Billy,
Although I have several tape dispensers of different types, I don't use any of them for rod building.
However, I do use the dispensers for the tape that I use when I pack rods and other items.
I have a clean metal bed on my metal power wrapper.
For doing guide taping or guide wrapping I use a combination of 1/4 inch wide and 1/8th inch wide masking tape.
I use the bright colored narrow tape used by auto paint detailers and purchase the tape at the paint shops.
Before starting a guide tape up or a guide wrap, I will pull off about a dozen pieces of tape at an appropriate length for the job and lightly stick it to the side of the metal wrapper bed.
NOTE:
When pulling tape off the roll and also sticking it lightly to the metal wrapper bed - my fingers never touch the adhesive side of the tape.
The reason for this is that everyone has skin oil on their fingers. If you grab the end of the tape with your fingers, and then, try to adhere it to the blank, the end of the tape that has been touched by your fingers will not stick to the blank.
So, there will be times that I will grab the end of the tape when cutting it off the roll. But then, I take the untouched end and stick it to the side of the wrapper bed. Then, when I grab the tape, the untouched end of the tape goes onto the rod blank and it sticks well since I have not touched that end with my fingers.
Also, when cutting the tape off the reel, I use sewing scissors that are essentially nippers:
I always have a pair or two of these nipping scissors for cutting thread as well as cutting tape. I will generally take the blades off the nipper and sharpen the blades about once a year on my 600 grit 1 inch wide belt sander. It only takes a moment or two to put a scissors sharp edge back on the blades that will nip and cut easily with no particular force on the part of the user.
[
sewingspider.com]
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Speaking of scissors.
I generally never use a razor blade when building rods. For cutting wrapping thread close to the wraps, I use a pair of Dr. Slick fly tying scissors:
[
www.jsflyfishing.com]
In particular, I have used one of these scissors for the last many years:
[
www.jsflyfishing.com]
I generally sharpen these scissors about once every 5 years or so.
As the label on the scissors say - these scissors are slick and cut very closely and very slickly. Because you are using a pair of scissors and not a blade, you don't have to worry about cutting a wrap on the rod because the other side of the scissors is on that side of the cut.
Good luck
