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Adventures in home rolling

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Fellers, I have come to the conclusion that no damn cap is ever good lookin enough. That's the way it is, ever has been, and ever will be, and nothing you can do about it. No matter how hard you try.
My caps have come a long way, but are still far from perfect. For me, the thinner leaf makes the best looking caps. Willy's H2K has been the best for me. It is thin, but strong and can stretch a good bit. CT shade is a close runner up
 
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My caps have come a long way, but are still far from perfect. For me, the thinner leaf makes the best looking caps. Willy's H2K has been the best for me. It is thin, but strong and can stretch a good bit. CT shade is a close runner up
Yeah, I was shading last night when I came to this comclusion.

I prolly just need a bigger diameter punch right now. The punch I was using for fectos is too small for the fat head of a 50rg parejo. I have a thing I made out of a copper pipe T; but since I have never had use for it, I don't have it sharp enough. If I work on that, I'll prolly be happier.

Still, tho, the principle itself is sound: never a perfect cap.
 

Hopduro

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I hate caps, they are supposed to look good, however we just slice them off!

I'm finding in videos that workers glue the caps up real good; that seems to be working for me, just wipe up the excess

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Fellers, I have come to the conclusion that no damn cap is ever good lookin enough. That's the way it is, ever has been, and ever will be, and nothing you can do about it. No matter how hard you try.
That is a virtue.
one size of pipe. massage glue in. roll the outer edge to cut and turn in or out to adjust size of final cap. utilize two dry fingers to grip and stretch out.
 
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That is a virtue.
one size of pipe. massage glue in. roll the outer edge to cut and turn in or out to adjust size of final cap. utilize two dry fingers to grip and stretch out.
Tried that way. I am apparently too fumble fingered to adjust cap size that way. It comes out mis-shapen and the ends of the cut don't meet.
 

HIM*

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Honestly I haven't capped a stick in probably like a year lol. I see absolutely zero reason to go through the effort anymore other than for the sake of being traditional. I've been flamed for this before but I've yet to have a wrapper unravel in the slightest.
This sort of reminds me of the out of the norm things homebrewers do to make things simpler. Sure commercially I want companies to nail all the details but at the home level all I care is that they smoke well and taste good. For me in the end caps are more of an option than a necessity just depends on your preference.
 

Hopduro

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Honestly I haven't capped a stick in probably like a year lol. I see absolutely zero reason to go through the effort anymore other than for the sake of being traditional. I've been flamed for this before but I've yet to have a wrapper unravel in the slightest.
This sort of reminds me of the out of the norm things homebrewers do to make things simpler. Sure commercially I want companies to nail all the details but at the home level all I care is that they smoke well and taste good. For me in the end caps are more of an option than a necessity just depends on your preference.
So how do you finish your sticks?

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I have come to the conclusion that no damn cap is ever good lookin enough.
You're in luck! A close study of typical Cuban Monte, Bolivar, Partagas, Hoyo, Cohiba, and R&J heads, as well as many of the top boutique sticks rolled with a triple cap, show quite a lot of deviation: up to 1/16" in certain areas, in some cases. Stay within that deviation in those areas and you are lookin good enough. o_O
 
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Honestly I haven't capped a stick in probably like a year lol. I see absolutely zero reason to go through the effort anymore other than for the sake of being traditional. I've been flamed for this before but I've yet to have a wrapper unravel in the slightest.
This sort of reminds me of the out of the norm things homebrewers do to make things simpler. Sure commercially I want companies to nail all the details but at the home level all I care is that they smoke well and taste good. For me in the end caps are more of an option than a necessity just depends on your preference.
Nah, nothing to do with unravelling. Not about some practical purpose. It's about appearance. It's like the pair I made last night. I toted them round the house admiring them. I showed Bearswatter. I admired them this morning before I headed out to yoga. First thing I did when I came hoime, I admired how they are beginning to tighten up and shine. I took them out to the cedar smoking porch to admire while I enjoyed a very fine Indian Motorcycle Cigar. Brought them back up here to the home office and admired them before I boxed them in the dry box. Prolly admire them again before I turn in tonight.

This enjoyment is part of the whole thing.

Our good friend deluxestogie from FTT neither caps nor molds nor flags nor ages even glues them. Just rolls one up and smokes it. Me, I like to admire them, too.
 
