Hey guys,

I'm getting pretty serious about looking around for some tools I'll need to get started.
Could you guys help with what tools I absolutely need. I don't think I'll need a wrapper to start with, but would be nice.

I'm thinking a turner for drying would be very helpful, and while I know I don't need one, I would really like to start with one so my epoxy looks nicer and drys more evenly.

I was watching a video from a sponsor, flexcoat, and they guy was building split grips...and he had a turner (I think) and had a drill turned upside down and attached to a table some way...and was using the drill as a lathe almost. He had inserted a metal rod into it and then pushed it into the blank to turn it and was sanding cork with it, looked like a nice idea, and probably cheaper than a lathe.

I will put the link in this post: [www.flexcoat.com]

Anyone with ideas of how to accomplish something similar to this and any other tools I will absolutely need just toss your idea in; they will be much appreciated.

Do I need a tool for wrapping guides and inscriptions if doing it by hand?...like something to hold tension on the thread?

thanks,
Sam Moore

For guide wraps you can purchase a basic v-block setup or build something simple (and free) like you see in Tom Kirkman's book.

A drying motor for epoxy doesn't, in itself, give you a nice flat/even finish. You will have to get that done before turning on the dryer anyway. The drying motor just takes some of the work out of it. You can do the same thing by hand if you have an hour or two to dedicate to the process.

There are a few lathe options that utilize hand drills. Years ago I purchased a Grizzly hobby lathe. I don't turn wood, nor do I turn alot. This has worked well for me.

A verable speed drill is great , there is a lot of fokes on this web site that use them [ cheeperthan the other , the reason it is handle upis so you can control the speed an the clamp will not fall off , you can a lot with a hand wraper we use them a lot one of our suporters to the left sell a compleat start up kit look at it an you can do a lot with a saw, hammer, an some felt
don't have to buy it but do look at it very closely for ideas my 2 cts BILL

William Sidney
AK

Sam,

In addition to the already mentioned:

Small, sharp scissors. Thread burnisher. Size 10 or 11 scalpel blades and handle. Thread puller. Large needles. Tweezers. Rod wrapping jig (plans to build one are in the library). Drying motor.

Other stuff I can't think of right now......

Chris

This was a crude lathe made from a variable speed drill and some wood. It was found on another web page some time ago and just brought over here for observation.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

I made a lathe for turning eva foam grips as my homemade rod wrapper doesn't have enough power, I took an old electric drill apart and removed the motor and just left the gears and the chuck,this I use for only the free spinning chuck,the other end is a cheap electric corded drill (new) that I use for power,In between is 3/8 or 1/2 inch threaded rod with wahers and lock nuts strategically placed to hold the eva,,,I clamped the drills to short peices of 2x4's and then clamp those to a long 2x4 to vary the distance between the two points.The drills hold the threaded rod while it spins and presto ,a lathe

Sam,
Send me an e-mail and Tomorrow I will take a picture of one I used. I have no use for it anymore and you can have it. just pay the shipping. The drill is not included.

Bill
bkcustomrods@yahoo.com

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

A lath You can make your own this is what I have been using for years ( poor mans lath )
Does cork - eva - and light wood well
[www.rodbuilding.org]

Bill - willierods.com

bill boettcher Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> A lath You can make your own this is what I have
> been using for years ( poor mans lath )
> Does cork - eva - and light wood well
> [www.rodbuilding.org]
> /photo/900/title/home-made-lath/cat/500

Thanks Bill, pretty much exactly what I had in mind. If you get time you can emial me and let me know the components and process I need to build one. sam150s@hotmail.com

I'm going to see what the Bill Eshelman's got, free is free...eventually I will finetune a process; for now I'm just trying to wrap my head around all of it.

Another way to turn cork off the rod blank is to use a drill press. Put the glued rings onto a threaded rod, to work on them in the drill press (double nuts on both ends). Stabilize the bottom with a small ball bearing (with an ID that matches the drill rod) mounted in a piece of 1 x 4 clamped to the "bed" of the drill press with a C clamp. This is not as good as doing it on the blank as the Flexcoat video shows, but is very simple. When you get done you'll have a hole in the butt which I close with "shavings" from the turning process mixed with epoxy (good color match). One thing you need if you turn on the blank is stabilization of the blank, which complicates the setup somewhat.

Sam

A sugestion Get a pad

figure out the parts you want to build on - guides - thread- handle material blanks

And then add your labor ?????

Bill - willierods.com