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New 4-string binder



Some time ago, a fellow rod builder asked whether I could make him a 4-string binder like the one I currently use, and take with me to meets and demos. I said, sure, why not, so I started assembling and making parts, considering what upgrades I could incorporate – better motor mount, better balanced drive wheels, larger foot plate, smaller thread spools with no protruding wing nuts, thread tensioners that attach to the binder wheels in a less jury-rigged manner, and thread guides made from steel rod rather than sections of cheap fiberglass coarse fishing rods. Oh, and real flanges with grub screws to fix the rear upper drive wheel and the front binder wheel to the main axle, rather than epoxying them in place…

So I set about doing all that, and am now nearing completion, only waiting for a new sewing machine motor and drive belt, and a set of sewing machine thread tensioners, to be delivered before I can finalize the build. Here are some intermediate build pics.

Drive wheels provisionally installed:


Binder wheels installed. The large binder wheel is attached to the 'front upper drive wheel', which rides on a ball bearing (as it counterrotates with the axle, which is coupled with the rear upper drive wheel), the small binder wheel in front of it is fixed to the axle with a (wood) flange and grub screw. Both binder wheels counterrotate. The two lower drive wheels also run on bearings (press fit) attached to a (more or less) fixed axle. The lower axle is a 15mm OD copper gas tube. The upper (main) axle is a 25mm OD aluminium tube, which runs in a pillow bearing. Also installed are the steel rods that will carry the thread binder guides, and the (boxwood) thread spools:


And finalised. Thread guide eyelets (tiptops) installed. Thread tensioners equipped with support springs (the native tension springs on these tensioners are too weak, but they can be mounted by screwing their M6 stems directly into thread cut into the binder wheels) installed. Sewing machine motor mounted and belt aligned. And tested - dry, with dowel.



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