How many guys still roll by hand. Once you learn , you can roll pretty fast.
I’ve had my set up for years. My rollers are steel roller skate wheels, that can be moved to fit the wrapping pattern.
What’s your setup.

Bob,
Many years ago, I built my first fishing rod. I rolled this rod by hand.
After completing the build, I said to myself, "This is going to be the last rod you build by hand".

Thus began my quest for building the best power wrapper that I could build.
Over the years, I built a lot of different power wrappers using different power sources and configurations.
Along the way, I learned a lot about the craft. For, that; I am eternally grateful.

But, once I finished my current wrapper, I have never looked back and would never ever consider going back to doing any wrapping by hand.

However, this is a great industry and as the saying goes, a "lot of ways to skin a cat" so to speak.

So, if you enjoy building and the detain involved with building rods, do what works for you and enjoy the craft in the way that you enjoy.

Take care

Hello Bob.

I do both if it's just guide wraps I do it by hand, if it's a long wrap I just use the motor and fly through it, dec wraps and weaving, it's all hand work.

I will however use the motor on most(not all) under-wraps.


If you are looking for a bit of history, I could write you a short story.

My father was a lifer marine and we were living in a place called 29 Palms, that was in California, the year was 1971, I was 13 years old, and I had already been through the tree limb with a string tied to it, and tied to that was a bent safety pin as a hook.

I found an old fly reel, don’t remember where (probably while dumpster diving) so I searched the housing area for a good branch to use as a rod, I found an old oak tree with some good branches, I grabbed 3 of them incase I broke 1 or 2 of them.
I spent a week sanding it down to a good taper and not too thick.

I took the base bus to the base exchange and went hunting and dumpster diving, I got lucky and found a bunch of busted glass rods that I took home and stripped (if I only knew then what I know now- I would have spliced a couple together) the guides off.

Next I borrowed my mothers thread (I think it was cotton) and wrapped the guides on using the box-book and mug trick, my next problem was putting the reel on it, I ended up using two shoe laces with the tips cut off, and that left me with finding a way to cover them so the wont just rot away.
I ended up using some of my fathers lacquer he had for refinishing the butt on his M-1.
In the mid 70’s I would get the occasional glass whip antenna, usually broken off a command vehicle or sometimes a tank(my dad was in supply by this time) but they needed to be painted or the glass would get into your skin.

I scrounged the paint from the motor poole plus I was still dumpster diving for parts and we had moved to El Toro still in California.

Late 70’s moved to Camp Lajune in North Carolina. I joined the Air Force as a jet over 4 mechanic.

The 80’s came around my dad was retired and living in Morehead City NC, and I got a job out of the Air Force at Cherry Point NC, as an aircraft mechanic, I had bought a couple of Speed-Way Kits from Jann’s Netcraft and was using them to build rods from other stuff I bought from them.

If you don’t know what a Speed-Way Kit is it’s a little like Jann’s #500 Rod Wrapping Kit only there are no v supports, instead ther are 2 rollers on clamps.

At tis time I ordered a kit from MudHole and got more serious at building rods and finding a few older builders who taught me more stuff by this time I had read anything I could find on rod building and experimenting with everything I learned and thought.

I believe that 2010 was my first trip to the expo and the same year I got a subscription to RodMaker Magazine.

2913 I retired and look out, now it’s 2023 and my health is going down hill fast but until I can’t see or can’t hold my hand from shaking I’m still going to work on rods.


Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/2023 05:55PM by Robert A. Guist.

I'm like Robert,
Started the craft in the Coast Guard to pass the time, I could work on a work bench, galley table, or chart room cabinet top when I had free time. My hand wrapper took up about 2 1/2 ft. in my locker or stashed between the work bench and framing of the ship. I have had a CPW for a long time now but can easily go back to hand wrapping without a thought, when I want to.

The first rod I ever done was with telephone books on the table, for tension on the thread. Would put the thread between the pages and ad more books as needed for more tension. Then turn around a chair and lay my hands over it and roll.
Worked good , took a little longer
Then went to rollers on a bench 10’ long

Kids don’t even know want telephone books are today shows how old I am.

I like the hand roll technique. Still use the CRB set up from the Mud Hole beginners kit. If I were selling the rods commercially then the power wrapper would be necessary.

I have a motorized system but I prefer to wrap by hand. I use the power feature to turn or refurbish grips

My power system was designed and built by an obscure tinkerer (me) and because of this I am the only one who can operate it with any chance of success or survival.

After the rod is chucked and ready for thread I have to yell to my wife "when the lights dim don't worry, its only me" then I have to hold my tongue in the right position and then hit the foot pedal and its off to the races. It is a harrowing experience and so I only use the power wrapper when I am in a adventurous mood.

For me its hand wrapping.

Have fun

I use a hand wrapper. I don’t find hand wrapping to be difficult, or tiresome. I use the “Advanced Hand Wrapper” from Mudhole and I have the aluminum track which makes going up and down the rod a breeze. But, if I ever do decide to go the power route, I’ll make my own. No way I’m paying the ridiculous prices they want for power wrappers. @#$%&, I thought the price of the hand wrapper was high for what it is, to be honest.

Love,

Retired CPA (aka tightwad)

A combination of both. I wrap trim bands and accents without turning the rod, wrapping the thread around the blank by hand. I start wraps by turning the rod by hand, then use power to wrap the rest of it.

I don't use a thread tension rod, so even when I started out building on the hand wrapper I made, I used something to keep the rod from turning backwards if I needed to keep tension on the thread while doing something else. Once you start getting out towards the tip of the rod it becomes difficult to turn the rod because of the small diameter of the blank. Now that I have power, I just find it way easier to do wraps from the mid point of the blank to the tip.