How do the rest of you setup a rod in a power wrapper? Currently I use a carpenter's laser level to sight down the side of the blank and adjust each support vertically so I keep the rod as level as possible.

Am I making a big to do out of nothing?

Ash

Here's an easier way - Get a piece of 1/8th x3/4 aluminum flat. Bend it into a sort of "C" shape (sharp bends rather than curved. The bottom will set on your lathe bed, the top should be bent so that it is the exact same height as the centerline of your lathe chuck. Now when you insert the rod into the chuck you can just set your gauge next to any support and adjust until the blank center is at the same height as your gauge top.

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Personally I don't go to any great lengths to make sure the blank is perfectly level. Having been in the building trades pretty much my entire working career, I have a pretty good eye, so I just eyeball it. The only thing not having at least a very close to being level blank is going to affect is your finish. If the rod or blank is way out of level it may stack to one side, But I have never had that happen.

Tom's suggestion is a quick and simple and rather ingenious one, and does the proper thing of leveling the center line of the blank, and not the blank's surface. Blanks are tapered, so leveling the blank's surface will not result in the blank being level.

I have a gauge set up that is adjusted to set at the height from the rod wrapper bed to the center of the head stock chuck.

Since I raise or lower the rod rests, depending on the size of the rod, I just verify that after completing all of the rod rest adjustments, that the center line of the rod at each of the rod rests is identical to the height of the center of the head stock chuck.

Quick, easy and simple.

Take care

I use a ruler to measure center.

I just put it in and see were it needs to be adjusted. Once it looks level or centers in the chuck without it being tight, i tighten the chuck. The only time I might use a level is right before I apply epoxy and then it is just leveling the base of the wrapper at my work station.

I do the same as David B. if you have enough room to stand back a few feet and the rod looks level then its probably going to be very very close. I would think all you guys that have a pretty good eye.