I've got the Pac Bay upgraded chuck for my wrapper. I'm beginning to get frustrated with it though. My rods keep slipping out of it. It doesn't matter how tight I get the chuck, the rods won't stay in. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

AC
FishinFreaks
Rogers, MN

90% of the time that stems from the blank not being level. Set your supports so that the blank's tip is 4-9/16" above the upper part of the bed. That will make it level with the chuck's center line.

Extra tips would be to make sure your support arms aren't so tight that they make the blank hard to rotate. Finally, when you leave a rod in the chuck to dry, make sure the chuck is turning towards you (counter clockwise looking at the chuck face), and raise the upper support arms (or at least two out of three).

Mark Griffin
[]
C&M Custom Tackle
San Dimas, California

If your not using rubber butt caps, perhaps slipping an oversize rubber cap on and compressing it with the chuck will cure the problem.
Are the rods walking out the front of the chuck or is the chuck loosening during rotation?
If it is walking out, the rod may not be quite level and adjusting the rod supports may help.
Mine came with two sets of rubber jaws one for small diameter butts the other for large.
I have only used it twice at high rpm and with one crooked blank I really had to keep an eye on it.

Very Simple...

A tip from Capt Neil...

Wrap a rubber band on the end of the butt and clamp on the rubber band. It will not open now...

It works like magic...Saved me from throwing out my Pac Bay. I have had the rod rotating for over 10 hours..(forgot it was on..) Not an issue..

Ernie

..

Below is part of the reply I received from Bob Lee of Pac Bay; this was in response to a problem I've been having with the quad dryer. This may be similar to what you're experiencing. Either way it sounds like Pac Bay has got room for improvement with their chucks.

"With regards to the rods falling off issue, upon our investigation, it seems that the angle the rod is resting on the support will create a "screwing" action which will rotate the rod out of the gripping jaws. We are working on a new design that will eliminate this problem.

As a band-aid for now, you could affix pieces of soft foam (any used EVA material around?) and the "give" the foam pieces will provide a better grip to hold the rod in place. Try it out and let me know how it works!

Again, much appreciation for your feedback to help us improve our product and service. "

AC,
Does your chuck have the rubber/plastic coverings for the aluminum jaws.
Some of the first chucks were plain aluminum.
Most of these chucks, whether they are Pac Bay, Shurline, or Penn insdustries - have the same problem - in that the rods will work out of the chuck.

However, the upgraded Pac Bay chuck as a rubber/plastic cap for each jaw.
With the cap in place over the jaws; I have yet to have a rod come out of the lathe.

Take care
Roger

Been there, done that.... try a piece of cork tape over the plastic covers

[www.bloodydecks.com]

Great idea!! Thanks! How about posting that pic on the RBO Photo Page so it will always be available to builders??

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!!

you got it!!

Thanks for all the input guys. The butt cap I've really been struggling with this week is about 1/2 EVA. I'm smashing it as I tighten down the chuck. It does have the plastic coverings. I'll try the cork tape and the rubber band ideas and see how they work. Ken, I'll be watching for your pic, too!

Thanks again.

Aaron

AC
FishinFreaks
Rogers, MN

I went through all of that too. I tried leveling and futsing with it until I got bored. About 10 minutes since my attention span goes to nil when I am not having fun. I finally took a very small bungee cord, padded its hooks with tape, and streached it from the reel seat hood to the chuck. It works great except it does throw everything off balance at VERY high speeds. Good thing I can't control anything at those speeds anyhow. On the rod I built with no reel seat, I wrapped blue tape around the cork tape handle where the reel would go and attached the shock cord to that. I would love to think I had everything working properly, but so far I have had to settle for building and drying 4 rods with this amatuerish solution. I could not live with a Gerry rigged solution on a rod, but on a tool? The wraps and finishes know no difference. I am thinking I need to attend the ICRBE and hope to win a Renzetti! Is one up for door prize this year?

I found that after I used some foam insulation material on the inside of the jaws, I also held the jaws shut by using a 1" wide Velcro strip wrapped around the outside of the jaws.

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble.It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." Mark Twain
John in Wethersfield, CT