# Building a wrapper/dryer thingy



## Trophyhusband

I decided that I want to try building my own rods so today I began building that thing the rod rolls around on. I'm not sure exactly what it's called but as far as I can tell I'll need it. So far I've only used stuff I had laying around the garage. There may be a couple things I'll need for it, but not much. 

Hopefully I can get a little input here. What makes one of these tools high quality? What features does it need to have? Constructive criticism is welcome, just keep in mind that I started it today so there will be improvements to what is in these pics.


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## amarcafina

Fine looking rig. wish I had one that neat looking . Mine looks like a scrape yard compared to yours !!


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## osborne311

You found one of the few things I know absolutely nothing about. lol

Fascinated by the idea of building your own rod though. I want to come over and bug you when you are trying to concentrate. I will bring beer.


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## Trophyhusband

I do like beer.


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## osborne311

what kind of rods are you going to attempt? I really do want to see how this project progresses.


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## Trophyhusband

Probably something for AJ. I'm moving back west this summer so it will get used for halibut and albacore as well.


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## osborne311

This is going to be cool to follow.


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## Starlifter

I built a Batson Rainshadow Composite Jigging Rod last year, and it's really easy to build rods, and the only tough part is getting all the guides centered with your centerline of your reel seat. If you wanna do a cool build if your going to build a conventional rod is a "spiral wrap" which is how I wrapped my rod. It's also called an acid wrap. The patent for the technique is about 100 years old.

"The Rod Room" in Orange Beach is a great place to get all that you need to build a rod all under one roof.


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## Trophyhusband

Starlifter said:


> I built a Batson Rainshadow Composite Jigging Rod last year, and it's really easy to build rods, and the only tough part is getting all the guides centered with your centerline of your reel seat. If you wanna do a cool build if your going to build a conventional rod is a "spiral wrap" which is how I wrapped my rod. It's also called an acid wrap. The patent for the technique is about 100 years old.
> 
> "The Rod Room" in Orange Beach is a great place to get all that you need to build a rod all under one roof.



Thanks for the info. I have almost zero knowledge of rod building, but I had to replace the eye on a rod last week. I also have a couple rods that need several eyes replaced so I figured I would build the roller thing to make it easier. From there it was an easy leap to deciding to build my own rod.

I've ordered a book to learn how, but I'm not sure I'll get too fancy with the wraps just yet. Then again, I may go all out on my first rod.


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## Trophyhusband

I spent today making the knobs, routing and sanding the parts, and cutting the carriage bolts to size. The wood used for the knobs was so hard that I used cutting oil while drilling it. I used a tap to put threads into the wood itself instead of having to put a nut into it. I rubbed paste wax into the standoffs and knobs and rubbed the base with paraffin wax. Everything moves smoother than I expected. I did have to spend money today. I got $10 worth of nylock nuts and nylon washers. The next project will be some sort of carriage for the thread.


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## osborne311

Nice work. Not sure which will look better the rod or the tools you are building.


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## Trophyhusband

osborne311 said:


> Nice work. Not sure which will look better the rod or the tools you are building.


Thanks. I figure if it doesn't work at least i can hang it on a wall so it will make a good looking coat rack.


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## SmokenJoe

Looks great!

You may need something to hold the rod down & in place on top of it. Seems like I have seen rubber bands used but not sure. Mine also has a wheel on top to hold in place.

There is alot of links that can help you in this thread.
http://www.pensacolafishingforum.com/f65/interested-learning-art-rod-building-104426/

Good luck if you rod work is as nice as your wood work you will be great.

Joe


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## Trophyhusband

I've got something rattling around in my head for holding the rod down. It involves another wheel and a spring but it hasn't fully coagulated yet. I'll let it stew for a while as I work on other parts of rig. I'm also thinking about using that plastic dip stuff you use for tool handles to put kind of a tire on the wheels. Thanks for the link, I'm sure I'll be referring back to it.


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## 1pescadoloco

Very cool!!!!

Are you going to use a motor to power it?

Might try this myself if I can get rid of my shop equipment


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## Trophyhusband

I have a low speed DC motor that I will use for drying and I'm going to take apart my wife's old sewing machine and adapt it for wrapping.


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## 1pescadoloco

BBQ motor might work for drying. I have bunches of slow speed dc motors & know how to make PWM to vary speeds. Another hobby


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## amarcafina

Are you planning on putting a motor drive on to it ?


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## Trophyhusband

amarcafina said:


> Are you planning on putting a motor drive on to it ?


Of course. Who wants to turn the rod by hand?


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## Billcollector

If you are putting a motor on it, you are going to need to put a clamp wheel on top of the stantions to keep the rod from bouncing out of them. All rod blanks aren't perfectly straight and can cause problems in even the fanciest of rod lathes. I know my renzetti gives me fits when rod blanks have a bad bow in them.


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## Trophyhusband

Billcollector said:


> If you are putting a motor on it, you are going to need to put a clamp wheel on top of the stantions to keep the rod from bouncing out of them.


Will all the stantions need them or just one or two?


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## Billcollector

Personally I would put them on every stantion, but at least on two of them.


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## Trophyhusband

I've decided to do something different with the rollers which will likely also require me to build new stantions. Before I do that I need to work out exactly how I'm going to put clamp wheels on them, and this is where I need some help. Can some of you guys post pics of your stantions so I can get some ideas?


