Mick, your photo of the "Tensioners" where there are six spools of thread............ is each tensioner a homemade rig? If yes, where did you get the springs and what is the component make up . I think I have a pretty good idea just from the photo. I have been using some Trilobal Polyester from Coats and Clark. It is in one of the larger, longer spools. I have two simple Calvin Portable rod wrappers and the spool will not quite fit. So I have been using the old stand by thread through a book. It works but is a cumbersome pain in the behind. I would like to make something simple and functional for wrapping with these bigger spools. No need to re-invent the wheel if someone has an blueprint I'd be a willing recpient. Thanks Steve

Steve,

Might be best emailing Mick directly, I know he has been real busy lately and doesn't get to visit RBO as much as he would like.

Myles, quite true. Busy as a one-eyed cat watching two mouseholes. It was 4 mouseholes, so it's getting better!

Steve, The lower "clamp" section is the tensioner from my Netcraft wrapper. [www.jannsnetcraft.com] The vinyl thread tube was replaced with a tip section of a broken rod and the spool clamp was replaced with the new holder, which is a pre-drilled 8" straight bracket, 6" x 1/4" carriage bolts, nuts, 1" washers, 1/2" nylon spacers, springs and some wing nuts. I got all the parts at Home Depot or Lowes... one of the big stores, but the same parts can be found at Sears. I have since replaced the wing nuts with squeeze on binder clips. The wing nuts liked to wander, even with the nylon spacers, so I was readjusting tension far too often. The clips also make changing spools a breeze and do not move at all once on. You can get a good look at the clips on an even simpler tensioner made by Bill Stevens here [www.rodbuilding.org]

You could easily get by with 4" bolts or even 3". No real rules, just make sure that you allow room for a spring. Take a spool of thread with you, and find the springs you want first. It's all cake from there.

Here is the same thing done a little differently. Just springs putting pressure on the spools of thread. [www.rodbuilding.org]