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Nah, nothing to do with unravelling. Not about some practical purpose. It's about appearance. It's like the pair I made last night. I toted them round the house admiring them. I showed Bearswatter. I admired them this morning before I headed out to yoga. First thing I did when I came hoime, I admired how they are beginning to tighten up and shine. I took them out to the cedar smoking porch to admire while I enjoyed a very fine Indian Motorcycle Cigar. Brought them back up here to the home office and admired them before I boxed them in the dry box. Prolly admire them again before I turn in tonight.

This enjoyment is part of the whole thing.

Our good friend deluxestogie from FTT neither caps nor molds nor flags nor ages even glues them. Just rolls one up and smokes it. Me, I like to admire them, too.
Tell you what, I rolled up a little cheroot yesterday with 1.5 leaves of the mata fina from WLT. Let it sit out a few hours, then set flame to it. Something so simple and unattractive sure was enjoyable. I highly recommend the leaf. It is listed as "upper stalk position" which according to Google suggests it is stronger and fuller bodied than ligero. My impression is that it smoked more like a viso and that is how I intend to use it
Image1460676871.410827.jpg
 

HIM*

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@webmost I certainly can't fault you I go through extra steps to make my homebrew look as aesthetic as commercial brews. For whatever reason though I take a more relaxed approach with home rolling. But I know the feeling...there's nothing like admiring your own craftsmanship especially when you humbly know it's some quality stuff.

@Hopduro Glue then trim the wrapper close to the head. In the end sort of looks like a guillotine cut without the rest of the cap.
 

HIM*

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Tell you what, I rolled up a little cheroot yesterday with 1.5 leaves of the mata fina from WLT. Let it sit out a few hours, then set flame to it. Something so simple and unattractive sure was enjoyable. I highly recommend the leaf. It is listed as "upper stalk position" which according to Google suggests it is stronger and fuller bodied than ligero. My impression is that it smoked more like a viso and that is how I intend to use it
View attachment 80073
How big are the leaves? I still have some of the WLT mata fina I bought forever ago when I first got started. Leaves are real small and I'd say no thicker than most viso but burns more like ligero if that makes any sense. I haven't found a blend with it that I love but it wasn't too bad with piloto and a broadleaf wrap. If you come up with something good let me know!
 
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How big are the leaves? I still have some of the WLT mata fina I bought forever ago when I first got started. Leaves are real small and I'd say no thicker than most viso but burns more like ligero if that makes any sense. I haven't found a blend with it that I love but it wasn't too bad with piloto and a broadleaf wrap. If you come up with something good let me know!
They appear to vary between small to medium. Definitely the thickness and strength of viso and the cheroot burned very well even a little wet fresh out of the bag. Mine says 2013 crop, wonder if it is the same as yours. Have one blend already with a variety of wrappers on it. Corojo seco, criollo viso, and mata fina with a Dominican binder. Have high hopes for the mata fina wrapped few. It's funny, I almost went with the Piloto viso and will probably do that next
 
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Mata and Piloto is da bom. My fave perfectos so far are one leaf Mata Fina and one leaf Piloto Cubano, with both binder and wrapper cut from the same half leaf of Habano 2000. Filled a small humidor with these things six months ago; still half of them left. I regret each time I burn one cause it means one fewer in the box. Dynamite.

Uppowoc Matalotos.
 

HIM*

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Hmmm I still have some of the LO Ecuadorian Habano wrapper I'm going to have to dig those fillers back out and give it a try. It wasn't bad in broadleaf just not a home run but maybe this Habano will do it for me.
 
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Hmmm I still have some of the LO Ecuadorian Habano wrapper I'm going to have to dig those fillers back out and give it a try. It wasn't bad in broadleaf just not a home run but maybe this Habano will do it for me.
No idea. Never tried the Ec Hab. All I cited above was from WLT.
 
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Humid NC is not. You want damp, look at Dull-Aware on a map. We are half a sand bar between two mighty rivers: the Delaware and the Chesapeake. Each river is almost as wide as the state. Highest point in DullAware is 113 feet; and that's right on the PA border. Below the canal, average elevation is prolly a foot and a half. A cat covers her crap in this state she scratches the water table.

It will get dry in the house because either the AC is on in summer or the furnace in winter... then the cigar comes out of the humidor, I take it in the garage, and it inhales damp.
We had three straight days without rain. That's unusual. I took an extra tasty Indian Motorcycles cigar out to the cedar lined smoking porch last night and burnt it to a nub. No plugs, no re-lights. That's all it takes, is three dry days, for things to straighten up and smoke right. Last night, the neighbors were all out mowing while they had a chance, while the mower wheels wouldn't sink in muck. This morning, the dew is heavy enough to float a canoe.
 
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