So a buddy let me borrow his 6 rpm dryer motor for my build and I used it to apply finish. No doubt it works but it seems the general consensus is that when applying finish a faster motor rpm is better. I did have some trouble getting straight edges but that is inexperience too. I'm just getting into rod building so I for sure want to pay my dues and not just go blindly buying things I don't need but I did have a question. After I give him his dryer motor back I'll need to buy one of my own. It seems that it would almost be better to buy something like the american tackle power wrapper dryer combo. I can see where something like that would allow you to use a faster rpm for application of finish and also wrapping, if you so desire, and then also a dryer motor. They aren't cheap but neither is buying two different dryer motors.

What do all you guys use or find best?

Adam,
Without a doubt, apply finish at a faster rpm, and long term dry at a slower rpm.

I certainly prefer to use my power wrapper with its foot control and variable speed for applying finish, and then, either slowing it down for long term drying, or transfer to one of the other constant slower rpm driers.

I apply finish at rpms of 0-100 rpm or so. 0 rom for stopping the rod to fill in around the tunnels. Then long term drying at a speed of between 6-10 rpm depending on the rod and the day.

Good luck

Thanks Roger. I guess my big drawback is not wanting to overbuy if not necessary but at the same time if i have to spend money on a dryer and still build my own wrapper then i might be better to go that route.

If your handy it's not hard to make what your after. You can get gear motors here and @#$%&. [www.surpluscenter.com] And I used one of these for the chuck [www.mudhole.com]. I also picked-up a slow motor, 6 rpm one for an epoxy mixer, I used the same chuck just cut the hole a bit bigger for the epoxy cup to sit in, Mount it on a 45 degree angle, Drop in a ball bearing or hex nut in. And you have a nice mixer. If you look at photo's there really is not much to making all these tools. Happy Building have fun, Tight Lines. Jay

Adam,

I often tend to give elaborate solutions to problems because over 36 years of rodbuilding I've tried a lot of things and have found out what kinds of things tend to work for me better than others. This is one aspect of rodbuilding that I have a strong preference about. I started out finishing rods rotating them by hand. Then I tried attaching them to various clock, rotisserie, AC and DC motors and have for a number of years applied finish on a few brands of power wrappers. I always felt like there should be a drastically better way. I was either locked into a set speed that was too slow, too fast, or kept turning on me when i needed it to stop. It was really frustrating. Then a few years ago, I started to experience a lot of steadiness problems with my hands which, combined with my declining vision, posed a significant finishing problem for me. I had to rethink my old habits and methods and this is what I came up with.

I realized there are a few simple things that really make a great finish application tool compared to a run of the mill setup. First of all, I needed to separate finish application from finish curing. Two dedicated stations just work better than one station that does a mediocre job at both. I apply finish in one location where I have a lot of physical space to give me good access around my rod, then I move the rod to a dryer box to provide modest warmth and dust protection while the finish cures.

I find that about 200rpm is ideal for getting straight edges and quickly distributing the finish over the area of wraps away from guides or hook keepers. An adjustable speed will let you dial in what works best for the steadiness of your hands. My hands shake pretty badly so I need a high speed. You might find that 100 is what works best for you.

While it's a good idea to have an adjustable speed, it's also desirable to be able to set the speed so it holds a constant speed and not have to be tied down to your foot control. I had Roger Wilson create just this ability for me with a custom motor and power supply. Now, when I apply finish, I switch from the foot pedal to a hand operated rheostat that keep my speed constant. The great thing about a constant speed is that it's really easy to get into a good productive and efficient rhythm. The speed never varies, and I can't accidentally press down too hard on the foot pedal and fling the epoxy off the rod (been there, done that).

To do finesse work around guides or hook keepers, or to deal with trouble spots I use a slip clutch mounted in my headstock. This is a joyous tool for me. The slip clutch allows me to grab the rod with one hand to break it's synchronous rotation with the motor. By holding the blank the slip clutch disengages the rod from the motor. While the motor is running, I can turn the rod to the perfect angle, do whatever finesse work is needed and then simply let go of the rod and it returns back to synchronous rotation with the motor. I never have to move my foot, adjust the knob, move the foot control back and forth along the rod as I work. Both hands are free and both feet are on the ground. I honestly think the FlexCoat slip clutch is probably the best overlooked tool a rodbuilder can own.

This kind of setup takes a bit of planning and a moderate investment, but it truly makes applying finish about as easy as can be.

Once the finish is applied, you can transfer the rod to a low speed motor, most people find they like 9-18 rpm. I have a dedicated dryer box with 4 motors, thermostatically controlled heat source, and battery backup (but that's another topic)

I've heard people describe how they have set up something similar by fabricating a manual adjustable control for their foot pedal to hold the speed constant. There would be a variety of creative ways to do this. The key component though is still the slip clutch in this kind of setup.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/07/2015 10:00PM by John E Powell.

Thanks a lot guys for the info and ideas. I've got a pretty well outfit woodshop and plenty of the materials needed to just build one. Sounds like a challenge to me. I'll hav eto get with roger wilson and pick his brain on power sources for the variable speed motor. It seems like the old cordless drill is a viable option(i have one).

John did Roger setup with an old cordless drill motor or something else?

Adam,

Roger sourced a used low rpm DC motor and fabricated me a power supply and control box that gives me full on/off, direction of rotation, and switching between hand adjusted rheostat for constant speed and the foot control for variable speed.

