Rule

I've got fuzzies on my wraps were I've trimmed the tags and in a few other spots,  I using the fine Perselli silk and have read in the past on some forum (that I cannot find when I need it) that you can singe these off with a quick pass from an alcohol lamp.  The thought of this scares the hell out of me,  fire engines, charcoal rod, burnt wraps, you get the idea. Is this a standard practice? and how much heat for how long?  Thanks again for any info, and thanks again to Harry Boyd for luring me onto this list, the people here are very helpful and someday I hope to be able to return some of this wisdom to others. (It may take a few years.)  (Mike Maero)

Singeing the fuzzies off is far simpler than you might think. Just for kicks, you might make a short wrap on a pencil, or a piece of dowel, and pass it quickly over an alcohol lamp.  There really is nothing to it.  (Harry Boyd)

That's the standard practice.  The flame burns cleans unlike a match or cigarette lighter.  Hold above the flame and rotate quickly, only takes a split second.  Use precautions per instructions that come with the lamp.  If you don't have one, Cabelas carries them for about $10.00, burns denatured alcohol.  (Ed Riddle)

I am currently doing the same with 2 rods and I pass the wraps through the flame of an alcohol lamp. Keep the rod moving/rotating and pass it above the tip of the flame, the fuzzies will disappear. BTW one of the reasons I prefer Pearsalls is that I don't seem to get as many fuzzies. Just my opinion.  (Bill Bixler)

Other things I do to try and avoid "fuzzies" --- Touch the thread as little as possible with your (well mine anyway) rough fingers, use a thread tensioning device that tensions the spool rather than the thread itself.  (David Van Burgel)

Don't make the mistake I did and put acetone in the lamp instead of alcohol.  The cans look a lot alike!  No problem from the mistake, but it could have been really bad!   (Neil Savage)

I have used a small alcohol lamp that has many flat surfaces for positioning the flame, I position the flame so that I am using the bottom of it. I find that I have better control of the heat applied, if for some reason the fuzzes leave a small base above the finished wrap I use a burnisher to tease it up and repeat the singeing of the thread. By bring the bottom of the flame to the wrap it allows you to not have to pass the wrap through the flame and risk burning more than the fuzz.  (Tim Doughty)

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