Rod wrapper help

[Poopdeck 0]

So I have a plan to assemble a rod. I put a kit rod together many years ago which amounted to nothing more then wrapping some guides on. This time I want to practice doing different thread wraps on dowel rods until I'm at least semi somewhat proficient. When I feel I'm ready I'm gonna dive in and build a wizbanger. Maybe two, maybe three but I have no illusions of becoming a custom rod maker. I would like to do a rod for a disabled veteran friend with wraps to match the afghan service ribbon.

 

I have been scouring the Internet for rod wrapper ideas. It's going to be a simple V notch hand wrapper made with scraps laying about the shop. After looking at many different designs I need some help in identifying certain features that are good or not so good. Here goes:

 

1) is it better to have the thread spools vertical or horizontal?

2) is it better to have the thread spools on a sliding carrier or in a fixed position?

3) some of the sliding thread carriers have a eye on the front of the carrier to direct the thread up to the rod. So the eye and thread spools slide together. Some fixed thread spools have a sliding eyelet in front to direct the thread up to the rod. Which way is better?

4) some have a rod tip coming up from the thread spool directing the line down to the rod. Others have the thread going under the rod to an eyelet and then back up to the rod. Does it matter if the thread is coming down or up to the rod.

 

I'm assuming some of this is preference so I would like to hear what works best for the guys that make rods. Any help is mucho appreciated.

[heavynets 0]

I tried one of those and MUCH prefer holding the rod blank in my hands. I feel that I have more control. I put the thread spool(s) in a coffee cup and run the thread through the pages of a heavy book. I do use a V-block stand to hold the blank while applying the epoxy. I've built about 20 rods this way.

[Bryon Anderson 0]

I have built at least 15 rods myself, and did all of them using the exact setup described by heavynets--only difference was that I put my thread spools in baby food jars instead of coffee cups. Most of those rods turned out pretty nice, too, if I say so myself.

 

Last winter, I thought I would treat myself to my first piece of actual rod-building equipment--something designed specifically for the craft. I bought this:

 

http://www.mudhole.com/CRB-Hand-Wrapper-System-HWS-1

 

I put it together, tried to use it two or three times, and ended up going back to my old system. I just couldn't get comfortable with it, couldn't get anything like the control I have when holding the rod in my hands. Maybe it's all a matter of what you get used to, I don't know, but I'll stick with my low-tech stuff.

 

I'll make you a deal on that rod wrapper if you're interested.

[Poopdeck 0]

I have been cursed with 2X hands that are great for smashing things and palming basketballs but little else. When I wrapped guides before it was not ideal for me. I did notice that the mud hole rack has the rod tip and the sliding eyelet in the front, a new twist. I already have the jig it's just scattered around the shop waiting to be assembled when I figure out a design.

[Dave G. 0]

I made my own a long time ago, still use it. The base is a 1"x6" 37" long. It has three uprights made of 1"x4" about 6" tall. They have a D shaped relief cut near the base of each one ( I cut a kind of long sweeping curve to the top to give it a little style and not just cut of 1x4s. Plus taking the corners off gives access room for your hands. I V cut at the top of each one. The V is felt lined . It's glued and screw together . The spool holder is upright 1"x1" also glued and screwed to the base, with a long 1/4x20 screw from the hardware store passing through it sideways. That has a couple of stainless washers and springs putting on light tension to a single thread spool but you could always pass a second screw through to have two colors, I don't mind changing out the thread. . On the base I placed some small screw eyes at what I felt to be strategic locations, so I thread the thread through accordingly. My real tensioner is my fingers as I wrap but it would be easy enough to devise a friction tensioner of one sort or another. The whole thing is stained in opaque redwood stain.

[Poopdeck 0]

Thanks Dave. After watching another hours worth of YouTube videos I finally learned what the rod tip coming out of the thread holder is. It's to provide tension on the string for when your unwrapping the thread a bit. This is a revelation. I like it so I will incorporate this into my wrapper. Still unsure about coming up to the rod or going down to the rod with the thread. I'm pretty sure this is just a preference.

[mikechell 0]

"up to the rod" and "down to the rod" are based on your comfort zone. The main "direction" you need to consider is where you want the hand controlling the thread to be.

I would think that having your hand below the rod, looking over it, would be preferable to reaching over or behind the rod.

 

I've never built a rod, so I am just guessing at what "up to the rod" and "down to the rod" means. My apologies if I am not "seeing" your reference correctly.

[Dave G. 0]

Thanks Dave. After watching another hours worth of YouTube videos I finally learned what the rod tip coming out of the thread holder is. It's to provide tension on the string for when your unwrapping the thread a bit. This is a revelation. I like it so I will incorporate this into my wrapper. Still unsure about coming up to the rod or going down to the rod with the thread. I'm pretty suIe this is just a preference.

