just finished assembling a 3 station rod dryer set up and picked up 3- 9 rpm motors and hooked them up to a control board best thing I ever did as you can change the rotation of each motor
Have an old one that changes direction when turned off and then back on and has been great as you apply while turning in one direction and the guide tunnels fill on one side but are a bit sparse in the other side so I change the rotation direction and I always get a very even finish and don't have any issues with fish eye or dry spots.
I know that the rod smith with the black plastic chuck has the same type of motor that you can change the rotation direction just a little something to think about if your a tinker or if you just purchase the rod smith dryer if your looking to up grade or new to rod building it is one of those things that makes easier to get a perfect finish on Your rod

The best day to be alive is always tomorrow !!
Think out side the box when all else fails !!!
Wi.

Matthew,
I just finished building a three-station rod dryer also. The 9 RPM motors with “stretchy-chucks” from Mud Hole might be from the same manufacturer as yours as these will also reverse by turning them off, then back on again. For the same reasons you mentioned, the reversing ability is an extremely nice feature and am surprised Mud Hole does not boast the fact.
My habitual-over-thinking fuels my habitual- over-building. I built mine as three 4ft sections which nest inside of each other when not in use to save space in the shop. The base and back is constructed of Baltic birch plywood with a hinged, bent, clear polycarbonate cover to eliminate dust. For the colder months (even here in SoCal) a heating element was installed with a small, filtered computer fan to slowly circulate the warm air. At the last minute, I decided to add LED lighting. I would not want a customer to see his rod under the LEDs but it is awesome for discovering even the smallest flaw in the finish.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.