I have searched all of the wrapper threads and could not find an answer so here I am. One of the members posted about the power wrappers and warned to get one that would allow you to back up the blank by turning it back if the thread rides up itself and needs adjusted. Does the mudhole wrapper or Alps wrapper allow you to do this? Thanks, this hand wrapping is very time consuming!
Jared Retter of Riverhouse Rods

You can turn all of them backward by hand but if you have to backup that far you will probably have to wind thread back onto the spool by hand turning the spool. The Renzetti has a thread tension spring that will allow you to slightly reverse the rod direction while maintaining tension on the thread without turning the spool. It won't wind thread back onto the spool.

Don

Thanks Don! The mudhole guy made it sound like you had to flip a belt off each time to back it up any, would be a pain! Anyone have a preference to either the alps or the mud hole (pac bay i think)

I just purchased a Mudhole wrapper to go along with my old hand wrapper and no, you do not have to remove a belt to manually turn the rod in reverse.

I have the Pac bay and you do have to turn the spool to wind the thread back on, but you do not need to take the belt off. FYI, get an extra belt to keep around if you go with the mudhole wrapper.

Thanks Joel and Corey!

I can't give you an accurate assessment of what the others require as I don't own them, but the Renzetti can be back-wound, without removing the belt, and will take up any thread slack for a length of perhaps 4 inches of thread. Depending on the diameter of your blank, that may be a very few revolutions, or it could be quite a few.

............

I turn my Alps w/upgraded chuck backwards when I cross up. Solid thread wraps go on quick, but if you plan on doing thread inlays, I don't think it is that much better. But I am also a novice on a power wrapper. I do a lot of Tiger/Throop wraps and it makes up a lot of time there. And getting razor finish edges are easier while turning.

Over the years I've seen a few methods for keeping line under tension as you unwrap a few turns to correct a thread. Most employed a section of flexible fiberglass rod tip and a guide or tiptop mounted in a way to allow the thread under tension to bend the blank as it is power wrapped. When an overlap happens, and you turn the rod in reverse, the rod tip straightens out maintaining some or most of the tension in the thread. Of course, if the tip is bent only 3-4 inches then that is all you can undo.

I recall seeing one done on a very flexible longer section of tip a while back that when wrapping had the blank bent into a upside down J or almost an upside down U if you can picture this. I think that design could unwrap 10-15 inches of thread and maintain decent tension. To me, somewhere in-between those two extremes would seem about right.

One of the simpler set-ups used a open metal hook, bent like a corkscrew with just one turn. In the base of the hook was drilled a small hole that fit over the rod tip like a tip top. The user could just lay the thread into the hook without having to thread it through a closed circular guide - this seemed much more convenient to use.

I've never used one personally, but was considering something like that on my new wrapper build.

One person I am friendly with tells me he uses the rod tip held in his hand to guide the thread angle as he wraps it instead of moving his whole thread carriage along. Depending on your physique and dexterity this may be helpful or just slow you down - it seems like that would be a personal preference kind of thing.

When I am doing a long underwrap i set the tension - wet my hands and just do a dog paddle on the blank to make things go faster Laugh it works

Bill - willierods.com

John my wrapper is just as you discribed, i use magnets to apply the tenson and the rod end bends and will allow me to unwrapp several turns. If i have to back up several turns i just turn the thread spool with my hand keep it tight and then it is ready to go.

Roger Wilson ( a great guy) just help me up grade my wrapper with a DC motor that will reverse with just a flip of a switch it is great as a novice i have several opiturnities to use the reveres switch. (lol)

Bobby Stout
Bloomburg, TX

I can't imagine wrapping without a "spring" tensioner.
I use a piece of thin fibreglass tip section with a ceramic tip top glued on.
There is an arm coming up from the wrapper that it is fastened to with 2 plastic wire ties, and it is about 8" long.
I can see where a longer one might work better if you had to back up some distance.
And a larger ring in the top would help getting the thread thru.
Mine is a sz 08 ring, a 10 might be easier.

Best wishes,
Ron Schneider
Schneider's Rod Shop
Mountain Home, Arkansas
[www.schneidersrods.com]
mtnron40@yahoo.com
870-424-3381

This is what I use A simple spring for tension
[www.rodbuilding.org]
Just make sure it is SMOOTH so as not to cut the thread

Bill - willierods.com

When I built my wrapper i used a piece of spring steel... its a lot like a springy piece of piano wire. You can find it at hobby lobby

Bill,
looked at some photos of yours, are you using decal connection or printing your own?
Thanks!

decal connection / Pentel Hybrid Roller ink pen / and a dip pen
Got my name decal on two sheets one gold one silver seems to take care of most all colors of rod blanks
When I wright on a blank I heat the ink then mist with clear laquer 2 - 3 times Let dry and finish

Bill - willierods.com

I have a PacBay RW3-XL which if you look is the same as Mudhole, ALPS, and American Tackle power wrappers other than name on the decal.

You can back it up all you want to, but you must back the thread spool at the same time. Not a big deal once you get used to it, I do it without even putting thought to it anymore.

Jared,
Here is a recent DC power unit that I built for a power wrapper:

[www.rodbuilding.org]

If you have to back up a great deal, simply flip the reversing switch, hold the thread tight and back as far as you want. Put the thread back in your tension device, flip the switch and you are off running again.

This system uses a DC gear motor so one uses 1:1 pulleys to drive the chuck of the power wrapper. Very simple and compact unit.

Be safe
Roger

If you will go to my Photo gallery you will see a thread tensioning method that will allow you to back up the distance your lathe is off the floor. It also allows you to set and keep a constant tension on your thread. That set up is easy to make and is on a Renzetti Lathe, but I have put it on all of my lathes. If you need more of an explanation and can't find the associated post send me an E-Mail and I will try to help.

Jim is this the photo you're referring to? [www.rodbuilding.org] How much weight is that?

BTW,Ii never get tired of looking at the baby dragon, you should sell posters of that.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/25/2013 04:20PM by John E Powell.