Hi Folks,
I saw that there had been a question about the thread tensioner on the cover of the most recent RM issue. Thanks to both Bill and Tom for piping up about it. To give everyone some more info, here is the text that comes with the tool. I admit, it's wordy, but so are most of the instructional brochures that accompany Golden Witch tools.
Best regards,
Russ

The Classic Rod Winder
A Golden Witch Reproduction Series Tool

The Classic Rod Winder is the first in the Golden Witch series of reproduction tools for rodmakers and anglers. Based on the Thompson Rod Winder, which was introduced early in this century and later popularized by a similar version produced by Herter’s, our tool is faithful to the basic form and function of the original. Our goal in issuing the reproduction was not merely to bring a valuable tool back to rodmaking, it was to improve the tool in every manner possible.

Originally cast from iron, we are using the manganese bronze favored by the manufacturers of today’s highest quality hand tools. Manganese bronze is a beautiful metal, but more importantly it is durable and corrosion resistant. The bulk of the cast surfaces have been left with the sand cast texture to reduce annoying glare.

All of the fittings on the Classic Rod Winder have been improved to ensure longevity. The dowel on which the thread mounts has been reduced in diameter slightly to allow the use of nearly every spool on the market, including the inimitable Pearsall’s Gossamer Rod Whipping Silk. The thread dowel is now stainless steel rather than aluminum. The clamping screw and swivel head are also manufactured from stainless steel rather than the original chrome plated steel which tended to loose its plating and then corrode. The tensioning screw has a fancy knurled head and a steel shank, both improvements over the original plated thumbscrew.

The thread bed has been extended by half an inch to accommodate the longer spools of thread used by many modern rodmakers. Most importantly, we have machined the thread bed smooth so that you can wrap with the finest diameter silks. The original winders the thread bed was left textured by the sand casting and that roughness made for "jerky" wrapping, often bumpy enough to break thread. Many makers compensated by lining the thread bed with a sheet of aluminum. Our reproductions need no compensation. They are a rodmaking classic, improved.

(Please note: If you do feel that the thread is jerky or bouncy when pulling it from the Classic Rod Winder, this is a function of the spool itself. More than likely you’ll find a small sprue from the injection molding process that sticks out past the circumference of the spool. Nip this nubbin with a razor and you’ll have a much smoother thread feed.)

When issuing the reproductions we have not included the rod support included on the original. There are two reasons for this. First, most rodmakers we spoke with have discarded the support, preferring instead to simply support the rod in their hands while wrapping. Second, for those who prefer a support, L.A. Garcia’s excellent book, Handcrafting a Graphite Fly Rod, contains an short chapter on using this tool and demonstrates a far superior rod support system.

Operation

Operation is simple. Clamp your Classic Rod Winder to a bench top. If your bench top is too thick to accommodate the 1 ½" opening in the clamp, securely mount a 1" thick board at the edge of your bench onto which you can clamp the winder.

Pull down on the thumb tab and mount your thread spool on the dowel. Release the tab to clamp the thread. Adjust the knurled screw to set the desired tension. No matter how many times you switch spools, the tension will remain the same until you re-adjust it. Now both of your hands are unencumbered for easy wrapping.

In addition to its standard use for winding guide wraps, signature wraps, &c., the Classic Rod Winder is ideal for tensioning the heavy nylon thread used by bamboo rodmakers for wrapping down ferrule tabs until the ferrule adhesive sets. Furthermore, some bamboo rodmakers like to quickly spiral a light thread down glue slathered rod sections before running the sections through a glue binder such as the Bellinger Binder. This allows the maker to remove tape during the initial spiraling rather than while cranking the rod section through the binder, ensuring a smooth, continuous pass through the binder and, thus, straighter rod sections.

Enjoy your Classic Rod Winder!
(The End)

Russ,
I learned on one of the these and liked the way the tension was on the spool and not the thread like the Pac Bay machine I currently use.
How far in does the clamp go? I am thinking of adapting this to the thread carrage on my Pac Bay so it will slide up and down the tracks.

Thanks,


Bill OConnor

PS I asume it works great with A threads. Too bad the days of wood spools is gone!

Hi Bill,
Yes, this winder works fine with size A thread and, yes, it is a shame that wooden spools are gone - they roll much more smoothly, with no effort needed to clean them up.

As to your question, "How far in does the clamp go?" The top (fixed) clamping surface extends back about 1-1/8" from the upright body of the winder. The bottom (adjustable) clamping plate is about 1/2" in diameter and has a maximum clamping capacity of 1-1/2". I hope this answers your question.

Best regards,
Russ

Thanks,
Ill take thses measurements to the bench and see if it will work before I order.
Great web site by the way!