Washington Fly Fishing Forum banner

Cardboard box & book - time to graduate to better wrapping equip?

Rod Building 
2K views 22 replies 19 participants last post by  Dr Bob 
#1 ·
I've built graphite rods on occasion for the last 30 years and have leaped into refinishing bamboo rods this last year (someone please cure me of this new addiction). I'm still using the old cardboard box with the front cut out and deep V's on the sides with padding to hold the rod pieces for wrapping. The thread is placed through the pages of a book. The larger the book, the greater the tension. Or I'll put something on the book to add more tension.

So, what do you all like to use? How will it help me (I'm sure many ways!). And where can I get one used or otherwise cheap for a tightwad cardboard box man like me?

Ron

Tableware Table Drinkware Blue Food
 
See less See more
1
#3 ·
a few cup hooks in the side of a scrap piece of two by four hold my rod for wrapping

I've done various things with the thread
1. mounted the thread on a sewing machine and run it through the tensioner before bringing it down to my rod
2. home made tensioner with nuts and springs on a piece of threaded rod, the whole thing mounted in a former lamp base
3. fly tying bobbin as mentioned above.

I like your book idea.

Jay
 
#4 ·
Hey Ron,

I've been using the same set up now for 26 years. I've done fiber glass, graphite and now re-do on bamboo rods. My wrapper is a 3' piece of 2X6 with two 2X4 uprights with V's notched into them. One side is adjustable for different length rod sections. My thread holder is a piece of particle board with some small wood scraps with a wood screw to hold the spool, tighten the screw for more tension. I use a cardboard box with notches for curing the wraps, turning the rod 180 degrees every 15-20 minutes. How's that for low tech? ---Steve
 
#5 ·
I'm no pro and you've been at it way longer than I have and probably have more rods under your belt as well, so I say this with limited experience. If you've gotten this far with the box why stop now? Unless you're going for production. The only place where you'll probably see a huge difference is with a drying motor. I bought the PacBay "wooden" set up with tensioners and drying motor, the only real difference I see between your set up and mine other than looks is the drying motor. I would have made one out of wood myself but my garage is out of control and I can't bring myself around to cleaning it up to do any "wood work". (not like it's a big job, but my tools are all over the place and I lack space)
 
#8 ·
Been rolling rods since 1972 and always hold the rod section freehand when wrapping guides. Only when wrapping next to the tip has it occurred to me that it would be handy to have some support on the far end.

I still use a cardboard box with V notch cutouts for drying. I just turn the rod sections 90 degrees every 10 minutes for the first hour and then 15 minutes for the second hour.

Primitive, but I've put together a lot of rods over the years.

Sg
 
#9 ·
Why? I have wrapped well over 50 rods in the last 20 years using a homemade (copycat) version of a thread wrapping bench and a Xerox box much like that in the picture for a drying station... worked great. I came close on several occasions buying a high end rod wrapping bench, but never did. No doubt having a motorized turner would have been very convenient, but is certainly not needed. In some ways, completing a nice rod using old school equipment makes the end product seem all that more enjoyable.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Flyguy65
#15 ·
Nothing wrong with a cardboard box but you really should be putting tension on the thread spool, not the thread itself. Running the thread through a book can create fuzzy thread.

TC
 
#16 ·
I am in the process of building another rod after not doing so for about 20-years. I have a set up that can hold two spools of thread---threaded bar stock and washers and a couple of springs...a gift I got (ordered from cabellas) about a 20-years ago. I am so frustrated with the thread tensioner that I am going to go back to the spool in a bowl, run it through a book and then through an eye hook. Nothing wrong with keeping life simple. I would use a turner for the drying step...it is far too easy for me to get distracted while the rod is drying.
 
#18 ·
Ha! Bruce you are very right about that. I actually picked up a nifty little wooden tool/structure for wrapping rods this year from a retiring rod builder but I do still have that old box. I just pull both out to the kitchen table together. One to hold the odds and ends I need, the other to hold the thread and rod piece. Ron
 
#20 ·
I have a set up made of scrap bits of wood. It's basically the same as the cardboard box! I also made a drying setup using the motor out of a tape recorder that someone dropped off a bridge. However, I did buy a thread tensioner. $10 seemed like a reasonable amount for it at the time, and it has been worth it.
 
#21 ·
I am just finishing up a thread wrapper. If I had to buy all of the wood, springs and bolts I might have $15 tied up. If you are you going to the show in Lynnwood in Feb. maybe we can connect and you can see what I have. By the way fly fishing and all of the associated activities are terminal. But what a way to go.

Jerry
 
#22 ·
Well, I have only build 1 fiberglass rod so far but I used a bobbin, the mudhole RDS rod dryer $40, and I bought the extra V mounting. I basically, removed the motor and slotted the V when I am wrapping. I put the motor back when I am finishing. The silk thread will go through the bobbin and straight to the blank without the use of any extra tensioner. I spun the blank by hand and angled the tip of bobbin to create tension.
I found it easy to control the tension and to lay the thread flat, and no fray on the silk thread since it was going straight from the spool to the blank.
When I made a mistake, I just roll the spool back and it would roll the blank back as well. I used the masking tape spool to create counterweight to balance the blank and to help me to prevent the blank from roll back when the bobbin was hanging freely.
 
#23 ·
When I started building rod, I built a rod wrapper very similar to this one.

http://www.rodbuilding.org/library/buildjig.html

Instead of building the thread holder and tensioner, I bought one of those C clamp thread holder and tensioners from Cabelas and clamped it to a small piece of 1x2 that is set up to slide along the center slit in the rod holder in the above plans. I also bought 2 low rpm motors and made a simple rod turner for finishing the rods. I can turn 2 rods at once if needed. I have built about 60 rods with it.

Dr Bob :cool:
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top