I didn't get to much response to my question about a power wrapper when it was in another thread so I thought I would start a new topic and see if I can get more of a response.

With the Alps, Flexcoat or American Tackle Power Wrappers are there reverse switches on them or do you need to back them up by hand? Then another question is if you need to back them up by hand can you do this while working on say the tip portion of the blank?

Thanks

Chester

May your line be tight and your beverages be cold!

The easiest thing to do if there is no reverse switch is to just slip the belt off the chuck and then it is easy to work on the tip portion of the rod. A thread carriage like the Renzetti which has a spring wire for keeping tension on the thread makes this much easier.

Has anyone tried to replicate/copy the Renzetti tensioner on another wrapper?
Philip

How hard it is to reverse direction by hand depends on the mechanical ratio of the pulleys involved. In most cases where commercial wrappers are concerned, you can back them up a few turns by hand fairly easily, even on the tip section (the same holds true for starting and tying off wraps by hand turning). As was mentioned earlier, slipping the belt off removes all resistance, if you need to back up very far, which is generally not necessary.

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

Phillip, all you need is some spring quality wire and you can make your own.

Chester,
My exact pet peeve with most of the commercial wrappers on the market ie. no reverse.

That is one of the main reasons that I currently use DC gear motors and DC power supplies, with a reverse switch to change direction on my wrapper motor.

A dc motor runs one direction when one voltage polarity Say + voltage is connected to motor post A. Then the other voltage polarity - is connected to motor post B.

To reverse direction, simply connect + voltage to post B, and - voltage to post A.

This is easily accommodated by the use of a double power double throw switch. Run the voltage wires in the end of the switch. Then, run an X cross over wire to the opposite end of the switch.
Wire the motor wires to the center terminals on the switch.

So, when the switch is in the first position, + voltage goes to motor terminal A. But if the switch is moved to the opposite positin, then the + voltage goes to motor terminal B. Thus the motor reverses when the switch is flipped.

A picture of an example of a wrapper system and supply sold to a client.

I understand about the taking the belt off to take away the motor resistance, but if you working on the tip end the drive belt can be 6-8 feet away - not very convenient. I was just trying to understand if you could back up the rod blank while attached to the motor using very small mechanical advantage you get by rotating the blank while in the small diameter section (tip end).

Roger,
Do you have a good recommendation for a DC motor and power supply that would fit in place of the existing AC motor supplied by the commercial manufactures?

Randolph,
I've never bought spring wire, does it come in various size to you have proper tension by the spring while your thread is under load? What size would you recommend?

By the way, thanks for responding to my needs.

Chester

May your line be tight and your beverages be cold!

I just measured the Renzetti spring and it was .0495 dia. I just got a new thread carriage from them and the spring wire is .0400, so I think anything in that range should work just fine.

Thanks Randolph for the help, now I have a starting point when I add one to my hand wrapper or power wrapper in the future it that happens.

Chester

May your line be tight and your beverages be cold!

Chester, when attempting to bend the spring wire you will have to anneal it, in other words you will have to heat it with a torch at the area you attempt to bend to fit a bolt or screw where you wish to hold the wire in place. You will have to do the same thing at the end you wish to bend into a hook, circle, or whatever shape where your thread is going to be. It is a good idea to polish this area with something like jewlers rouge and then clean with denatured alcohol so you don't contaminate your thread. good luck!!

Thanks for the tips on the spring wire!

Chester

May your line be tight and your beverages be cold!

Is there a picture of the Renzetti thread carrier I could look at?
Philip

Hi, Phil,
check your email

"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

Thanks John

Chester,
When using a DC gear motor - I have simply selected a 30 volt dc gear motor with a nominal speed of 500-1000 rpm.
I find that 1000 rpm is about as fast as I can wrap - even for the long butt wraps.

To control the speed, I use a 24 volt AC transformer, hooked to a 0-30 volt DC regulator.
I obtain the transformer locally, and the regulator on line for about $20.
For a foot pedal I use a rack and pinion style Wah pedal on line for about $30.
I put it all together into a box and mount it at the end of my wrapper bed. I put the reversing switch either into the power supply box, or at the end of a cable that may move up and down the bed with the wrapper.

One example of a wrapper supply, foot pedal and dc gear motor:
[www.rodbuilding.org]

The completed wrapper supply, and motor for the remote control dc power supply for a DC motor power for a rod wrapper:

[www.rodbuilding.org]



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/2013 08:42AM by roger wilson.

This seem to me to be a lot of fuss and worry over something that isn't really a problem.
There is a spring on most thread tensioners that will hold the thread tight as you back-up a short distance.
If you have to back up farther and exceed the range of the tension spring, you simply rewind the thread spool a bit to take up the slack.
This happens with the whip aerial type tensioners too, you just have more range before turning the spool by hand.

Yes...Turning the rod back against the motor gets harder as you reach the small end.
However, getting off your butt and taking a step toward the chuck will solve the problem.
Once you start using your power wrapper you will get used to these things...Don't over think the process!