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## SmokenJoe

Hey most of the stuff you need you can find on the internet with just a simple search, or on the links I gave you earlier.

By the time you build all the stuff I doubt your going to save much money, some yes, lots no. Now if you enjoy making it your self then go ahead. If you were building a basic hand wrapper then thats a different story.

Link to my wrapper with pictures. Click on the pictures to enlarge them. I bought it from mud whole with upgraded chuck.http://www.americantackle.us/equipment.html

Joe


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## Trophyhusband

SmokenJoe said:


> Hey most of the stuff you need you can find on the internet with just a simple search, or on the links I gave you earlier.
> 
> By the time you build all the stuff I doubt your going to save much money, some yes, lots no. Now if you enjoy making it your self then go ahead. If you were building a basic hand wrapper then thats a different story.
> 
> Link to my wrapper with pictures. Click on the pictures to enlarge them. I bought it from mud whole with upgraded chuck.http://www.americantackle.us/equipment.html
> 
> Joe


I enjoy the process of not just building the machine, but figuring out how I'm going to make it uniquely my own creation. When I build something I want it to work as good or better than I can buy off the shelf, be as simple as possibly, hopefully save money, and most importantly look cool. I think I have almost everything I need laying around the house to do this.

Thanks for the link, the pics help.


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## Trophyhusband

The process of re-designing the stantions continues. I've made the wheels a little smaller in diameter and a little wider. I've put a rubber band on them as sort of a tire and used a nylon insert in the center instead of just drilling a hole. These wheels spin far better than I expected so I'm very happy with them. I've used shock cord to provide the downward pressure on the top wheel, but now I've run into a couple probelms. 

I need to make an adjustable stop to limit the how far down the top wheel can go. I'm thinking that since it is offset from the bottom wheels it could distort smaller diameter portions of the blank. I'm kind of out of room for this, but If the arm that holds the top wheel was longer this would give me someplace to put the stop screw.

I also need to make the shock cord longer, it's a little too short right now.

Another problem is that I just don't like the shape of the stantion. I can't quite put my finger on it, but just don't like the aesthetics of the profile.


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## 1pescadoloco

I really like what your doing with this. You might try looking at steady rests for woodworking lathes for ideas. There not tensioned with springs but the stantions might give you an idea that you like.

BTW I think your design is great. Maybe four wheels on the bottom & one on top would do what you want


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## Trophyhusband

1pescadoloco said:


> I really like what your doing with this. You might try looking at steady rests for woodworking lathes for ideas. There not tensioned with springs but the stantions might give you an idea that you like.
> 
> BTW I think your design is great. Maybe four wheels on the bottom & one on top would do what you want


Thanks for the suggestions. I was actually thinking of building what is basically a woodworking lathe rest for shaping cork handles, but it would be built out of wood. The wood I have is super hard and very stable so it should easily be able to handle the stress, but I'll work on the details of that part later.

I've come up with a shape for the stanchion that I think I will like, but my board would need to be a half an inch wider, so I've got two boards clamped up right now. I'll let the glue cure for the rest of the day. It works the same way as the one in the picture, just shaped slightly different and it has a longer arm for the tensioning wheel. I'll have room to put a screw stop on it and have more choices in where to put the shock cord. 


I don't like the hole in the top of the tensioning arm so where the knot of the shock cork fits into. I think I'll drill from the bottom but not go all the way through. Then I'll drill a small hole across the arm perpendicular to the other hole and run a small brass rod through it. I want to double up the shock cord so that it runs from the back or even bottom of the stanchion, up through the hole in the bottom of the arm around the brass rod, and back down to where it started. For some reason I want it as close to invisible as possible.

I don't know yet if I want to run the screw stop from the top of the arm down, or from the back of the stanchion up, but I may have to buy a tap. The only tap I have is 1/4-20 but i think I want the screw stop smaller. I may also add a locking screw on the top wheel arm. Most of the time the shock cord should provide enough tension, but I'm wondering if the higher speeds used while shaping cork handles might need a little more help.

I'm also going to plane down another board for the wheels. I'm happy with their diameter but I want them thinner, just a little wider than the rubber band tires.

I should have more pics up in a couple days.


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## 1pescadoloco

Looked like you were using Bubinga for the stanchions.


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## kanaka

Believe that you might want the top roller adjustment moving in a straight vertical line between the two rollers. If the wheel is offset on the blank, it might bind the blank harder into one roller.
I used screen door rollers with a thick o-ring in the groove for the traction. No 3rd roller cause I wasn't really spinning the blank that fast.
Figure out your chuck yet?


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## Trophyhusband

kanaka said:


> Believe that you might want the top roller adjustment moving in a straight vertical line between the two rollers. If the wheel is offset on the blank, it might bind the blank harder into one roller.
> I used screen door rollers with a thick o-ring in the groove for the traction. No 3rd roller cause I wasn't really spinning the blank that fast.
> Figure out your chuck yet?


I was thinking about the offset roller causing a problem. I'll have to make some changes if it causes a problem, but I am doing things with this design to mitigate it. The top wheel will be as close to the other wheels as possible. The screw stop will also limit how far down the shock cord can pull the top wheel.

I'm going to wait until I get the stanchions done before tacking the chuck. There are a few ideas simmering, but I don't want any thoughts to fully solidify until I can tackle it head on. I'm really looking forward to tackling the chuck and motors and playing with different ways to vary the speed, simplify it, and most importantly make it look cool. I'm even toying with the idea of making wooden gears just for the cool factor.


