Looking to purchase wrapping machine. I will be making my own grips both cork and EVA and would like to be able to shape them after gluing onto the blank.

Have looked in all the catalogs I could find and all say you can turn cork and EVA with them. Other than the Custom Powewrap and the Renzetti (can't afford yet)
any of the others (American Tackle - Forcast - Pacific Bac - Flexcote) seem better suited to handle turning than the other?

Thanks
Jeff

I'm sorry I can't help you much...I use a flexcoat power wrapper and it is pretty much one dimensional (wrapping only) I use a wood lathe now to build my grips and love it. This is just one way you can go. I would love to have a multi-task wrapper (rod lathe) but you also risk contamination from one task to the other. I love my flexcoat pro wrapper but like I said it does have some draw backs as far as multi-tasking. There is a good article in a back issue of Rod Mag. that instructs you on how to build your own rod lathe. This may be a good alternative for you.
Good Luck

Big John
Rio Hondo, Texas
Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting

I have a Renzetti lathe and I just love it , i've had it for years. I can do anything on that i need to do. I can bore, turn wood ,make grips. I only make one rod at a time so I clean up after each step. I find the one Renzetti does it all, so I don't need more than one lathe. Mike

I wrap by hand still (too cheap to buy a rod lathe I guess!). But I did purchase a Grizzly hobby lathe to make turning grips easier. One of the cheapest set-ups you can find on the lathe market and when combined with Andy's mandrels it works like a dream! You can see a picture of the Grizzly in the photo section...or better yet just click below.

[www.rodbuilding.org]



Jay

If at first you don't succeed...try epoxy

I agree with Jay 100%. Except I am lazy and do use a power wrapper. I have not had my lathe very long but IT IS THE GREATEST THING SINCE SLICE BREAD. You will find And Dear a helpful vendor and I have no doubt he will steer you the right way.
Good luck again,

Big John
Rio Hondo, Texas
Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting

Personally, I would prefer a separate lathe for turning, be it a wood lathe, grizzly, home made drill lathe. I have my wood lathe in an area apart from my wrapping station. I know pwople say that you can just clean up when you're done sanding but my wrapping area contains a LOT of stuff (threads, tools, paperwork, etc) and the mess made by sanding/ turning would be a major project to clean. Plus, while I have a rod drying (or if I just want to take a break from wrapping and go turn something, I can just go to the lathe and do it.

Someday, I may break down and get a power wrapper, but so far (20+ years) I have been unable to see where it would be of any use to me. I NEVER do underwraps or long wraps (other than decorative wraps, where power can't be used anyways) and being retired and not a high volume builder, I prefer hand wrapping. I know more than one builder who has a power wrapper that is collecting dust.

With all that being said, power wrappers are a great tool if they help you (or if you just want one!)



Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

I bought an American Tackle [in Dec.] wrapper and it works great. It does everything I wanted it to do, so no complaints .I tried using it as a lathe but the mess was more than I wanted so I bought a Delta lathe that is ok. I did have a problem with my dryer motor, gave Chase [American Tackle] a call and he assured me it would be shipped out the same day. Great service
Ken Blevins

All depends on space available and dollars to invest. If you have room (dollars) for two machines then a separate wood lathe with free spindle/center bore is the way to go. That keeps turning mess separated from rod/thread work as Mike posted. If you don't have either the room or the money for both then the PacBay, American Tackle ,Forecast are all about equal . You can turn cork, EVA and hypalon either on the blank or on a separate mandrel on those machines. It just requires either a dust collection set up or a good shop vac between use as a turning lathe and a 'rod lathe' (thread work) and keeping thread/drying set up islolated (not in use) when shaping. None of those will work well on wood - they turn in the wrong direction (away from you rather than toward you ) and the motor / transfer is not powerful enough (torque) for any type of serious wood working (and none come with a tool stand - likely for that reason). Alternately you could save your money and buy the Renzetti when you have the money (assuming space would still be at issue) and have a reasonably good light wood lathe and a rod lathe with room for expansion (tool rest, overhead lighting, weaving tool etc. all from one highly reputable maker).

Thanks for all the reply's.
Maybe it's more a case of want than need.
At this point I was only thinking of using it to turn cork and EVA . I allready have a hand wrapper and a dryer motor.
I did think about the flexcote hand drill model, but most of the rods I make are one piece in 7-8.6 feet and I didn't think I would get a very well balanced spin out of the flex cote hand drill.

jeff miller Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for all the reply's.
> Maybe it's more a case of want than need.
> At this point I was only thinking of using it to
> turn cork and EVA . I allready have a hand wrapper
> and a dryer motor.
> I did think about the flexcote hand drill model,
> but most of the rods I make are one piece in 7-8.6
> feet and I didn't think I would get a very well
> balanced spin out of the flex cote hand drill.

===========================================

Aha --- "boys and their toys syndrome" ... Know it well , personal knowledge, definite personal affliction. A power wrapper (American Tackle, PacBay, etc) will help you with any long underwraps, and given practice guide wraps are easier with two hands free to stop wrapping to answer phones, grab coffee, stetch and not worry about thread tension loosening . It will help you to cut EVA straight using a piece of size D thread and an arbor. It will shape cork/EVA/hypalon on an arbor or on the blank. I also use mine to run off bulk spooled thread (5,000 and 10,000 yard spools) onto smaller, easier to handle "standard" spools. So there are several good reasons to own one. "Boys and toys" comes in for me when I look and find I have three of them plus a wood lathe and am thinking about adding a small metal lathe as well.

I personally like to turn grips out doors because of the already mentioned 'mess' it makes. Yes you can connect a shop-vac to the lathe, but if I do it outside I can just ignore the clean up...call it the 'man syndrome'. I took my Grizzly hobby lathe bed (< $50) and simply attached it to a wooden saw horse. This keeps things incredibly light and extremely portable. You can keep your lathe in the garage or outbuilding with the need for nothing more than a little electricity when the time comes. Pick it up, set it outside, plug in the drop cord, and start turning...a little breeze keeps things surpisingly clean! No muss, no fuss.

Have my eye on that Renzetti and at this point will just go without until I can justify one. I don't like settling for less. (And yes, that statement comes from the same person that has approx. $100 in his lathe turning set up...go figure!)

Jay



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/2006 02:12PM by Jay Lancaster.