ROD WRAPPING JIG

After browsing through several rod building catalogs and websites, I looked at 2 foot wrapping jigs and 4 foot units as well and decided on a 4' plan. I figured out what I wanted in a rod wrapper and decided to build my own. I selected oak hardwood from my local Home Depot, but you can use poplar, pine, maple, or whatever you prefer. Total cost for my wood and the necessary hardware was a little over $40.00. If you’ve checked the prices for simple rod wrappers in some supply catalogs, you’ll see a significant savings.



Materials List:
1”x3”x48” hardwood (2 pieces)
1”x2”x 36” hardwood (1 piece)
1”x4”x48” hardwood (1 piece)
1/4”x2” bolts, with washers and wing nuts
1/4”x3” bolts, washers, and wing nuts
1 1/4” drywall screws
Wood glue
Felt
Stain and finish of choice

Step 1, The Base

From the 1x2, cut four pieces 6 3/8” long. Put remainder aside for later. take the four pieces, and glue/screw them to the bottom of the two 1x3 pieces, leaving a 5/16” gap between the two 1x3’s. Be sure to pre-drill and countersink all screw holes with a #6 pilot drill to keep from splitting the wood. Set this aside to allow the glue to dry.

Step 2, The Rod Rests

From the 1x4, cut five pieces 6” long, and four pieces 4” long. Set one of the 6” pieces aside for later. Take the four remaining 6” pieces and clamp them together. Mark and cut a “V” notch 1 1/2” deep in the one end. Then Glue/screw the uprights (6” pieces) to the 4” pieces. Drill a 5/16” hole in the center of each of the 4” bases.

Step 3, Thread Tensioner

Now, take the 6" piece you set aside earlier. For my thread holder I cut a 1x2 piece, 6" long for three 1/4" holes, so three spools of wrapping thread won’t hit each other. On mine, they are 2” apart. Glue/screw the 1x2 to top rear of the 1x4. Drill a 5/16” hole in the center of the 1x4, about 2” from the edge.
Thread the 3” bolts through the three holes in the thread base and secure them with a nut. These will hold your spools of wrapping thread. Tension on mine is supplied by three small springs. As I plan to have the thread come off on a clockwise rotation the springs and wing nuts should keep the tension I have applied earlier. I placed a small eye screw on the base to run the thread through and up to the blank.



Step 4, Finishing/Assembly

Sand lightly (if you feel ambitious, you can use a router on all the edges), stain, and apply a coat of you finish of choice. I haven't finished mine yet. Glue felt (or the fuzzy half of Velcro) to the “V” notches in the rod rests. You may want to place some on the base to keep from scratching the kitchen table, too.
Then use the 2” bolts, washers, and wing nuts to connect the rod rests and thread tensioner to the base. The slot you built into the base is for your adjustments of these three pieces.
You should have enough excess wood left to make a separate rod rest and attach a drying motor, for finishing.

Good Looking Rig! Should work Extremly well. I started with a hand wrapper like that that I built from Scrap. You might need to add a Couple Plastic Slip washers on the Thread Spindles

Ken,
Excellent job and good looking wrapper.

Another way to make one is to use a pine 2X6 or 2X8. Route a slot down the center of the board Except stop when you have several inches of board left, so that the board stays together.
Then, flip the board over, and route a 1/2 inch slot down the back side of the board, to allow countersinking of a 1/4 inch carriage bolt.
Then, pick up a 1X4, cut it up as needed to form your rod holder bases and v-blocks.

Essentially the identical design, but simpler with no extra base needed and since pine is the material, the cost is considerably less.

But if you want a really nice looking one, yours is the way to go.
I prefer to have my thread stand behind the wrapper on a seprate stand that slides along the back of the wrapper base.

Roger

That's how I did mine I looked at a dozen wrappers and picked the things I liked

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Bill - willierods.com