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## 1pescadoloco

What size tap do you need? If you want to come by, I can probably give you the tap you need. 
On the chuck, if you have a 1"-8 thread on the spindle, you could use a standard wood lathe chuck. There is a ton of woodworking lathe tools that would transfer to this application. I was once a woodturner, does it show?


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## Trophyhusband

I'm not sure what size tap, I'll have to dig through my hardware and see what I have. I'll take you up on that offer though.

Wood turning is something I've only done once when I was a kid but I will be getting a lathe after our next move. I'll probably just go for something not too expensive to start though. I have a lot of expenses and equipment upgrades to do when I start putting my permanent shop together next year. I will make room for a small and a large lathe station when I set it up though. 

There have been so many times I could have used a lathe, such as now. it would be easier to turn a cylinder and slice the wheels out of them instead of cutting them with a hole saw on the drill press. I've been using a hand drill clamped to the workbench and a chisel and a makeshift lathe to true up the wheels.


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## Trophyhusband

1pescadoloco said:


> Looked like you were using Bubinga for the stanchions.


The guy I bought it from called it Brazilian Cherry, but I think that's a marketing term for Jatoba. It's planks of hardwood flooring I bought for a couple buck a board foot. I'm making the knobs from purple heart, also wood floor planks I bought for cheap. I can't for the life of me remember what the light colored stuff is I'm using for the base, but it's wicked hard too. I may have to buy a bunch more wood before moving, I doubt I'll be able to get wood that cheap in Utah.


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## kanaka

If yer gonna use a sewing machine motor, the size of the pulleys will determine the speeds. My foot control is so old you can hear it sizzle and it will get hot enough to start melting carpet. Hopefully yours is digital. If you run out of ideas for the chuck I'll post what I built, just don't feel like getting flamed yet.


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## tiderider

I made around 600 rods on this simple do-it yourself contraption. I held the the thread in my hand on a bobbin. Yes those are roller blade wheels. I've been using a Renzetti for the last year or so and will never look back.



















Renzetti


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## Trophyhusband

kanaka said:


> If yer gonna use a sewing machine motor, the size of the pulleys will determine the speeds. My foot control is so old you can hear it sizzle and it will get hot enough to start melting carpet. Hopefully yours is digital. If you run out of ideas for the chuck I'll post what I built, just don't feel like getting flamed yet.


The sewing machine is definitely not digital. I should be able to put a potentiometer in there somewhere to limit the top speed if I need to. I plan on taking the foot pedal apart and building a new pedal out of wood.

Dude, if you think you built something that will get you flamed, I want to see it. Post it up.


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## Trophyhusband

tiderider said:


> I made around 600 rods on this simple do-it yourself contraption. I held the the thread in my hand on a bobbin. Yes those are roller blade wheels. I've been using a Renzetti for the last year or so and will never look back.


Roller blade wheels! Why the heck didn't I think of that? I had thought about skate board wheels so it's not much of a leap to roller blades, but I must have gotten distracted by something shiny. Was the weight of the top wheel enough to keep the blank held down? I didn't see a spring or anything. i love the home made rig. It's looks solid, simple, inexpensive, and very effective.

Tell me about the Renzetti. I'm not at all familiar with this rod wrapping equipment. Obviously since you built 600 rods with the DIY rig so it had to have been pretty good and it sounds like the Renzetti is even better. What makes it better? I'm hoping that I can make my home made rig have the attributes that make a professional model so nice to use.


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## tiderider

The top wheel is locked down with a thumb screw where the arm is attached to the stands. The uni-strut rails allowed me to move the stands up and down the bed with a turn of a couple of bolts. The stands are wood but they are attached to steel angle at their base. The motor is also attached to a wooden bed which can be moved along the bed if need be.

Renzetti is a privately owned company based out of Titusville Florida and is considered the best rod lathe on the market by many builders. It is very similar to the Clemens models of the past (again the best). They work extremely well and on underwraps it can nearly track by it's self. The incorporated a step down belt/pulley system which will allow you to turn cork and foam grips without burning up the motor. The chuck is a three jaw self centering affair which can be locked every 45 degrees, this is very helpful when laying down diamond wraps and such. They are expensive and will set you back a cool thousand to set it up with three stands and a 10 ft bed. They fully support their product and parts are an order away if needed. They sell them through Mudhole or direct from Renzetti.

Here's a short video of the Renzetti in action.
View My Video


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## lobsterman

Hey T H have you ever built a rod or is this your first rodeo?


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## Trophyhusband

Awesome video, thanks. I'll be referring back to it during my build.


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## Trophyhusband

lobsterman said:


> Hey T H have you ever built a rod or is this your first rodeo?


Never built a rod. I've replaced one rod guide and decided that I wanted to build a rod lathe. I've got a few rods with broken guides and a few other old rods laying around that I can fix up for a little practice before jumping into a full build with quality parts.


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## lobsterman

Here is what I would recommend. Make a starter rod first, you will learn something with every rod you make. Plus your wrapping skills will improve too. Find a decent cheap blank that will suffice for your fishing and build it first. You don't want to start with a real expensive setup from the get go.


