Those of you that have made your own wrappers and used a slide track down through the middle of the base, where did you find the slide tracks? I checked the local home stores but found nothing.

"The early bird gets the worm,.. but the second mouse gets the cheese!"

Go to Rockler Hardware there in Greensboro and you can find much more of this sort of thing. They're located back behind all that mess at the Wendover/I-40 interchange.

...........

Thanks Tom!!

"The early bird gets the worm,.. but the second mouse gets the cheese!"

I made my wrapper out of wood. Took one piece 6"x6' wide for bottom took another 6"x6' wide ripped off the both outside edges with a table saw, with blade set at agnle;. then ripped board in half (blade strait) turned beveled edges toward each other to create a chanel (wider part facing down). Then succured them to bottom piece. Cut 6x8" pieces for my rod support bases, cut 8"piece 1"wide at top by what ever angle use used on boards I ripped. Nailed and glued to center of 6x8" base piece so it would slide back and forth in chanel created by the first assemble. I built some extra rod support pieces a little taller without chanel piece on bottom to use as free standing supports for longer rods. I then used candle wax in chanel so it would slide back and forth easer.

I made mine with 1 1/2" buy 1 1/2" aluminum angle screwed onto a 3 1/2" buy 3/4' wood. Leaves a gap between the angle of 3/4"

I made my wrapper/power lathe for nothing at all and still use it thirty plus years later.
Nothing fancy but it works great.
I was 8 years old when I made it without a dime to my name. lol
A scrap piece of 2" x 6" x about 18 to 20 inches is all that's needed for a "base".
A pair of plastic caster wheels 2 1/2 " in diameter at each end inserted into two holes drilled in each end for the caster's stems did the trick there.
A little masking tape on the wheels to protect the blanks.
Three lengths of cotton twine with three screw eyes for tie downs to keep the blanks from rolling off the casters and three more screw eyes on the oppostie side of the first three to secure the cotton twine and you're in business. I put a couple more holes in the wood to put spindles in for thread spools. The spindles are short pencilswith a nail running through the pencils to keep the pencils from falling through if you pick up the wrapper to move it or store it away on a shelf or in a closet, etc etc etc.
I use a C clamp to hold the wrapper down when I use it as a power lathe with a variable locking speed, reversible drill in a drill stand that only cost me a buck and already had at the time anyway.
The whole deal excluding the drill stand cost me nothing but a little time. The drill stand was already purchased and was only a buck. Total cost: One Dollar !!! ;-)

I read the latest article about the homemade wrapper made for $260 ... nice and resembles a Renzetti lathe ... but I still wouldn't spend that much money on what I can make for next to nothing.
These guys are coming up with expensive "solutions" to what should be a simple and cheap way to get the job(s) done. I am amazed at what the dollar can buy though !!!

Good wrapping.
Randy Wilinski

Could you post a picture of that?

Wish I could post a pic of that ... but Hurricane Ivan last year knocked out my all-in-one-center so my scanner is out of order.

You can email me if you need to ask me any questions about it.
Sorry about the lack of a pic. It is too easy to make though!

There are a few other things I started out with that are still at a minimal cost.
If you wanna know what it really requires to start out and keep it simple lemme know.

Good wrapping.
Randy Wilinski

Hate to hijack this thread but I have a question, how much distance between the casters? I'm assuming that they oppose each other.

Hate to hijack this thread but I have a question, how much distance between the casters? I'm assuming that they oppose each other.

The casters touch each other and turn opposite each other as they turn, even with the rod in place. Later on, the one side developed a slight gap between the wheels, which I tightened the stems of the casters to come closer to each other, with fishing line wrapped around the stems.

Lemme know if you need anything else.
Good wrapping.
Randy Wilinski

The latest issue of RM has an article relating to just this topic.

Cruising scrape metal yards can give ideas. Watch out for snakes & unstable metal piles while exploring.

Stan

Thanks.