I am very new to Rod building, I am assembling together tools that I need to get started. I just bought a great workbench today, roughly 6 feet long. Hope that is long enough 30 inches wide.

I two more major things:

1. Electric Dryer
2. Electric Weaver

Now, I watched Flex Coat video on rodbuilding, and it seems like the elecric weaver just makes things so much easier, is that true. I plan on just building for personal enjoyment and very close friends(which will still mean lots of rods:))

If anyone can recommend these tools and good prices I would appreciate it. Could anyone else tell me what other major tools I need to start with?

Electric dryer.. Pretty much anyplace you can find a low speed motor. Some swear by 2 rpm. I like to hand turn while drying but when I can't I use a 30-ish, though I'll be gearing it down slower soon.

An electric weaver??? I'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about here. I think someone might be pulling your lariat or you have some terms mixed up. The only thing electricity does in rod building is rotate the blank as you turn, and it is something that you really do not need, though in some cases it may make life very slightly easier.

All you need at this point Jeff, is a support for the rod blank (rollers, felt lined blocks. your knees), something to add tension to the thread (expensive magnetic contraptions, or a heavy book, even your fingers), something flat with blunt corners to pack thread (commercially made "thread packers" or a popsicle stick), and perhaps something slightly round to burnish thread (commercial burnisher or zippo ligher, smooth rock, fingernail, bic pen, etc).

Rod building is more about technique than it is equipment. Grind well, wrap tight, watch your glue lines, and maintain integrity with your assembly. Anything else will follow.

Hi Jeffrey
Drop me a E-mail and i can set you up with tools or a list of tools you will need.
Mark Crouse-The Munich rod man

Jeffrey,

The very first thing that you should do is buy a copy of Rodbuilding Guide by Tom Kirkman - the best $15 you will ever spend. As far as I know there is no such thing as an electric weaver. Weaving is a very advanced form of thread art and is done by hand one thread at a time. An electric dryer is just a small motor and a support to hold the rod while drying. I have several and actually prefer to hand turn for a nicer finish.

Like Mick said, a hand wrapper is more than adequate, There are some excellant builders that have been turning out great work for many years without an electric wrapper. There are several types of power wrappers and at this point, you would have no idea what type, if any, would suit your needs.

Mike



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2005 12:51AM by Mike Barkley.

IMO, a manual rod wrapping jig IS necessary. A motorized jig is NOT, unless you plan on building at least several rods each month. Only on long underwraps are you likely to save much time. Decorative Butt-wraps / Cross-wraps (like Diamonds, Chevrons) are best done by hand, and even off the rack, so electric power is pretty much out of the question. And automated WEAVING is totally out of the question, unless you know something about textile manufacturing or tapestry weaving that you're not telling us.

If you wish to see some nice plans for a well-designed MANUAL ROD WRAPPING JIG, go to the RBO Library and get the Article:
"The Easy To Build Rod Wrapping Jig" by Greg Pennell
[www.rodbuilding.org]


If you want to see some recent comments on MOTORIZED Rod Wrapping Jigs, go to this Thread, which may still be at the bottom of your Front Page of Messages:
new rod wrapper [ maybe] ... Ken Blevins Oct. 9, 2005
[www.rodbuilding.org]
"Last year, my first at building rods, I finished 12 rods. Of the 12 rods, I use 6 weekly and have all but stopped using factory built rods. The rods I built last year where done on an old wrapper / dryer combo rig, that, while it worked OK , I'm looking to upgrade. I figure to spend about $300.00, or somewhere around that amount. I know this question has been asked at least 1k times. BUT for the money, what would be the best buy . Easy to use and expandability are important // - Thanks in advance, Ken Blevins."