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## SmokenJoe

lobsterman said:


> Here is what I would recommend. Make a starter rod first, you will learn something with every rod you make. Plus your wrapping skills will improve too. Find a decent cheap blank that will suffice for your fishing and build it first. You don't want to start with a real expensive setup from the get go.


I was thinking the same thing by the time you get all this finished I will have built 6 rods. :tt2: Glad to have some new blood around though.

You should start making wood handles since you seem to be a good wood worker. I would buy some nice burl wood ones from you.

Joe


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## Trophyhusband

SmokenJoe said:


> I was thinking the same thing by the time you get all this finished I will have built 6 rods. :tt2: Glad to have some new blood around though.
> 
> You should start making wood handles since you seem to be a good wood worker. I would buy some nice burl wood ones from you.
> 
> Joe


I might be able to do something like that when I get my shop set up after our next move.


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## kanaka

Well, here's my wrapper motor/chuck made out of a ooooooold Singer. The pulley is mounted with a 1/2 allen head bolt I had "laying" around. Goes thru a brass bushing epoxied into the wood. The bolt threaded into the knob that was on the end of the pulley. 
The "chuck" is a PVC slip joint cut in half. It was the right size to fit over the knob. The PVC you see sticking out can be reversed to use the larger size. Masking tape was used to build up the butt of the rod to get a snug fit into the pipe.
Worked for at least 40 rods till the foot control started burning up. :whistling:

And find a old rod, strip the guides off (good practice for mistakes) and wrap that, less nerve wracking than a new blank.


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## Trophyhusband

lobsterman said:


> Here is what I would recommend. Make a starter rod first, you will learn something with every rod you make. Plus your wrapping skills will improve too. Find a decent cheap blank that will suffice for your fishing and build it first. You don't want to start with a real expensive setup from the get go.


I have a sturgeon bank rod that need almost all of the guides replaced as well as several other rods that need guides and tip replaced. I even have a heavy boat rod that the reel seat is slipping tot he side on. I figure making these repairs should give me a lot of practice.


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## Trophyhusband

kanaka said:


> Well, here's my wrapper motor/chuck made out of a ooooooold Singer. The pulley is mounted with a 1/2 allen head bolt I had "laying" around. Goes thru a brass bushing epoxied into the wood. The bolt threaded into the knob that was on the end of the pulley.
> The "chuck" is a PVC slip joint cut in half. It was the right size to fit over the knob. The PVC you see sticking out can be reversed to use the larger size. Masking tape was used to build up the butt of the rod to get a snug fit into the pipe.
> Worked for at least 40 rods till the foot control started burning up. :whistling:
> 
> And find a old rod, strip the guides off (good practice for mistakes) and wrap that, less nerve wracking than a new blank.


Nothing to flame about that (except maybe your foot). I can probably fix that foot pedal for you, but you could also probably find another one cheap on craigslist or a garage sale.


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## lobsterman

Trophyhusband said:


> I have a sturgeon bank rod that need almost all of the guides replaced as well as several other rods that need guides and tip replaced. I even have a heavy boat rod that the reel seat is slipping tot he side on. I figure making these repairs should give me a lot of practice.


That should give you plenty of practice first.


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## Trophyhusband

I'm getting really close to a final product here. I decided to get rid of the shock cord to provide downward tension on the top wheel and instead tighten the knob for the top wheel arm to lock it in place. Simpler might not always be cooler, but it is often better. I still have a few tweeks to make, but I think I can build the rest of the stanchions. I think the arm for the top wheel needs to be just a little shorter. I may want the wheels to be a little thinner too. I'm having a problem with my drill press though. It's a little sloppy and I can't get the table perfectly plumb with the drill bits. This causes the holes in the stanchion and the holes in the wheels to be off just enough for the wheels to wobble just a bit. I'm going to take apart my drill press and see if I can get rid of the slop and get the table plumb, but it's old so I'm not holding my breath. Once I can make the wheels spin true, I'll remove a little wood from where the top wheel arm and the stanchion come together to bring the top wheel as close as possible to the bottom wheels.


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## WW2

I was thinking the wheels from certain RC cars might work as well. Perhaps the softer rubber would help mitigate some of the bounce from the rod bow. Or would this allow too much movement? I am more interested in the build of he contraption than wrapping the rod. lol


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## kanaka

Ummmm, if you put the top wheel arm on the other side of the stanchion, you won't have to cut anything. I think. Or make the top wheel a larger diameter.
I used one of those elastic hair things that look like a mini bungee with a piece of felt between it and the rod and secured it to the bolts sticking out that went thru the wheels.


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## Trophyhusband

WW2 said:


> I was thinking the wheels from certain RC cars might work as well. Perhaps the softer rubber would help mitigate some of the bounce from the rod bow. Or would this allow too much movement? I am more interested in the build of he contraption than wrapping the rod. lol


I think if I was going to use something other than wood, I would look into it along with roller blade wheels. I want to use wood though. I have some figured maple veneer that I'm going to put on the wheels when I get them worked out. As you can see I'm going for more than just function, I want something that is as cool to look at as it is to use.


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## Trophyhusband

kanaka said:


> Ummmm, if you put the top wheel arm on the other side of the stanchion, you won't have to cut anything.


Like this? Good idea, I think I'll go with it.


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## kanaka

Man, that purple heart wood really looks good. Bet it would look sweet as an inlay. Maybe on your next project like a wood strip canoe.....


