# power rod wrappers



## Big Win

does anybody have suggestions on which power rod wrapper to buy. I've been wrapping by hand and have been toying with the idea of a power wrapper.


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## CarolinaNemo

The Alps unit. Comes standard with the "upgrade" chuck. If you can hold off a little while longer, you should be able to get a pretty good deal during the black Friday sales. Picked mine up last year from Get Bit.


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## Youngbuck757.

Really been wanting a power wrapper but can't find one for a good or even a decent price guess I'm gonna have to bear with the arthritis when I'm older


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## sunburntspike

Welcome Big Win.the best power wrapper is the one that does what you want.I use mine very rarely due to the fact that I do a lot of decorative thread work.mostly use it for lathing down grips and even then I will use my pwer drill lathe more often.my point is a power wrapper is nice but not necessarily needed. Search thru mudhole and find the parts page and then you can build yer own.sometimes for a nice ddiscount. Before choosing I would think very hard about what and how you will ultimately use the machine .you may find that it will be a very nice looking rod dryer and kick yer self for spending 400 bucks.happy wrapping. ...spike


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## HellRhaY

batson is the best one of the lot. amtak, pacbay, batson are the same, each part will fit the other.
dont waste your money on the anglers workshop, they took out the best part of the lathe which is the self centerinig chuck. if you're going to spend $600 for that, might as well go with a renzetti.

i use my power wrapper to do almost everything. guide wraps, sand the blank, install reel seat, take out sticker, putting on finish, etc.
the only time power is not used is during decorative wraps.


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## Hudak

I have the Pac Bay with the upgraded chuck. Do not waste your time with the black/plastic standard chuck, seriously. I am with HellRhay, I use mine for everything. Only exception, I do not use the power for dec wraps. I do leave it chucked up and tape a guide to the blank so that I can turn it by hand easier while I make the those wraps. I really appreciate a power wrapper when cleaning up a blank I am rewrapping. You can find deals on them coming up soon, if you aren't ready then, the ICRBE in Winston-Salem coming up in Feb (if I remember correctly) will have them on sale. 

The good and the bad of it. This was my first lathe. I was in heaven when I first started using it. I use it a lot. The biggest draw back to the Pac Bay style wrappers is the support design. I build a lot of saltwater rods. The rollers on the supports do not allow the rod to be cradled in between the rollers very far which allows them to pop out of the support at the seemingly worst time. If you check out HellRhay's pic of the new Renzetti design above, you will see how large the rollers are, they allow the blanks to be cradled by the rollers basically locking the blank in place. Keeping it from jumping out. That would be my biggest complaint about the Pac Bay style wrappers.

Think about how many rods you are planning on building. If you will be using the heck out of it, it may be worth your time to pony up and purchase the high end...the Renzetti or Clemens if you can find one used. If you are only going to be building a handful a year, then I am sure the Pac Bay would be suffice. Keep an eye on the different rod building forums that have "marketplace" style sections. A lot of times, you will find someone getting out of the hobby/business that is looking to move his mess quick and you can find good deals. Earlier this year, there was a wrapper and all of what the guy had left for rod building materials and supplies sold on here for 250.00 or so. Deals are out there. Good Luck.


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## Big Win

Thanks for all the input....very helpful. Hudak, what is ICRBE and where do you get info on it?


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## Hudak

International Custom Rod Building Expo. Largest collection of rod building materials, seminars, equipment, and tools that I am aware of. Check out icrbe.com for more info. Really worth the trip. Basically anything that you have read about, seen, or have any questions about will be there.


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## Big Win

Thanks Hudak.I'll check it out


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## Drew_S

does anyone know where I can purchase the plastic wheels with rubber edges for the blank holder stands.


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## River

Drew_s, Mudhole and Donart have parts --- I also have a Pac bay wrapper with the heavy chuck, I built a lot of rods with it and like it OK --- but the chuck will loosen up on me a lot, I've tried everything - even called Pac Bay, they said make sure everythings straight/lined up - I measured, leveled and still have the problem. I don't even use it to dry because of the that, I use the old Rubber cup type dryer - I can depend on it. The tackle shop I worked at with Jam has the same problem, we had to tape the rod in with masking tape before we walked away from it ----- Does anybody out there have that problem and is there any type fix for it --- I've tried everything, I think ---- River


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## CarolinaNemo

River, a couple wraps of rubber band around the butt of the rod before you chuck it works wonders.


