# What is the best complete rod lathe



## redman35

What is the best rod lathe that you can basically do everything from wrapping to drying to turning handles.


----------



## Goags

I think the 'best" is probably the renzetti, but pricey. 
http://www.renzetti.com/home.php?cat=280


----------



## redman35

But on the Renzetti don't you have to upgrade the motor to turn handles ?


----------



## Goags

Yep, it sounds like it. The Pacbay/Batson/AmTak power wrappers are 3 that are virtually identical, and they have upgraded chucks, etc. I personally wouldn't want to turn grips on the same machine that I use for thread/finish...too much cleanup!


----------



## RJH

The Renzetti has three motor options. The middle one-----a 1/10HP motor is variable speed and will do guide wrapping or grip turning with ease. It has a LOT of power.

If you decide to turn cork or EVA on your lathe rig a shop vac nozzle to capture dust right at the source and there will not much of anything to clean up. You should be able to capture 95% or more of the dust right then and there.


----------



## Zombie

I use a Renzetti and love it. For light to mild sanding and shaping it's fine but doing hardwoods would probably be a bit a of a task for it. Granted I don't have the largest motor available. It's a very nice unit but pricey. I use a Jet variable speed for all my shaping and the Renzetti just for wrapping. You could probably buy a descent lathe and cheaper wrapper for about what I paid for the Renzetti. I like to do all my "dirty" sanding and shaping work in the garage and wrapping and finish applying in my "clean" room.


----------



## redman35

Zombie said:


> I use a Renzetti and love it. For light to mild sanding and shaping it's fine but doing hardwoods would probably be a bit a of a task for it. Granted I don't have the largest motor available. It's a very nice unit but pricey. I use a Jet variable speed for all my shaping and the Renzetti just for wrapping. You could probably buy a descent lathe and cheaper wrapper for about what I paid for the Renzetti. I like to do all my "dirty" sanding and shaping work in the garage and wrapping and finish applying in my "clean" room.


Zombie , do you use your Renzetti for drying?


----------



## Zombie

Nope, it doesn't have the double pulley and drying capability that some of the other less expensive wrappers have. I use a FlexCoat 4 rod dryer (18 rpm) for finish work.


----------



## redman35

So i have to spend the 900.00 plus a rod dryer. Is that lathe that good?


----------



## Zombie

Well, it depends on your use. For the average guy building just a few rods probably not. But, for me, I build rods as a business and use mine just about every day so to me it's worth it. I bought mine a few years ago for about $750.


----------



## patfatdaddy

I have been using a lathe that I made out of scrap lumber and a sewing machine motor for about 25 years. I used a Pac Bay lathe at a friends house a couple of days ago and I will be buying one this week. Mine has served me well but the Pac Bay is so much easier to use. If I could afford a Renzetti I would probably buy one. You can easily make do with very little but your life can be made easier with a little investment. So buy what you can afford. Good luck
Pat


----------



## Gramps

I have an American Tackle wrapper and a Jet Lathe, perfect combination in my mind. All of the heavy turning & sanding is done in the garage, keeping the dust and debri away from the finish areas. If you don't want to spring for the cost of a Jet (or similar) look at Grizzly's Drill Lathe, it does a great job on cork and ok on light duty wood work.


----------



## RJH

There is a very inexpensive attachment that allows you to use your Renzetti as a drying unit as well. Depending on the motor you choose it will run you anywhere from $10 to $50. You can rig this up in fifteen minutes. The information comes from a non sponsor so I am not going to mention them here. But it is available and works perfectly if you want to build, wrap, finish and dry all on the same machine.


----------



## pg542

I've had the Custom Power Wrap (CPW) for a few years and I really like it. I bought it with the intention of turning and shaping grips. I have the extra bed section so I can chuck up 10ft blanks w/o any problem. There in lies the trouble. Although it is strong enough for some pretty aggressive shaping < I have to move everything to the garage so i don't dust-up my rod room. Break out the leaf blower, blow everything down and move everything back inside. So like Zombie, I bought a dedicated wood lathe and mandrels for shaping and turning. It stays in the garage and my rod room stays clean.
http://www.anglersworkshop.com/items.aspx?catid=3052 .It isn't cheap but it's a little less than the renzetti. It has a lot of torque and silky smooth start-up when beginning a wrap. Some units are kinda "jerky" when you try to start slooow until you get some speed. I've been very pleased. I think Doc uses a CPW. I saw it on one of his (vhs) videos. I'll bet he still uses it. Good luck with whatever you decide on.


----------



## redman35

Terry twisted my arm and i bought the pac bay with the upgraded chuck. Thank you Terry.


----------