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## Trophyhusband

At some point I'll be building a cedar strip kayak, but not until I have a proper shop.


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## 1pescadoloco

Watch your hands around that table saw blade. That's what cost me 80% of the use of my right hand


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## jigslinger

Here's a few pics of mine for reference.


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## Trophyhusband

1pescadoloco said:


> Watch your hands around that table saw blade. That's what cost me 80% of the use of my right hand


I have great respect for the table saw. I use the guard any time I can. It normally cuts even thick hard wood like butter so if I have to put any pressure to get a board through I know something is off. I shut 'er down and figure out what's going on. I think if I get a second saw it will be a saw stop.


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## Trophyhusband

jigslinger said:


> Here's a few pics of mine for reference.


Thank you. I like it, did you build it?


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## Starlifter

Even if you couldn't figure out which wheels to use, a lot of the companies that make equipment to make fishing rods sell individual wheels for rod dryers from what my memory says.


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## Trophyhusband

I got the wheels worked out. I'll post some pics tomorrow. Hopefully I can start re-engineering the old sewing machine by tomorrow afternoon.


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## Trophyhusband

I finally got done with the first phase. I need to get more rubber bands for the wheels, but the work is done and now I can move on to the next phase. I'm looking forward to tearing apart the sewing machine and seeing what I can come up with.


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## Trophyhusband

I spent some time yesterday prototyping. In the pictures there are two mock-ups, one on the rod wrapper base and one just clamped to the workbench. 

For the chuck I went with a design similar to the stanchions with a couple differences. I made the wheels wider to give them more surface area for grip. One of the wheels (the bottom front one with the line one it) is the drive wheel. Unlike all the other wheels, it doesn't spin on the carriage bolt. It is epoxied to the bolt and the bolt spins. To clamp the top wheel down on the blank I just turn the knob that is above the top wheel arm. 

There were two belts in the sewing machine so I tried to put them to use. I made some pulleys and gave it a try. I found a couple problems. For the belts to be tight enough to work it torques the pulleys a little and adds friction to the system. When I press the foot pedal just slightly I can hear the motor humming but not moving. When I give the motor enough juice to overcome the friction it makes the drive wheel spin too fast. Once it's moving I can back off to a speed that I think I can work with but it won't work the way it is. I'm going to abandon the belts and pulleys and make some wooden gears, this should eliminate the friction if I make them right. 

Once I get that all worked out I'll add in my other smaller DC motor for drying. I'll have to figure out a way to switch between the two motors, but I'll take that on later. 

Question: Does this need the ability to go in reverse? I know I will screw up wrapping and will need to undo it, but will it be enough to just disengage it so it spins freely or does it need to be reversible? Now that I think about it, I have another question. What direction do I need it so spin? Does the top of the blank need to spin away from me or towards me?


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## kanaka

I see what you're trying to do but have you tried to stick a built rod in that yet?
As for your other questions, all will be answered on a how-to rod building site.


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## Trophyhusband

I haven't stuck a built rod in it yet. Are you seeing a potential problem?


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## Billcollector

I see the chuck being problematic. Depending on some of the grips on the rods you plan on building, some of them may have a tennon on it which puts a slight slope to the but section. What this can do is actually cause the rod to creep in the stantions since its not on a level plane. I get it every now and then on my renzetti when I don't have the stantions adjusted correctly.


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## kanaka

Unless your butt area on the handle is straight, I think anything with a taper is gonna squirt out of that. Yes, you gotta build the handle first, especially if you're gonna shape it. Spinning a rod with guides mounted at the speed you need to do cork/foam isn't a great idea, think of a unbalanced tire.


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## Trophyhusband

OK, I see what you guys are saying. I've got another idea that may be pretty cool if it works.


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## Trophyhusband

I've got a crude mock-up of my drive system. The wrapping motor goes a little faster than I would like so I'm going to put a potentiometer on it for more control.


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## kanaka

Wow!!! When you said gears, I was thinking bicycle stuff. 
I've had too much coffee so the brain is short circuiting. What is the purpose of the motor in the middle? Gonna generate power??


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## tiderider

> Question: Does this need the ability to go in reverse? I know I will screw up wrapping and will need to undo it, but will it be enough to just disengage it so it spins freely or does it need to be reversible? Now that I think about it, I have another question. What direction do I need it so spin? Does the top of the blank need to spin away from me or towards me?


It does not need to go in reverse, when you mess up you should be able to manually roll the rod in reverse. As for direction it depends on how you plan on delivering the thread. The thread usually feeds across the top of the rod so if you are holding the thread in your hand with a bobbin the rod would rotate away from you, however if the thread if feeding from a carriage located across the rod from you then the blank would rotate towards you. Hope that makes sense. By the way I'm very much impressed with your wood skills, especially the gear setup wither it works or not.


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## Trophyhusband

kanaka said:


> Wow!!! When you said gears, I was thinking bicycle stuff.
> I've had too much coffee so the brain is short circuiting. What is the purpose of the motor in the middle? Gonna generate power??


The one in the middle is to turn it very slow for drying. It doesn't turn easily so I have to figure out a way to disengage it while using the other motor. There are lots of ways to do it so I'll try a couple different things and see what I like best.


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## Austin

Dang. That machine is coming along very nice. And the last thing I expected was wooden gears... That's just impressive.


