This binder is so simple it is actually not easy to describe and the photos do not show up much. However I hope you can understand the following. Send me an email if you have any questions. This binder was explained to me by Dutch rodmaker Marty Mass and is a design explained to him by an old local rodmaker.

You need a piece of pipe about the length of the final rod section. I used relatively thin plastic pipe used for electricity ducting. The attached photo is for a 4' rod section and the pipe is 4' long. It is necessary to cut a thin slit down the length of the pipe hence a thin walled plastic is the best type of pipe unless you have means of making such a cut in a metal pipe. I used a stiff backed saw to cut the slit and it was fairly easy to do. The slit needs to be around .065 of an inch . I then cleaned up the slit with some sandpaper to make sure there were no sharp edges that might cut the thread.

It is then necessary to mount the pipe onto a board to hold it steady and to ensure it is straight. I used the edge of a board about 6" wide so it was possible to clamp the binder on the bench if necessary and also mount another shorter pipe, say 3'9" for 7'6" rods, on the opposite edge if required. The simplest way to mount the pipe is to puts some blobs of fast curing epoxy along the board edge and then hold the pipe in position until the epoxy is hard enough to hold it. Mount the pipe with the slit facing out from the board.

You then need a device to hold the thread If you have a thread tensioning device from Russ at Golden Witch they are ideal but it is easy to make one up using a L shaped bracket, a bolt, a cotton reel for the thread , and some springs to apply tension. The one I use is shown in the photos and it is mounted on a longer piece of wood to enable the stretch from holding the drill in one hand and the tensioned thread in the other.

You also need a drill with a reverse direction capacity and a variable speed.

You then put a small piece of plastic film over the end of the rod section to protect the rod chuck from glue, slide the rod section into the pipe, with about 2 inches protruding, and tighten up the chuck on that protruding section ( protected by the plastic film). Tie the thread on the rod section in front of the chuck and put the drill on slow speed switch.Then lead the thread into the slit and turn the drill on. the rod is turned and as this happens lead the thread along the slit until you reach the far end where the thread is tied off. Repeat the process with the drill direction reversed and the section is bound. The rod section is pulled against the inner side of the pipe and does not bend but does get some twist however the reversing of the drill direction for the second bind usually removes this.

Marty's advice was to then put the drill on high speed and with the section still in the tube run the drill for 30 seconds in one direction and then 30 seconds in the other direction.

I get straight sections with little twist using this binder.

Ian Kearney