When I was using my conventional wrapper, I always built my rods from butt to top because I didn't have to stick them in a chuck. Now that I have a power wrapper, I have noticed that the tightness in grip required by the chuck in order to wrap causes indentations on EVA that become permanent, even after squeezing and working the EVA to try to get it to pop back up.

I have an American Tackle Power Wrapper with the upgraded Pac Bay metal chuck.

My question is this: What do you guys do in order to avoid these unsightly divots on your grip material? Do you save the butt section for last and stick the bare blank into the chuck? It seems this is the way to go but I just wanted to double check with the experts ;D

Thanks again guys,

---Carlos

Hello Carlos -

What you describe is generally what I do - leave either some bare blank or the tenon turned on the butt grip for the butt cap / end cap exposed. Either of these can be chucked both in my power wrapper and in my drying motor chucks. If you get one that wants to slip out - usually a blank with a lot of taper at the butt - I wrap a layer of masking tape, then reverse the tape back on itself for a turn and a half. This gives you a sticky layer that holds onto your chuck jaws well.

You could also try this reversed masking tape trick and see if it works on your EVA. Sounds like you are having to crank the chuck down pretty hard...this mght help. You don't need wood lathe tightt...just tight enough to wrap.

You might also make double sure your blank is level and that your thread tension is appropriate. Also, you don't need to crank down your rolling supports any more than is necessary for stability. I power wrap on a Renzetti but I really don't have to chuck them that tight to get it to work. So maybe something with the set up might be a bit out of whack?

The other option that works great for me is to build everything up but leave off the butt cap / butt plug. I then take a section of scrap blank that matches the ID of the butt of the rod I am building and insert it into the blank. You may need to shim with a few layers of masking tape to get a good fit but once you have a tight (but not too tight!) press fit you can simply chuck the scrap blank (wrapped at the end with the reverse masking tape) into your wrapper. Works sort of like a mandrel inside your blank.

I hope this makes sense - sort of hard to describe. Good luck!

BIll

I leave the butt cap to the end of the build so the jaws will clamp down on the blank.........

I leave the butt cap off and have a series of wood dowels that I can fit into the blank. Like Bill, I might use a wrap of masking tape to insure a snug fit.

I also leave the butt cap til last and wrap a rubber band several times around the end of the blank. I find the rubber band lets the chuck jaws make a good grip on the blank without having to put a lot of force on it.

Steve Hartzell
Lake Conroe - Willis, Texas

Carlos,
Go ahead and finish your rod as usual. When it comes time to wrap the rod, just take a large sized rubber band #64 or so, and wrap it several times around the butt of the rod.

With the layer of rubber on the end of the butt, you can chuck your rod butt into the wrapper chuck and not have it very tight but it will still hold very well.

If I am wrapping a rod that does not have a butt cap on it, I simply insert a tapered solid blank into the end of the blank. Then, I remove the 3 inch chuck from my keyless chuck and insert the solid blank into the keyless chuck that is on my dryer power head.

The tapered piece of solid blank that fits several inches up the inside of the blank does an excellent job of holding the blank with no slipping.

Another thing to help with slipping issues is to put a few wraps of blue or low tack masking tape on the grip. This both protects the grip from marks as well as depressions.

But the rubber band is the easiest and best solution to the problem.

P. S.
I would never put a bare blank into the chuck of a wrapper. It is just too easy to overtighten the chuck and crack the blank.
If you do need to hold a bare blank - rather - use a tapered piece of solid material, like a dowel, solid rod blank, or solid fiberglass rod.
For this purpose, I will often use fiberglass driveway markers that are readily available at hardware stores for very little money. They are easy to taper with sand paper, when the piece of solid stock has been chucked into a drill.

Be safe

I leave the butt cap off until the rest of the rod is complete, including finish. I use scrap blanks that fit the inside of the blank to be turned if my set of expanding mandrels are not fitting. You can wrap the end of the blank with a thick layer of masking tape and the metal jaws of the chuck will not harm the blank if the above does not work for you.

I use scrap blank sections and Tape to make Mandrels for the Blank and leave in till finish is done

Double post Sorry



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2014 10:52AM by Barry Thomas Sr.