built it from scratch and just finished my first rod on it. its not too hard to do - all you really need is a stable base for turning the rod. The spool tensioner is just a 1/4" bolt with a spring, some washers, and two nuts so they lock and don't spin off the end. There are some pictures of what other people have done in the rod building gallery. I am going to make the thread tensioner adjustable, but I don't have a router right now so I just moved the screws as needed.