I ended up with selectable constant and variable speed in both directions. Like I said, it's certainly overkill, but it does everything I could ever want.

Hello. I'm a rookie compared to most when it comes to rod building and I was in the same boat as you not to long ago. I didn't want to spend a lot of money untill I knew what I wanted. For applying finish i simply put a corded drill in my bench vise and use a velcro strap to get the desired speed. I use a remote controll outlet converter [www.amazon.com] to start and stop for touching up and it spins easily by hand when stopped. Not super high tech but if you have a drill and vise its only a few bucks to get something that will get the job done.

John I've got an email into Roger asking him some questions. Any way you have some pictures of the wiring and final look of the switches and rheostat/switch setup?

Adam Lathrop Wrote:
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> John I've got an email into Roger asking him some
> questions. Any way you have some pictures of the
> wiring and final look of the switches and
> rheostat/switch setup?


Adam, here's the thread from a while back that has a link to the package Roger put together for me. The first post has the link. I paired this up to a custom Taig large bore headstock which I can mount the slip clutch in.

[rodbuilding.org]

Adam, as a newbie myself, I was in the same boat as you. I watched videos on YouTube of people doing wraps with power wrappers and I thought, how sweet that would be. And some day I may actually step up to a power wrapper, but being a newbie, I need things to move at a slower pace.

I'm older, so my eyes aren't that good, and for example .... using black size A thread and doing wraps on a black blank require me to go slower. I'm like you and have been in construction pretty much my whole working life, so I had material and tools to build my own hand wrapper, as well as my own rod dryer. Wrapping by hand at this stage of my experience is a must. If I had a power wrapper I'd be redoing more wraps than I already am. lol

When you said you used a 6 RPM dryer to apply finish I felt your pain, because that is exactly what I started with. I used the turn table motor from a old microwave. As you said getting straight edges on the wraps without having to touch them up was almost impossible. I just upgraded to an 18 RPM motor and actually have the first rod I did with it turning with the final coat of finish, as I type this reply. While an even faster speed would be nice, the 18 RPM was a huge improvement. I still had to clean up some of the edges of my wraps with DA and a paper towel, but the finish on the rod I have turning now, came out great.

I guess what I'm trying to say, that the speed of a power wrapper may not be what you're needing right now. When I've had problems, they've usually been because I was trying to go too fast.

Some things you do need right now though ..... very good all around lighting at your wrapping and finishing station. Like I said earlier, size A thread is tough to see if you don't have good lighting. Also a long bench or table so you can have enough stands to support the rod while wrapping. Trying to wrap a rod that isn't properly supported leads to frustration. A lathe will come in handy too. I made a basic lathe from a corded drill, and have used it for turning down O D s on grips. I'm sure it will work great when I start building my own grips as well.

And I haven't gotten the slip clutch that John mentioned, but it is something I will definitely be getting ..... that is if I can ever stop buying new blanks and components to build more rods. lol

Anyhow ..... just some thoughts

I second what roger posted previously I have a switch rigged up to my power wrapper that allows me to turn the rod at a faster Rpm without holding the foot pedal down but when finished I switch over to a low RPM motor to dry overnight, works every time.

Thanks for all the replies guys.
After chatting with Roger and looking over some more videos I dove into making a faster finish setup. The first order was to create a chuck that I could mount to the cordless dril i was planning on using. I wasn't going to take the drill apart just clamp it into my woodworking vise. The first chuck was a 2" pvc cap with 3 bolts to center teh rod blank. I found that the cordless drill had a good bit of runout in the shaft and combined with trying to center a rod using 3 screws I was fighting a loosing battle.

I then went to my old pawn shop special and grabbed my milwaukee corded drill. I tested the runout and it was smooth as silk. Round 2 on the chuck design had me using a 2" pvc cap again with 4 screws holding 2 rubberbands in an x pattern. This seemed to work much better and was much easier. I still have a little wobble while the drill and chuck spin. This could be that the pvc cap is a little wonky or that the chuck of the drill isn't grabbing the 1/4" x 20 bolt shaft just right. I built up a quick stand for the drill and used a quick clamp for "variable speed". For now it'll work and I applied my second coat of finish with it. Worked much much better then the slower dryer motor.

I might end up buying the flexcoat chuck just to get a true rotation on the shaft and it not walk around as much but still it works.
I've got a video on my phone if anyone would like to see it let me know and I'll email it to ya.

Awesome! Would you care to share this setup?
Sounds like just what the doc ordered.

Thanks

steve schuster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Awesome! Would you care to share this setup?
> Sounds like just what the doc ordered.
>
> Thanks


(addendum: I was referring to John's DC motor power supply, control box, etc)

steve schuster Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Awesome! Would you care to share this setup?
> Sounds like just what the doc ordered.
>
> Thanks


(addendum: I was referring to John's DC motor power supply, control box, etc)

Steve I think I might be misunderstanding what your asking.

Hello Adam.

I believe what Steve wants to know is what is the exact set-up Roger Wilson made for John Powell (fallow the links).

Tight Wraps & Bent Rods.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

Ahhh okay. Ya I had contacted roger about his setup. He'll sell you a very well priced complete rig. I had already started tinkering with my own design. But I would work with roger if I hadn't. He's done a lot of the leg work and contributed a lot to the community.

Hello Adam.

That he has!

Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.