Can someone from PacBay, etc,etc who sells these rod wrappers and dryers with these USELESS chucks please come up with at least an apology for foisting off these chucks[I dropped (6) rods in the last two days]? I have tried everything: Velco, elastic bands, hose clamps. While PacBay is AVOIDING this problem, does anyone else have a suggestion?
Thanks

"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

Masking tape around the chuck and onto the grip. Are you using the upgraded chuck or the standard plastic jobbie?

I've been using the tape deal, and as long as you don't forget it, it works pretty well. I plan to change my 4 position dryer out to the flex coat style holder (I've never had anything fall out of those).

You can search the pac bay chuck threads to see a lot of suggestions. What you won't find is anyone from Pac Bay ready to make it right. I had numerous emails and conversations with them at least a year ago and they promised a resolution; but I guess why fix a problem people are still willing to buy?!?!.

I've purchased my last Pac Bay anything until they fix this problem. JMO

Walt



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/21/2008 07:22PM by Walt Davenport.

Tighten the locking nut well and make sure you have it going clockwise. For extra security, you can use a zip tie or tape ... but it isn't necessary IF you are turning clockwise.

Jim, you are the second one to refer to a locking nut?? Do you mean the large round wheel that controls the jaws or am I missing something??

There is a piece of metal that is behind the plastic wheel. If you tighten the wheel and then tighten the locking bar it will stay tighter. I have not had one fall off yet.

Matt White

Install counter balance rod and weights if turning an extremely heavy set of roller guides

Level

Turn clockwise for rotation

Wrap masking tape on the part of blank inserted into the chuck bite area to soften the surface of bite for secure attachment.

Check wheels on each stand to insure no bumps during rotation. One little piece of epoxy on a wheel can cause knocking that will dislodge a rotating blank.

Insure all wheels rotating freely.

I fought a loosening chuck until I discovered a small ball of epoxy on a roller that proved to be the culprit.

This is a tool that will work effectively if all the little problems are dealt with.

Remember to keep the rod level

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Use a rubber band around the blank , I have never had one come out even the heavy stand up rods.

Or do this which is a great idea..

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Level the rod first of all.
The locking nut is a nut behind the plastic chuck, with two metal arms. Once the chuck is tightened, screw this right up to the back of the chuck as much as it will go, finger tight.
Tape is a security fallback in case something loosens up. I have in the past used 2 wraps of tape, around the chuck and onto the grip. PVC electricians tape: it stretches and clamps it a bit. The 2 wraps are put on in opposite rotation.

Clockwise rotation also seems to be key, as rotating anticlockwise will unwind the chuck and it will let go.

Rubber band around the Blank / grip, Rubber band around the jaws. Turn clockwise. Never fallen out since. But I agree, it needs to be addressed by PacBay.

masking tape around the blank or a rubber band works I have had the same problem and was given this advise on this very site! What mine was doing was staying tight but if I left the rod on the dryer and walked away it would slide out of the chuck. The chuck wasn't loose but the rod stand rollers were gripping the blank and kind of threading the blank out of the chuck.Lucky enough the stands and rollers would hold the rod and keep it from falling on the floor.

John,
This chuck may or may not give your problems, even though you have every t hing perfectly adjusted.

For a drying chuck, you might consider one of the flex coat style chucks.
Essentially these are a 2 inch pvc cap, with a piece of neoprene stretched over the end. The neoprene may be held in place with a clamp, or a slightly larger pice of pvc pipe.
Then, on the neoprene piece, there is a hole made of about 1/2 inch in diameter. To use the chuck, simply insert the rod butt in the hole and the neoprene will stretch and there will be about 1/8th to 1/4 inch of neoprene stretched along the rod butt and it will hold securely.

Generally speaking, there is a simple hole in the middle of the pvc cap which holds the chuck to the motor or mounting assembly.

Before switching, I had many rods come loose from the pac bay style chuck. I have never had one come loose from the flex coat - stretched neoprene style chuck.