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## Trophyhusband

tiderider said:


> It does not need to go in reverse, when you mess up you should be able to manually roll the rod in reverse. As for direction it depends on how you plan on delivering the thread. The thread usually feeds across the top of the rod so if you are holding the thread in your hand with a bobbin the rod would rotate away from you, however if the thread if feeding from a carriage located across the rod from you then the blank would rotate towards you. Hope that makes sense.


Makes sense. The sewing machine motor turns easy enough be hand that I don't think there will be a problem undoing my mistakes. Is it just a matter of preference as whether you hold the thread in hand or use a carriage and are the high end models models capable of going either direction so you can wrap however you want. If the deluxe models can go both directions, then I'll make mine that way.



> By the way I'm very much impressed with your wood skills, especially the gear setup wither it works or not.


Thank you. It will work but I'm sure there will be plenty of bugs to be worked out.


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## Trophyhusband

Austin said:


> Dang. That machine is coming along very nice. And the last thing I expected was wooden gears... That's just impressive.


Thanks. I haven't done wood gears before because they are hard to do without the right equipment. The ones in the picture were done on a 9 inch band saw that vibrates so much it makes the line you are trying to cut look blurry. After years of putting it off I finally got fed up yesterday and bought a 14 inch floor model band saw. I was able to whip out more gears last night in short order. I would still like a 1 inch belt sender to sand the teeth with, but for now I have to clean up each tooth with a hand file.


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## tiderider

Trophyhusband said:


> Makes sense. The sewing machine motor turns easy enough be hand that I don't think there will be a problem undoing my mistakes. Is it just a matter of preference as whether you hold the thread in hand or use a carriage and are the high end models models capable of going either direction so you can wrap however you want. If the deluxe models can go both directions, then I'll make mine that way.
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you. It will work but I'm sure there will be plenty of bugs to be worked out.


I've never seen a machine set up to turn in more than one direction but all things are possible with the right controls.


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## 1pescadoloco

A dc motor with a pulse width modulator (PWM) & reversing switch might be the hot ticket. PWM's are easy to build


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## cliphord

The first thing I would suggest is to upgrade the water/beer you are drinking. A fine quality rod deserves greater attention than sub quality beer such as bud light. The second pointer I would suggest is to name your new creation something clever, like...KJ's for AJ's. Lastly, once you have perfected your product it is always a nice tip of the hat to offer one to a good fishing friend. Particularly someone who had not intentionally brought a banana on your boat. I could use a new rod...thats what i'm getting at.


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## Trophyhusband

Maybe I'll name it "Bud Light for Alpha Twelve".


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## wyld3man

cliphord said:


> The first thing I would suggest is to upgrade the water/beer you are drinking. A fine quality rod deserves greater attention than sub quality beer such as bud light. The second pointer I would suggest is to name your new creation something clever, like...KJ's for AJ's. Lastly, once you have perfected your product it is always a nice tip of the hat to offer one to a good fishing friend. Particularly someone who had not intentionally brought a banana on your boat. I could use a new rod...thats what i'm getting at.


oh, we have jokes do we. 

That is some fine wood working to say the least:notworthy:.If your rod building skills turn out like your wood working skills you might have more than a few customers. First your wifey's knives and now her sewing machine....thats funny right there.


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## Trophyhusband

wyld3man said:


> oh, we have jokes do we.
> 
> That is some fine wood working to say the least:notworthy:.If your rod building skills turn out like your wood working skills you might have more than a few customers. First your wifey's knives and now her sewing machine....thats funny right there.



Thank you for the compliments. I don't think I'll be selling custom rods, but I might build some to give away as gifts though. I'm going to stick to woodworking for selling stuff. Fortunately my wife wants me to build a proper wood shop and get better tools to make stuff to sell. She doesn't even expect me to make a profit. When I get my shop set up I'm going to build some cedar strip kayaks and sell them just to get a start at boat building.

BTW, being a stay at home dad makes the kitchen my territory. Those are my knives. She may be a surgeon, but she's not allowed near knives or tools at home. I'm also the one that does the sewing. I built skydiving pants for my boys with her machine and it was a huge pain because her machine is old and it sucks so she bought me a nice new one. It's got a lot of pink on it. I named it Bruce. Bruce thrusts through 3 layers of webbing like butter so I can build cool stuff with it.


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## Trophyhusband

Here's a little update on my progress. I made a chuck, but still need some improvements. It isn't self centering which could be a pain but I'll improve that later. I was worried that the chuck would split along the grain so I re-sawed my boards and glued the thinner layers together with the grain of each layer turned 90 degrees. I may need to make another one with more layers.

I suspected that there might be an alignment issue with the chuck and the stanchions and I was right. Now I have to figure out how to make everything adjustable.


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## SmokenJoe

Looks pretty cool hope it works as well as it looks. 

You may need to put some tips on the bolts holding the dowel so as not to scratch the blank or gimbal. 

Joe


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## Trophyhusband

I'm still contemplating what I want to do with the bolt tips. They won't direct contact with a blank though. I have some ideas but I'm going to come back to it later. I have some other details to work out first. I have to figure out how I'm going to mount the other motor so that it can be disengaged and I have to figure out how to make the stanchion heights adjustable. I may have to take a break from this project to build some other things though. My wife wants a lap desk and I have to finish the wooden clock I started building for her. My 6 year old loves to hang out in the garage with me so I want build something with him too.