I went with up probably because of the open V cut in my stanchions. All of my thread control is along the base of this jig so up was a natural choice. As I said, the real thread control and tension is my fingers anyway. Incidentally, I use three of my wife's hair elastics ( the ones that are fabric coated) to hold down my blanks. I put one at each upright stanchion. That function would be all the more crucial a consideration if the thread was above and pulling up on the blank.

[Meeshka 0]

Hi Poopdeck,

This is a wrapping tool I built back in the early '90's from scraps in my shop. The only things I really had to buy was the al "C" channel and the drying motor ( at a salvage shop ).

Although the unit is 4 ft long I built an extension support for 7 ft 1 pc spinning. The blanks are secured in the V knotches with pony tail elastics and I find it works just fine.

This is the way I set up the thread tensioner. It is a simple 1/4 inch carrage bolt, spring and tension nut. At first I tried just a wingnut but it just did not work right. I exchanged that idea for nylon washers on each side of the thread spool and a nylon nut. Once tension is now set it will keep it always constant. The second bolt is for trim spool.

Everything on this unit is fully adjustable with the tightning screws and the C channel.

To facilitate adding finish to the wraps I constructed the drying motor apparatus, which again can be secured to the base.

 

Hope this gives you some ideas.

 

Doug

[FIN-ITE 34 0]

I remember those motors from Dale Clemens for about five or six bucks.

[Poopdeck 0]

I probably didn't explain it as clear as I could have. Some have the thread leaving the spool and going up to an eyelet above the rod that then directs the thread down to the rod. Others have the thread leaving the spool from the bottom and going under the rod to an eyelet that the thread passes through and then goes up to the rod. That should clear it up like mud.

 

Dave G that makes perfect sense. I was not thinking of the pull of the thread on the rod. Since I'm going with the V notchs I will bring the thread under the rod and then up to it. Thank you.

 

Meeska, nice set up with some interesting ideas. My scraps are going to a little more diverse than your scraps. The upright V notches will be cherry or mahagony plywood, the base is going to be select pine. Not sure what the thread holder is going to be yet but I have a bunch of maple blocks that aren't good for much else.

 

Any opinions on a sliding eyelet on the front of the base? I don't see this as necessary since you can slide the rod back and forth.

[mikechell 0]

I believe the sliding guide for the thread is particularly useful for motorized rod turning. Held in a motor, those rods can't be moved, so moving the thread feeder needs to.

Plus, watching online videos, I see these guys doing rods with 3 and 4 inches of wrapped thread. They aren't just tying eyes on, they're decorating the rod with specialty wraps.

[Poopdeck 0]

That's my plan, Nice fancy thread pattern on top of some nice guide wraps as long as can produce something acceptable on some dowel rods first.

[Steeldrifter 0]

 

There is no need for anything fancy with a rod wrapping jig. The one above is the one I use for my business. I've built over 1100+ rods on that little $40 jig and it does the job just fine. I actually was given a fancier jig with wheels and all the bells & whistles from a friend some years ago and ended up getting rid of it. Simple is better when it comes to wrappers.

 

To help with your questions-

1) is it better to have the thread spools vertical or horizontal? One is not better nor worse than the other. Long as there is a tensioner on the thread it does not matter how the spool is oriented.
2) is it better to have the thread spools on a sliding carrier or in a fixed position? Sliding is easier. There will be many times you will move the carriage to a easier position when doing guides as well as wrapping the tip top.
3) some of the sliding thread carriers have a eye on the front of the carrier to direct the thread up to the rod. So the eye and thread spools slide together. Some fixed thread spools have a sliding eyelet in front to direct the thread up to the rod. Which way is better? I like the eyelet and thread to both be on the carrier and move as one compact unit.
4) some have a rod tip coming up from the thread spool directing the line down to the rod. Others have the thread going under the rod to an eyelet and then back up to the rod. Does it matter if the thread is coming down or up to the rod. Coming out from under and going up to the rod IMO makes more sense. Then you can rotate the rod away from you as you wrap which feel more natural. I've tried ones coming from the top and always felt it was od feeling when pulling thread ends through wraps etc etc.

[Dave G. 0]

I believe I made my spool holder upright block out of oak as I recall. The rest of the jig is made of pine. I wanted the tight tolerance of hard wood to remain tight over the years for the through screw I used as the spool shaft. That way the screw wouldn't be always slipping out on me and it also wouldn't have to be glued to stay in. One of those simple choices, like yourself with the maple, I had cut offs (not good for a whole lot) left over from an oak project I had completed. And this pine was laying around. If I built it today, the jig it would be made from Birch ply, because I have a 1/4 sheet or so of that laying around and scraps of oak and cherry I could do that screw block with LOL !

 

That said, I like the design of Steve's jig, that the spool rigging is on that sliding platform. Where with mine I just add eyelets and string my thread accordingly, he can just slide or move that platform. Well, mine is about 25 years old and I've gotten along fine with it but his is something to consider non the less.