture. NCP thread can look pasty when used for full guide wraps. So, how do you get the rich color without darkening? Color preserve. This liquid material can be lightly brushed on the thread, and when dry the nylon thread returns back to it's dry color. The epoxy brushed on next not cannot penetrate the color preserve treated thread to darken it. Some rod builders question the guide binding strength of this method.