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## River

Thanks CarolinaNemo -- I'll try that when I get it set back up ---


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## Hudak

River said:


> Drew_s, Mudhole and Donart have parts --- I also have a Pac bay wrapper with the heavy chuck, I built a lot of rods with it and like it OK --- but the chuck will loosen up on me a lot, I've tried everything - even called Pac Bay, they said make sure everythings straight/lined up - I measured, leveled and still have the problem. I don't even use it to dry because of the that, I use the old Rubber cup type dryer - I can depend on it. The tackle shop I worked at with Jam has the same problem, we had to tape the rod in with masking tape before we walked away from it ----- Does anybody out there have that problem and is there any type fix for it --- I've tried everything, I think ---- River


River, I must have been lucky and gotten a good one. I have been using mine for about 5 yrs or so and have not experienced the upgraded chuck loosen up. Now that I say that, I may want to go check, I have a rod drying in it now. LOL Only thing I do is make sure the center of the rod is level, like you mentioned. I have had rods walk out because they were not level, but then it was the rubber feet that pulled off of the jaws with the rod falling out. The plastic/nylon chuck...that is a different story. I have been exposed to a couple of 4 rod dryers and 2 stand alone dryers with the standard chucks.... I don't like using them to apply epoxy let alone leave it unattended enough to go pour a drink. The Alps chuck, if I remember correctly has a set screw on the back to lock it in place. If you have the time, it may be worth drilling/tapping a hole and using a set screw to hold it in place. Just a thought.

(Now that I really sit back and think about it, it may have loosened up a couple of times over the years. Nothing significant enough for it to stick out in my memory. When it has happened, I just assumed I didn't have it tightened properly to begin with. But like I said, it has only happened a couple of times since I purchased it.)


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## jlentz

My Pacbay wrapper aluminum chuck would also come loose sometimes while drying a rod. I do not use that wrapper much anymore since I purchased 2 Clemens lathes and a Renzetti(2 of them I use at my shop and 1 at home). I have added drying motors to them and they work very well. I noticed that if I did not use the top wheels on the Pacbay rod supports it really helped keep the rod in the chuck. I believe when the rod is tight in the rod supports it "pulls" the rod out of the chuck. One of the last things I did on the Pacbay was a gaff and I had to use the top rod supports to keep it in while the finish was drying. Put the finish on and went to bed. Woke up a few hours later to check it and everything was fine. Woke up in the morning and the gaff was missing. I found it underneath the workbench stuck to the carpet by all 3' of the finish I had applied. That was a mess, cutting it from the rug and a than lot of sanding. What I should have done and what I have done in the past was use rubber bands around the rod and than looped over the chuck along with the raised top rod support wheels. I have never had a rod fall out when using the rubber bands. I do like the Pacbay wrapper but you do have to be careful when drying rods in it.

John


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## CarolinaNemo

John, that must have been a nightmare to fix!


My occasional issues with rods walking out are (I think) no fault of the Alps wrapper. Rather, some of the blanks have been very stiff solid glass that weren't perfectly straight, and the curvature walked it out of the chuck. I don't remember many issues on smaller or softer blanks unless it was extended higher speed spinning for long wraps.


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## mbg60

If you're going to buy equipment, buy the best you can find. You will NEVER have to upgrade and buy another lathe. If you don't continue wrapping rods then you will easily recoup your money if you want to sell it. The Renzetti is a precision made lathe.


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## HellRhaY

Drew_S said:


> does anyone know where I can purchase the plastic wheels with rubber edges for the blank holder stands.


mudhole sells it for $5 each,
i have a couple, how many do you need?
i'll package them as a lot. i have 6 of it, $25 shipped okay?


jlentz said:


> My Pacbay wrapper aluminum chuck would also come loose sometimes while drying a rod.
> 
> John


happened to me but on the dryer that came with the lathe. had to wrap a rubber band around it. was so effing annoying. finally sold it when i made a drying box.


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