For a outline directions on a MANUAL Rod Wrapping Jig that is an alternate to Greg Pennell's design, take a look here (or imitate or order what you see in any of the Sponsor Catalogs):
Re: Wrappers for Stand up/heavier salt water rods
Cliff Hall Aug. 29, 2005 [www.rodbuilding.org]
"MANUAL ROD WRAPPING JIG (Cliff Hall): It keeps the "hand-made" aspect alive. To make a manual rod wrapping jig, you can use clean & straight "2x4" lumber. Use 1/4" wood dowels as pegs to connect the uprights to the base. This jig has adjustable distance between supports. Cost under $20 for all wood and can of polyurethane finish and felt. It can also do double duty as a manual rod drying-rack. "

I mispoke, and I applogise for that. When I said electric weaver I met electric wrapper. The electric wrappers look to make life easier. OK...sorry about that. Anyhow I was looking here:
[shop.mudhole.com]

I just want the best bang for my buck. If it is the $399.00 OEM Flex Coat so be it, I just don't want to by something for $200.00 to only want to ditch it 6 months from now. I appreciate everyones feedback.

I had a question about the magazine, how many issues are released annually. It wan't on the subscription page. I plan on getting the book mentioned above.

Marc-

I left you an email thanks!

Jeffrey,

One thing about rod building is that cost is NOT necessarily relevant to quality/usefulness. Whether you spend $59 for a decent handwrapper or $800 for a Renzetti, you may still want to ditch it in 6 months. At this point, not having built a rod, I wouldn't even consider a power wrapper! Everyone has different opinions on wrappers and no one can tell you what will work for you.

A powee wrapper does NOT necesarily make life any easier for you. It will make LONG underwraps go faster (not easier)but doesn't work for decorative butt wraps, etc. Power wrapping versus manual wrapping is a matter of personal preference. You might want to get some experience before you decide.

Mike

Jeez....I started with a cardboard box w/ notches cut in the sides, and an old textbook for thread tension. Worked pretty darn good if you ask me! Built a nice wrapper with rollerblade wheel rollers based on pics from the photo pages for about $30 and I'm tickled pink. Wrapping by hand is pretty easy and quick, even with the cardboard box!! I've even turned cork grips with "the box." Okay, yeah it was an old beer box (Alaskan Amber!!) but thats not the point! LOL. Unless your starting a rod shop I couldn't imagine spending that much just to spend a bunch on building a nice rod or two or twenty for that matter...then again, I'm just a poor starving college student addicted to flyfishing LOL...IMHO Spend the $400 on some nice blanks, some thread, and a rattail file!

Ray,
Juneau, AK

i picked up a wood wrapping stand (jig) from a very popular online @#$%& site for about $30. i could have used a box but went with the premade thingie. it works fine. my intention was to use it, figure out how i could miprove it and make my own. so far, i'm still using it. i also bought an electric dryer, basically two stands, one with a motor on it at 6rpm for about $25, same site. that has a slight design flaw but works well enough too. look at the photos of wrapping jigs at this site's photo pages and you'll get an idea what wrapping stands look like. very easy to make if you have the space, simple tools and supplies and the will.

i'd save the money and instead of buying a $200+ wrapper, use it for blanks and components. and books, and videos and the national rod builders show and internet access fees to read this web site.

eric
fresno, ca.

Jeffrey,
Save your money, you're getting good advice here from all the posts. I started wrapping with 2X4 blocks, notched and lined with velvet , bought in a craft store, that was 30 yrs. ago, I used this same set up until a few yrs. ago. I finally have a power wrapper it is a fine piece of equipment but you will not save a lot of time, only slightly more convenient. You need to learn rod making techniques and build quite a few rods first before you know what other equipment you will need for your particular set up.
As to a drier, I used a barbeque rotisserie motor for the same time as I hand turned wraps, I still have it and still use it. It turns about 6 RPM and is right for me but other builders using different techniques will swear by a drier that will turn anywhere from 2 to 30 rpm. You have to find out what suits you for your techniques. This will only come by time and experience.
Take the advice offered here, do your research, defininely subscribe to Rod Maker and get instructions ( this website has several) and good luck in your future adventures.
Sam Fox
Fox Rods

There is such a thing as an electric Weaver. It is a big machine which teh rod stands upright (Vertically, butt ont eh floor, tip towards teh cieling). Tehre are little rotating I think they are called Bobbins which when teh machine turns on wrap teh thread around teh blank in a particualr pattern.

Anyone who has seen a Sea Isle Custom Rod from Freeport, NY has seen their standard colored Maroon, Yellow and Black wrap which was made by this machine. I believe at some point another Rodbuilder purchesed one of these machines from a shop in Maine, but never put it to use.

