Reel Repair by Alan Tani

General Maintenance Tips => Tools and Lubricants => Topic started by: quang tran on April 03, 2026, 10:15:57 PM

Title: Wood lathe to turn rod handle
Post by: quang tran on April 03, 2026, 10:15:57 PM
  Just get a cheap wood lathe to make rod handle . Looking for wood turning instruction book or e book . Try to make a butt cap today with a piece of pine , turn out not bad , should look better if I use red cedar for material
Title: Re: Wood lathe to turn rod handle
Post by: Gfish on April 03, 2026, 10:30:59 PM
Cool. Gotta see how this comes-out. Cedar probably strong and light.
Title: Re: Wood lathe to turn rod handle
Post by: oldmanjoe on April 04, 2026, 01:46:00 AM
 :)  If you are new to turning wood , there are hundreds of U tube videos to learn from . 
 There is a lots of free wood to turn ,  tree parts , packing crates ,pallets .
Have fun turning small bowels and spindles first , to get familiar with the cutters and how they work .

  I will be happy to post pictures of some fixtures to help with butts and foregrips .  And glue up jigs for different pieces of wood  to make up turnings .
Title: Re: Wood lathe to turn rod handle
Post by: reelynew on April 04, 2026, 02:18:33 AM
Looks like you did well from the photos.  I have a few lathes myself.  Like Joe mentioned, there's tons of stuff online to go off of and learn from.  Looks like there's a mandrel in there too.  You can turn a pen real quick on one of those.  That's what I had started on first.

Would like to see how your rod handle comes out.  Please post some photos later on. 
Title: Re: Wood lathe to turn rod handle
Post by: quang tran on April 04, 2026, 02:38:10 AM
I watch some video on Youtube for basic chisel function , need to learn how to clamp a long piece of wood perfectly on 1 side to reel a hole in center
Title: Re: Wood lathe to turn rod handle
Post by: oldmanjoe on April 04, 2026, 01:36:03 PM
Quote from: quang tran on April 04, 2026, 02:38:10 AMI watch some video on Youtube for basic chisel function , need to learn how to clamp a long piece of wood perfectly on 1 side to reel a hole in center
That is the most challenging part . Even with extra long shank drill bits and working the hole from both ends .  That`s if you are doing one piece long turnings .     Segmented glue ups are easier with pre drilled center holes .
Title: Re: Wood lathe to turn rod handle
Post by: quang tran on April 04, 2026, 05:48:37 PM
Got it Joe , I just do some short pieces and glue them together just like cork rinds . Now I need to set up a place for these toys
Title: Re: Wood lathe to turn rod handle
Post by: happyhooker on April 04, 2026, 11:39:11 PM
Looks like a winner.  I was gonna build a lathe a couple years ago; as far as I got was to store a bunch of cedar in the garage.  Maybe yet.  Planned on turning some lure plugs.

Frank