WINDING RODS 203 



If you are in no hurry it is well to make the 

 windings on the butt of split cane rods narrow, 

 say twelve turns each, but space them about 

 i*4 inches apart, with six or more windings 

 y 2 inch apart next to the ferrule. On the 

 joint make the spaces one inch, with a similar 

 cluster next the ferrules, and vary those on 

 the tip from ^4 to ^2 inch. I am a firm be- 

 liever in closer windings near the ferrules, to 

 strengthen the strips there against damage in 

 twisting not that ferrules should be sepa- 

 rated in any other manner than by a straight 

 pull. 



It is safe, but not always advisable to wind 

 in spiral form, provided the spirals are not 

 so close together as to come under the descrip- 

 tive term " solidly wound"; for solid winding 

 renders a rod soft in action, loading it down 

 with a non-resilient sleeve filled with var- 

 nish. 



I do not advocate continuous spiral wind- 

 ing, but I believe in stiffening a rod in this 

 manner if the need arises. The plan I have 

 followed with satisfactory results is to start 

 winding in the usual way, but after complet- 

 ing ten or a dozen turns, instead of cutting the 

 silk and pulling the end under, I follow the 

 " band " by winding spirally each turn about 