-------------
For this very reason, when building rods, I almost never use a standard 3 or 4 jaw chuck to hold the rod butt during the build. Rather, I use a jacobs style keyless chuck - in which I chuck a steel or solid glass rod - which is inserted into the butt of the rod - before installing a butt cap. If necessary, I will put necessary masking tape wraps on the solid rod to insure that the rod makes a nice tight friction fit with the inside of the rod butt.

Generally speaking, the very last thing that I do before finishing a rod is to put on the butt cap. Then, and only then do I use the flex style stretched neoprene chuck to hold the rod during coating application and drying.

Good luck and I hope that it will all work out.

Roger

I feel this is not a question of tool performance, but one of human ability.

I have both of the Pac Bay lathe chucks.

No problem with either of the units. I do prefer the newer one.

My lathe is treated very badly and in very harsh conditions for it's size.
No probs.

Look to what you are doing .

Paul

I fish therefore I am.
www.hookeduprods.com

6 rods in 2 days! Ouch! I've built up several rods with my Pac Bay Dryer and haven't had a problem. There should be a large metal bar behind the nut behind the chuck head. Make sure this is cranked down! There is also a little allen screw behind that bar, I make sure both are tightened. Then I put the butt in the chuck and use a hose clamp around the jaws. I make sure the rod is level before I start the motor. I also found that if you stop the rod from rotating by hand, it will switch direction! No problem with it loosening, even when doing this! I was even able to rotate a 6' long Fiberglass gaff with a 5" gap Hook; the hook weighs 12 oz alone! No problems with this coming out or loosening, either!

I bought a Pac Bay lathe a couple of months ago after reading reviews about several different models here in this forum. Most guys felt this was the best for the money. I was going to buy the upgraded chuck but the vendors were out of them at the time. I have built about 1/2 dozen rods (fly & spinning) on it w/ the plastic chuck and by putting masking tape tightly around the blank, holding the chuck tightly as I can closed w/ one hand and tighening the locking device (locknut or locking bar) w/ the other hand, I haven't had any problems. So I've put off buying the upgraded chuck for now to save some $$. Is there more than one model plastic chuck, older & new style?? If so, maybe it's the older chuck giving everyone problems because I certainly haven't had any yet and I am no mechanical genius by any means!!

Snooker Pete

Boy, this topic comes up all the time, doesn't it? I concur with Jim Gamble here. I have written before that I never have a rod come out of my Pac Bay wrapper or dryer, both equipped with the standard chuck. I do just as Jim says; after tightening the rod grip in the chuck by turning the plastic wheel tight, I turn the metal locking nut counterclockwise very snugly. Then I start the drying motor, always in a clockwise direction, and I even grab the locking nut once while the rod is turning, just to make sure I'm locked tight. This equipment hasn't failed me yet. Try this method and see if it doesn't work for you.

I'm with the "it works fine for me crowd". I've had my lathe and two seperate dryer units all from Pac Bay for about a year now. I build on average a rod a week, and have not had a single rod fall out.

Harold

When i first started out... i had the same problem because i thought the only place to tighten the chuck was the large plastic wheel ... dropped 3 rods. after i discover the metal bar behind the chuck plastic wheel... it never happened again. I feel the all these discover could be easily solved if Pacbay improves its instruction sheet that comes with the dryer (in fact when i bought it, there wasn't any instruction sheets at all) ... in fact even the Pacbay Lathe does not come with very good instruction sheet... i broke a lathe rubber band not knowing that i have to remove the rubber band from the Wrapper motor before engaging the dryer motor.

A manufacturer cant assume that novices knows how to operate the dryer from day one...

We've had the problem with the "upgrade" chuck on the lathe but rarely with the dryer units that have the locking nut as described above.

The problem with the lathe chuck is that when in winding mode it spins in the same direction as the rotation to open it, so it loosens itself. It's exactly backward from how the thread should be machined. There are lots of remedies but the point is that there shouldn't have to be any remedies to begin with.

Pac Bay apprently could care less. No point in even talking or writing to them. Apparently in this one thing their version of customer service is no service at all. They seem to be good folks otherwise, though, although a number of their distributors have had a year's worth of trouble getting stock in a timely manner. Lots of backorders. Too bad, because we like many of their products.

When the super chuck is in drying mode you can force it, with very little effort, to turn the other way and thereby eliminate the problem.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods