i'm new to this hobby, but, enjoy it quite a bit.

to help me work & enjoy the hobby, i've built a number of things: (wrapping stands, cork clamps, etc.
i've also bought a number of things: a drying/wrapping motor (6 rpm), lots of epoxy, sealer, thread,small tools, etc.

but, now, i'm in the process of buying a couple more motors (12 rpm & 34 rpm). ..then, i think, (today, while i'm working on a new rod,) ...if i really do buy a "good" wrapper, it's going to have these things & i'll have just wasted this money. ...so, maybe i should just bite the bullet, order the equipment i need & get it over with.

what did YOU do??? did you duplicate lots of things? did you buy wrapper/dryer, etc., to begin with? ....aaaaahhhhh, it's just money! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee

Hi Ronnie, I too am fairly new to rod building and have had the same thoughts. I found that I enjoy wrapping by hand and even though a power wrapper is faster I don,t think it is needed unless you are building for business and the speed would be needed (time/profit). The one thing I would suggest is to have a spare drying motor on hand, it happened to me, just applied thread finish and put the rod on the drying motor and it quit working. I had to scramble to wire another motor on the stand. Enjoy.

Darin Travis

Ronnie,

Don't let the possible purchase of a new wrapper stop you from making dryers. The main problem with the dryers on wrappers is that you can only use the dryer or wrapper, not both. I have several dryers and a combo power wrapper/dryer. Having said all of this, I do my wrapping on a home made hand wrapper, finish and turn by hand for at least the first hour or so and then put in a dryer. I do a fair amount of repairs so I often have 3 or 4 rods drying.

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!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/04/2006 05:33PM by Mike Barkley.

I only build part time, and only have one dryer. Many times I wish I had a couple of more, and when I get the chance I'll build some more. I bought a $12 motor, 12 rpm, with a PVC pipe for a chuck. Built a stand for it with leftover wood from when I built my wrapper (from plans in the libary above). In total, for the dryer and hand wrapper, I only have about $20 in parts invested.
I don't really see the need for a power wrapper, since I didn't win the Renzetti in Charlotte like I had planned. LOL

I do all mine by hand too. I have 2 6rpm moters and 1 36 rpm motor. Most of the time I am useing only the first 2. I would like to have a power wrapper for underlaying, but other than that I see no use in it for me.

Lots of nice, straight-forward, well-designed and fine-performing rods can be built without any kind of power wrapper or dryer or lathe or grinder. ...

Like you're saying, making the move from Manual tools to Power tools is mostly a matter of personal choice, not necessity.

Power tools speed up production - and they let us make our mistakes so fast, we didn't even see them coming. B)- Power tools have their own learning curve, too.

In our fast-paced world, there still seems to be something therapeutic and nostalgic in the handi-work of manual rod-building. IMO, -Cliff Hall+++, FL-USA*****

I graduated from a cardboard box to a renzetti. I think for me, it was the best decision I could have made. I wrapped enough rods by hand to know that it was something that I was going to do for as long as I could fish. I like good tools, and this is one that is well thought out, and very functional.
You didn't mention what type of rods you are building. I say this because for me, it makes a difference in weather or not power is helpful. I build anything from 2 wt. flyrods through 130 lb standup rods for BFT. On smaller rods, I may or may not use power. But just being able to put a blank in the chuck and go is worth it. You can walk away from a rod that is in progress, and come back to it when ever you like, and nothing has changed. That alone, to me, makes it worth having a wrapper.
On larger boat/ saltwater/ surf rods, power is great. Alot of these have underwraps, and having power makes these pretty easy.
But you have to have a dedicated space make it worth while.
I only build for me and people that I know, and still manage to crank out quite a few rods.
Mike is correct, you can't have enough dryers!

hey guys,
thanks for the input. i just ordered a couple more dryers -- no matter what i do, if icontinue to build, or work on rods, i'll need them.

i may escalate toe automatic wrappers in the future, but, for now, i'm just going to Wrap & Enjoy!

thanks

ronnie jones