Mark,
I appreciate your kind words.

When I look through the posts and see the notes about not using the power wrapper for wrapping small guides or trim - my guess is that any power wrapper that they might have does not give the sub 1 rpm control over the speed of their rod.

In addition to the other things mentioned, I thing that the ability to control the rod speed and direction at speeds less than 1 rpm - is perhaps the main reason why many commercial wrappers are not used on small or intricate wraps.

It would make sense, since often when doing hand wraps - particularly small and or intricate wraps, the rod is turned VERY VERY slowly - especially when starting wraps and or doing trim.

But, on some of the commercial wraps, the foot pedal is just barely touched and suddenly the wrapper is turning 5-10 rpm - which may very well be too fast for easy thread guide starting and or intricate wraps.

Hence my continued search for the better design of foot pedal and speed control that I currently use on my own power wrappers.

Good luck

I appreciate all the advise from all of you, I have wrote down everything Roger said and have started the quest in deciding on a power unit, I already have 2 dryers, each a different rpm. so that aspect I should be covered. the cork turning I do not know that I will use one for that as I do all my work inside a office that now is the "fishing room" as my son calls it, now to decide the best investment as to which one..

roger wilson Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nate,
> Really no reason to have much waste on finish if
> only building one rod.
>
> Just adjust the quantities of finish that you mix
> so that you have minimum finish left after the
> finish application on the rod.
>
> If you use the typical flex coat style metered
> syringes, it is easy to get the exact amount
> needed for finishing one, two or a dozen rods at a
> time.
>
> Whether you mix finish for one rod or for several
> rods, just be sure that you mix sufficiently so
> that there is a 100 % good solid mix of both parts
> A and B to insure that you will have the perfect
> finish.
>
> ------------------------------------
> Nate,
> I am curious, you indicated that you have a power
> wrapper. You further indicated that you have been
> and are building fishing rods.
> Since you have the power wrapper, what is the
> reason that you are NOT using the power wrapper to
> build your fishing rods?
>
> Take care


Roger - I mostly have waste when I do ice rods as I try to mix a mon of 0.5ml to 1ml and always seem to have 25-50% of it left. Open water rods are less obviously but still some waste. But it's a small price to pay to make sure I don't mix up a bad batch.

For the power wrapper question, I use the rollers but not power wrapper because I build so few rods and feel I have note control doing it by hand. I use it to apply all my thread finish and dry the rods though.

Thank you all for all the knowledge and advice, I think I will go with a power wrapper and test the waters for say, I still have my hand wrappers so I'm not loosing any options as I see it after everything you all have said. If it helps then I have gained that much more.. I really do enjoy building and probably put more on my self as far as the outcome this short into the learning but then no one has held my personal outcome higher than I do my self. thanks again from everyone and the forum for all the best information there is..
Bret

Brett,

Since you've decided to go with a power wrapper, have you looked for a used one? When I was looking a few months ago I ran across a few that seemed to be decent deals, They are out there you just have to be patient.

Good luck,

Bret if you are breaking the thread you have a problem # 2 I think
# 1 . your thread is rotten ?
# 2 you are wrapping way to tight,
you should be able to move the guide around the rod, it will be tight but it will move ,
# 3 or your set up has a burr some place that is cutting the thread on you
from your comments I think it is way to tight , do a little research on the web site ,
you have to be able to line the guides up as well as pack the thread ,
also when you pull the tags in you will be breaking the tag a lot

William Sidney
AK

Bill I bought all my thread at the same time off @#$%&, maybe it is not sure, looks good, my tensioner don't seem to have a burr I have run a cotton swab and nothing shows, and tension I have the nut just a turn or too, I have felt when the thread gets tight and it has pulled in farther so I pull it back and re set it.. I have only had a couple pull tags break. Do I need to try different thread maybe, I did get some silk and wrapped one rod, seem to have a lot of.... like little hairs off of it..

Dave I have looked and been watching some, I guess my problem I'm just not sure what to go with.

if your pulls break you are to tight , what makes good pulls is breaded fish line very low weight , wash it with DNA before use, I use 6 lb bread could not find 4 LB , put a bead on it so you can find it easy
don't for get that the guides have to move to line them up before epoxy is applied

William Sidney
AK