OK - have a fenwick offset rod handle------ how to set it up in my lathe is the question? any help would be appreciated

Put the handle on after everything else is finished,
Norm

i always do that - but in this case the handle and blank are one unit

There are various set-ups that allow you to turn an offset handle on center in your lathe. Some people will bend a coat hanger to fit the handle on one end and tape that to a dowel that is on center with the blank on the other. Hard to describe in a post without photos but you should be able to get the gist of it.

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

Ron,

Take a look at this picture of the adapter that I made to use with offset handles or rods:

[www.rodbuilding.org]

I took a simple pine 2x2 and used it to make an adapter.

i llaid the 2x2 on the work bench. Then, I laid the rod blank at 90 degrees or at right angles to the 2x2.

Then, I took a straight edge and extended the straight line of the center line of the blank to intersect with the right angle of the 2x2. This line, then becomes the centerline of the hole for the bolt that goes into the lathe head stock to turn the rod.

Then, I just trace a line on either side of the offset handle that is laying on top of the 2x2 to discover the amount of offset and where the offset needs to be located to accomodate the offset grip.

Finally, I use a drill press to drill at hole perpendicular to the 2x2 to accomodate the mounting bolt to go into the head stock with a bolt sized to handle the convenient size of the mounting bolt.

Then, I use a hole cutting bit that is sized to be the same size or a touch larger than the rear off set grip that needs to be accomodated. Then, the center line of the two lines previously lade on the 2x2 is scribed and while holding the 2x2 at the appropriate angle, the grip mounting hole is drilled into the 2x2.

Finally, when using the fixture, masking tape is added around the grip as needed so that the grip is a firm fit into the hole in the 2x2, with the blank positioned appropriately to end up with the blank being on center with the wrapper chuck so that you have no runout when doing your wrapping. '

It takes 10 or 15 minutes to make the adapter so that you can easily wrap and dry rods with an offset grip. When making rods with this sort of offset handle, I will do the final finish application as well as drying in the power wrapper since the adapter is made to fit nicely into the chuck on the power wrapper with excellent alignment of the rrod blank.
Good luck

I use bottle adapters, fits every thing every time . Four oz. plastic bottle and a rubber band. Cut the bottom off the bottle, 1/2 inch down from the top shoulder , cut the side four equal with . slip it over the grip and rubber band it on . I use 4oz, 2oz. and one oz size bottles . Been using them for over twenty years. just make sure the cap is tight.