I've been using a Sully's motor for awhile now (which I dislike a whole lot - but that's a different topic). Does anyone have any recommendations for a better method of chucking tip sections while drying - either with a Sully's motor or a different motor? The wooden ferrule thing is awful to use. A 3-jaw setup would work well, but I need something to grip onto so I can still finish my ferrule wraps.

John

I have been using a scrap piece of blank with a couple of inches of cork mounted on it. It's like chucking a handle that way. Granted you may have to make several depending on how many different rod sizes you routinely build but If you make them about a foot long each one will work on several sizes of rods. I also use these while wrapping my ferrules, makes life a little easier for me.

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

Instead of using a tapered wooden dowel to insert into the female ferrule, I use a tapered (whittled) glue stick. The stick tapers gradually from its original diameter to around 1/8”. This easily wedges into the female ferrule and is flexible enough that it flexes as the rod turns, without dislodging.

Jeff Shafer

One wood dowel and masking tape as needed.

John, I find that all chucks, adjustable or non-adjustable, having their particular quirks.

I like Jim Shafer's suggestion, as long as the chuck is adjustable. But Sully's is a "friction" fit unless I'm mistaken. I found a website that ilustrated the wooden dowl procedure, using masking tape to adjust for thickness and to add a little more holding power. Flex-coat drying motors, which use the rubber friction-fit chucks, and which I used many times in the past, also requires a "custom-made" tool in order to finish tip sections. I made a tool using a section of broken rod. I wrapped masking tape into a ping-pong ball-sized ball onto the end that went into the chuck, and wrapped rubber bands, cross-wise, between the chuck and the tool to ensure the rod wouldn't work itself out of the chuck during rotation. You might consider something along those lines.

I've also made my own finishing motor assemblies using pvc end caps and 3 nylon thumb screws. The screws are soft enough to prevent marring the rod tip, but have enought friction to hold the tip. You can also install rubber caps on the end, but I found that unnecessary.
The neat thing about this setup is that you can down-size the chuck to accomodate the rod tip section.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2007 06:15PM by Patrick Vernacchio.

Thanks guys. Great ideas. Yes, the Sully's is a friction fit chuck and isn't adjustable at all. I'm not a huge fan of the motor - it's pretty rough.

I use the PVC cap with the plastic screws also but I use rubber bands to hold the blank(Screw-skip a screw-screw). will hold Small blanks (hope thats clear)

I also prefer the pvc chucks with 4 screws and rubber band. For me it's much faster and easier and works on diameter (even a fly tip)

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 also use the PVC cap with nylon screws. But I use a thread spool with a scrap piece of blank that will fit into the female ferrule to hold the tip section. If you have a male tip section you could just put that in the spool. If it's smaller than the spool opening wrap masking tape around it to fit snugly. Works for me!!

Bill in WV

Bill, Great re-use of a resource. I'll have to save some of my spools and try that. I'm an old scrounger from the word go!

I bought a chuck from Jann's (about $24.00). I wrap enough masking tape on the rod end to provide a good grip. I have turned cork and shaped EVE with this method.



Dan Hogan