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## Trophyhusband

I think I've got my alignment issues figured out. The four carriage bolts in the corners of the base that holds the chuck and motor are threaded through the base. I can raise and lower the chuck and change the angle to match it up with the center line of any size blank. Once it's lined up I can lock it in place by tightening the wing nuts. The wing nuts will get replaced with threaded purple heart knobs and the four corner bolts will get purple heart knobs as well. The Jatoba wood isn't as dense as the purple heart so i don't think the threads will hold up. I'm either going to rebuild it from purple heart or, more likely, put in helicoil. 

The light colored base piece will be rebuilt so it lines up with the rest of the base.

I'm going to make a new chuck that isn't as big around but is deeper and I'll use a couple layers of purple heart where I need to put the threads. 

I've got most of the mechanics figured out, so most of the work from now on will be aesthetics.


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## kanaka

Don't know what you are using for motor speed control, assuming it is the foot control, you can just lock it down so you get the 4-22 rpm needed for coating and drying. As for the bolts in the "chuck" there's tip protectors that you can put on the ends. I gotta hit Lowes today, let you know the correct name of em. Their in the aisle with all the nuts and bolts, don't remember which box section.
Wanna borrow my setup to do a test wrap before you start doing the detail work to see what happens when a rod is spun? Ya still have to build the thread holder/carriage.


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## Trophyhusband

I'm using the foot pedal for speed control, but I'm also going to put a dimmer switch on it for further control. I don't think the sewing machine motor would do well for drying, I think it would overheat running it for that long. I have small dc motor that is perfect for it though. At 9V it turns at 6 rpm and 10 rpm at 12V.

I'm not sure if I'm going to build a thread carriage just yet or hold it by hand for now. Currently the top of the rod turns away from me. I want to use it a little and decide if I want to reconfigure it to turn the other direction.

I may take you up on the offer to use yours just to see how it compares to mine.


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## kanaka

It won't be close to yours BUT you'll get to see what the process is like before you make things permanent. And I can assure you that you don't want to hold the thread in your hand. You want to keep tension on the thread while doing other things like: pushing threads around to butt them up snug, realign a guide, lay in another thread for trim, use the bathroom...see where this is heading????
As for the bolt tips, nothing at Lowes except for furniture tips. I think what I saw was the vinyl caps that go on the vacuum lines on cars, Auto Zone?


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## tiderider

I've made hundreds of rods holding the thread in a bobbin and so have many other rod builders. It's very possible and very doable, it just takes a different skill group. I can stop a wrap in mid stream and do whatever I need without any problems. Trophy if you decide to do it bobbin in hand I'll be happy to show you how.


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## Trophyhusband

kanaka said:


> It won't be close to yours BUT you'll get to see what the process is like before you make things permanent. And I can assure you that you don't want to hold the thread in your hand. You want to keep tension on the thread while doing other things like: pushing threads around to butt them up snug, realign a guide, lay in another thread for trim, use the bathroom...see where this is heading????
> As for the bolt tips, nothing at Lowes except for furniture tips. I think what I saw was the vinyl caps that go on the vacuum lines on cars, Auto Zone?


I was thinking there would be more control over where the thread went holding it in hand. I would also have to add another sprocket in the mix which I don't want to do unless I have to. I want to keep the friction to a minimum.

I can make a cap out of wood and line it with rubber for now. I'm not sure how this chuck is going to work out. We'll see how hard it is to get the blanks centered.


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## Trophyhusband

tiderider said:


> Trophy if you decide to do it bobbin in hand I'll be happy to show you how.



Thanks for the offer, I may take you up.


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## Trophyhusband

I'm almost done. I put in two potentiometers. One to vary the speed of the drying motor, and one to vary the speed of the wrapping motor. Unfortunately I let the smoke out of the one for the wrapping motor so I'll just have to be gentle with my foot. I made the knobs and switches out of some Gaboon Ebony I've had laying around for a few years. I need to tear it down, sand it, and rub it down with paste wax and then I'll do a final set of pictures.


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## Billcollector

Now remember that a rod blank isn't a strait, it actually tapers down. Make sure that each individual stantion needs to have a slight amount of adjustment to accommidate for the decreasing diameter of the blank so it won't creep out of the chuck.


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## Trophyhusband

The base that the motor/chuck is on can be raised and lowered to match up with the centerline of the blank and it can be tilted to match the taper so hopefully I won't have to make the stanchions adjustable.


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## osborne311

That thing is looking awesome. Will you be around next week? Would like to come take a look and I have some good heavy knives I want to talk to you about jigs.


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## Trophyhusband

I should be around. I think I'm taking one of my boys cobia hunting on monday and I'll be watching the offshore forecast for thursday and friday but I would welcome a visit.


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## outlaw

I don't know a thing about rod-building, but that is an awesome looking contraption. I love the detail you've been putting into it. I hope you keep up with the project as I'd like to see how it ends up.


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## 1pescadoloco

I know a little about woodworking & that is awesome:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


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## Trophyhusband

outlaw said:


> I don't know a thing about rod-building, but that is an awesome looking contraption. I love the detail you've been putting into it. I hope you keep up with the project as I'd like to see how it ends up.


Thanks. I finished it up and final pics are coming.


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## Trophyhusband

1pescadoloco said:


> I know a little about woodworking & that is awesome:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:


Thank you. The craftsmanship isn't perfect, but it's a tool not fine furniture. There was a lot of trial and error to get everything to not only work right but look acceptable as well.