About 25 years ago I started out with this setup [www.jannsnetcraft.com] and it is what I still use, though I recently modified the thread "carriage" [www.rodbuilding.org]. It's the only thing I use that is marketed for rod building. I can't imagine spending a couple hundred bucks on a power wrapper. I am kicking the idea of making one just for giggles, but can't really see the advantage except for not having some slightly sore fingers at the end of a long rod. As mentioned, I think you'll be better off spending the cash on components and later on, decide if you want to invest in a commercial power setup.

I have been rodbuilding for just over a year. I recently bought a Renzetti rod lathe, but it had nothing to do with needing it. I used a home made wrapper built from Dale Clemens first book. Then as I worked with it I started modifying it to make it more comfortable to use. But tinkering with tools is not building rods.

When the oportunity presented it self I bought the Renzetti. It is the first "Hobby" tool I have ever bought that was considered the top of the line. I do not regret it. But it was something I wanted to do. Justification had nothing to do with it.

A few ideas on tools noone has mentioned. You will want a variety of small hand tools to help you with packing threads, pulling threads, smoothing threads, spreading glues & finishes, etc. I was able to pick through a whole drawer of great tools at my dentist's office, just ask, I'm sure they can accomidate your request if you tell them what you'll use them for. Many keep old, unused tools in a drawer somewhere. Also, sewing and knitting shops have a number of nice tools to help you deal with threads. A cloth measuring tape, attached to a work table is handy when measuring blanks for guide placement. A white china marker (grease pencil to some) is good for marking blanks. Art supply stores, in their clay & paint brush areas, will have a selection of spatulas which are nice for glues & finish mixing & spreading. I like the dollar store paint brushes for applying finishes as well. A dollar will getyou a big supply. I cut the plastic bristles at an angle to get the spread I like. Oh!...an alcohol lamp is nice for singeing off thread "fuzzies" & for heating old metal reel seats to remove them. Hmmm...I'm running out of thoughts. Just remember, this activity is a monster and it needs to be fed...often!

Enjoy!

Tim

Don't let 'em fool ya. It's all about the tools. He who dies with the most toys WINS!

Cliff Hall wrote: "And automated WEAVING is totally out of the question, unless you know something about textile manufacturing or tapestry weaving that you're not telling us."

I stand corrected. I just I got nabbed without a passport in the Vivona-Zona:

Billy Vivona wrote: "There is such a thing as an electric Weaver. It is a big machine which teh rod stands upright (Vertically, butt ont eh floor, tip towards teh cieling). Tehre are little rotating I think they are called Bobbins which when teh machine turns on wrap teh thread around teh blank in a particualr pattern. ... Anyone who has seen a Sea Isle Custom Rod from Freeport, NY has seen their standard colored Maroon, Yellow and Black wrap which was made by this machine."

Thanks, Billy V. for that reminder. Never say it can't be done, eh?
-Cliff Hall, Gainesville, FL-USA+++

DOUBLE-POST - SORRY -DELETED - Cliff Hall+++



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/12/2005 04:47PM by Cliff Hall.

Cliff - do you remember those Sea Isle rods? They've been around for quite some time. I was in teh back a few years ago and watched the machine work - really cool, but simple. The rod sits there motionless, which the bobbins (I think there are 3 trays with 4 bobbins on each, somethign like that) - each tray rotates, and teh entire 3 tray system rotates around teh blank at teh same time.

Billy, - I think I do remember those rods, but I can't find the old Sea Isle Catalog I used to have, so my re-collection could be succumbing to the power of suggestion. .. A really neat idea, anyway, for sure, but quite an investment I would think, money and space wise. .. If I were King, I think we could do better - How about mermaids dancing the thread around the rod blank - We'll call it "Fantasy Isle Custom Rod & Reel." Showtimes: 12 noon & 6 pm, Monday - Saturday. Closed Sunday. LOL, -Cliff Hall+++

You're too new at this to worry about a power wrapper for the time being. But, in the event you stay with the craft and revisit the idea of buying one a bit later, I'd remind you that a power wrapper can do much more than just wrap. With the proper attachments you can sand, turn, bore, clean, grind, etc. A good power wrapper/rod lathe is much more than just a tool to make thread wraps with.

..............