I have been getting alot of requests to convert full rear grips to split grips. I was using my rod lathe to finish the cork after cutting off the cork. Only thing is I think I messed up my motor on my rod lathe, in the middle of doing several rods, it started smoking. To finish them off I took the rod supports off my rod lathe and clamped them to my wood lathe and it worked ok. I was wondering if anyone had some plans or some pictures of a support that I could make for my wood lathe. I have several in-line skate wheels, just looking for ideas how to build a support.

I modified an older wood lathe for the same type purpose. Mine was easy because the bed was of the pipe design so I was able to extend it by acquiring a longer length of heavy wall pipe. I fabricated bases that fit around the pipe and bolted my Pacific Bay rod supports to those new bases.

Not knowing what type lathe or bed you must work with, I would suggest fabricating some time of base, even from wood, and then clamping or bolting your current rod supports to those new bases. As long as you can securely affix your supports to a base that will allow you to clamp or fasten them to the lathe bed, you should be good to go.

Mike,
Here is an example of one of the Many rod supports that I have built to support a rod when turning:

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Basically, the rod supports use 3-skate board bearings. Very high quality and very inexpensive.
The horizontal supports are 1/2 inch thick aluminum with vertical holes drilled for suppors and ends cross drilled and tapped for wing bolts. The aluminum is also drilled and tapped 5/16th for the bearing support bolts.
The vertical supports are 1/4 inch steel rods that the threaded on the ends, and screwed into a 1/2 inch thick aluminum base.

I drill a single hole in the center of the rod support to hold it into the slot of my rod building lathe with a single 1/4 inch carriage bolt. I use a router to route a 1/4 inch slot through the lathe board full length. Then, I use a 1/2 inch bit to relive the back of the base to accomodate the 1/4 inch carriage bolts.

For a motor I simply use a 1/2 hp - 3600 rpm buffer motor with a 1/2 X20 1/2 inch keyless chuck screwed to the end of the motor. I then use a piece of solid blank material to insert into the end of the rods that I am turning, before I put the butt caps on the rods.

You can buy the bearings for less than $1 each. I buy the aluminum from the local metal supply and scrap yard for $$ per lb - irrespective of shape.

When ever I use these rod supports, I take masking tape and put a couple of wraps around the blank to protect the blank while turning the blank. If you don't tape the blank, it is quite likely that you will put wear marks on the blank at the bearing locations due to the 3600 rpm rotating speed of the blank.

I typically use a pair of pliars to tighten the wing bolts on the vertical support rods to insure that nothing comes loose when spinning the blanks at high speed.

Note:
This rod support was essentially a copy of the rod supports used by a local rod bulding company who has many such stands in daily use. The assemble virtually all of their grips on the rod using raw cork and or eva or syncork. Then, vitually all of their handles are turned on the rod, while spinning the entire assembly at either 1750 rpm or 3600 rpm - depending on the motor being used.

Take care
Roger

p.s.
The construction of these stands is really expedited by the use of a drill press - essentially mandantory - and the use of a good drill press vise.
Without the use of a drill press and vise, it is next to impossible to get the straight and uniform hole alignments necessary for these stands to work properly.
The vertical holes through the horizontal bars have to be located and drilled exactly correct, or the bars will not properly slide up and down without binding.

Also the use of a good set of tap and dies are necessary, as is the use of a good aluminum thread cutting liquid. Be sure to get ALUMINUM thread cutting liquid, not steel cutting liqued. They are different, and one won't work properly for the other.

Roger

p.s.
If you have a friend that is a good machinest with good tools, it will be an easy project for the friend to construct with his equipment.

Mine is similar but made out of wood : [www.rodbuilding.org]

take a look at the equipment section of the photo page.A lot of ideas

Bill - willierods.com

If you have the RodMaker issue that contains the article on boring wood grips and inserts (Volume 11 #6), check the sidebar for information on lathe steady rests. There are two specifically mentioned. One, the HT Products model offered by Penn State and other woodworking sources, is built almost identical to most common rod lathe supports. It will easily attach to almost any wood lathe bed. You need only make two simple modifications. First, flip the support bars so that the single roller is on top and the double roller on the bottom. Then, either cover the steel BB roller wheels with rubber or replace them with your own rubber roller wheels (this could require re-drilling and relocating the rollers on the support bar, depending on the size of your wheels. But only on the double roller bar - the single roller bar will not require any modification).

You can get a couple of these ready-made supports for around $100 total. For longer rods, however, I'd suggest having at least three.

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Thanks for the replies. I remember that Rodmaker issue, need to find it.

Tom

Is this the one you are talking about: [www.pennstateind.com]

Bill - willierods.com

No, but that looks like it would work fine, and without any modification whatsoever.

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I have to ask how long your wood lathe is? I would guess that with most bass rods you are talking one piece rods in the six to seven foot range. You must have some way of keeping the top half of the rods from flopping unless you want to damage them. Most wood lathes I know of are not that long. Should not be hard to extend the bed somehow or even buy a couple extensions if you plan to do many rods this way. Just do NOT let that top half of the rod flop around on you!

What I have done when putting completed rods on my lath is to put a similar size guide on the opposite side on the blank with tape. It counter-balances and keeps it from wobbling tape around the blank, then put the guide on, just don't want to scratch the blank.

But like said have several supports near the tip - better safe then sorry.

Bill - willierods.com