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## Trophyhusband

I've finally pretty much finished this up. I might re-do the wheel though. After I finished them I came up with (actually remembered something I had seen before) a jig to make wheels perfectly round. I also have to get some rubber bands to put on them, but the I have to make a minimum order of $25 from the place that sells the size I want. I have a couple projects to do for my wife and kids before I get to try it out though. You can be sure that once I start to use it there will be a thread. I'm sure I will have plenty of questions.


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## Trophyhusband

More Pics.


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## jigslinger

Trophyhusband said:


> Thank you. I like it, did you build it?


Yeah, I built that one. I'm really impressed with the work you've done. You obviously have more patience than I do. Truly a work of art! Like some of the others, I'm thinking you may end up wanting to make the stanchions adjustable. With the blanks being tapered, I'm afraid you may have a problem with wobble, but I've been wrong before!
I'm looking forward to pics of some of the rods you turn out!


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## Herknav90

TH:

Super looking work. If you are as patient with the rods as making this project, you should be making some BEAUTIFUL rods very soon. I am VERY new to the forum, and I didn't expect to find another wood worker - NICE. I don't think I have your patience with making something like this. 

Round gears? Are you making them with a compass and a router? I can give you some ideas on that if you need them. I used a compass to make perfect curves for a slot car track for my twins. It can make a PERFECT circle, and it can be as cheap as a piece of acrylic from home depot. I know you have good ideas on this though. It might be a little difficult on the smaller gears.










Compass made for my router: 









I am not a rod builder, but I am an old engineer. My only concern is the height of each stanchion too. If you got it licked then perfect. If not, you could do some sort of lap joint with these and another tension device. Just a thought.

Again, spectacular work even for a tool. Keep on working on it, and I would love to see a couple of the rods you make in an update thread or continued on this thread.

Rob


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## Trophyhusband

Herknav90 said:


> TH:
> 
> Super looking work. If you are as patient with the rods as making this project, you should be making some BEAUTIFUL rods very soon. I am VERY new to the forum, and I didn't expect to find another wood worker - NICE. I don't think I have your patience with making something like this.


I've just started to develop patience with my wood working. This project was quite a test. I threw parts in the scrap bin and started over several times. I figured if I didn't take the time to do this right I probably wouldn't take the time to do the rods right.



> Round gears? Are you making them with a compass and a router? I can give you some ideas on that if you need them. I used a compass to make perfect curves for a slot car track for my twins. It can make a PERFECT circle, and it can be as cheap as a piece of acrylic from home depot. I know you have good ideas on this though. It might be a little difficult on the smaller gears.


I built a compass like that a few years ago for a project, but haven't used it since. I have it hanging on my wall right now. For these gears I used paper patterns I have for a wooden clock I'm building. I used spray adhesive to stick the paper to the wood and cut them out with a band saw. If I were to do a bunch of gears that were the same, I would make a pattern out of MDF and cut them out with the router.



> I am not a rod builder, but I am an old engineer. My only concern is the height of each stanchion too. If you got it licked then perfect. If not, you could do some sort of lap joint with these and another tension device. Just a thought.
> 
> Again, spectacular work even for a tool. Keep on working on it, and I would love to see a couple of the rods you make in an update thread or continued on this thread.
> 
> Rob


A lap joint was exactly what I was thinking about, but I decided to go another route. The whole motor/chuck assembly can be raised and lowered, and tilted in order to make any size rod with any taper lay true across the stanchions. I've replaced a couple guides so far. It's easy to get it close enough to centered for wrapping, but I'll have to take more time to get it set up for shaping the handles. I'm hoping it isn't too much of a pain.

I'll need to build a threads carriage before I build rod, but you can be sure that when I build a rod I'll post the results.


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## captgwalts

Your jig looks better then mine that I paid 300$ for. I didnt see a power wapper or thread carrage. I have a extra carrage if you are interested and some ides on dryers. Greg


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## Trophyhusband

captgwalts said:


> Your jig looks better then mine that I paid 300$ for. I didnt see a power wapper or thread carrage. I have a extra carrage if you are interested and some ides on dryers. Greg


I haven't built a thread carriage yet. I want to do some eye replacements holding the bobbin in hand a few more times and then build a thread carriage using matching wood. It is powered. I didn't show the foot control pedal because it's metal and ugly and I didn't build it or modify it. I have done one guide replacement and found a problem already. The cord isn't long enough for the foot pedal to reach very far down the rod. I'm going to replace the power cord with a longer one that is coiled like a microphone cable and that problem will be solved. I also have a drying motor on it, but I would still like to hear your idea for dryers. I'm sure that at some point the drying motor I have could die and I will have to come up with something else. I've got so much going on right now, but I'm hoping to get time to do all my rod repairs by the end of the week. My dad is coming to town for 10 days to fish I want to get my boat cleaned up, go through all of my gear, and do a bunch of rigging before he gets here.


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## billfishhead

id plan on using another table for a drying motor as it can get messy

ive got a powerwrapper and 6 drying motors set up right now


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## Trophyhusband

I rubbed the base down with paraffin wax so any drips will clean up easily. I will only be doing one rod at a time so I won't need a separate dryer. The place we're buying this summer has a 50 x 50 shop so I'll be able to build a dedicated area for rod building, lure making, and fly tying.


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