Soon available at The Eclectic Angler is my new plan set for two sizes of the Fixed Spindle Reel.

Update 27 Nov 2014: Sales of this plan set have been moved from The Eclectic Angler to Reel Lines Press.

The set includes 24 drawings, 12 pages of construction notes, and 2 tables listing raw materials. Examples below.

As errata are discovered, I will make updates to this post.

6 Nov 2012: Started a size B reel this morning and right away found an error. Page 5 of the step-by-step, step 2 should be “2.4 by 2.5 inches”. (It’s hard to get 2.6 inches from 2.5 inch bar stock.) Same problem on page 7.

23 Nov 2012: The design incorporates two off-the-shelf screws, 4-40 FH to secure the counterweight and knob pin. I bought screws with a straight slot, and found that they have a burr at each end of the slot which will prevent them from pulling down properly into the countersink. Fix by filing.

24 Nov 2012: Drawing 1052, reference dimension 0.65 should be 0.065

27 Nov 2012: Step-by-step instructions for Front Spool End and Rear Spool End, pages 9 and 10. For step 18, make the spacer plate from aluminum instead of acetal. Acetal is too slick. The spool end is clamped to the rotary table by a central bolt, and acetal may allow the plate to rotate when it is first touched by a plunging end mill.

4 Dec 2012: For the smaller (B) reel, drawings 1039, 1047, and 1049 call out 0.313 inch diameter lightening holes. I think it is better to make these 0.375 diameter. You can see a comparison at the blog posting of 4 Dec 2012.

20 Feb 2013: Drawing 1057 depicts the forming of the wire spring. The distance between centers of two phantom circles is 1.40 inch. These two circles should be .188 inch diameter, fitting the groove diameter of the two spring pins.

10 April 2013: Drawing 1051 calls for a slot width of .032 in the knob pin. This slot should be a little wider for better fit of common screw driver blades, say .040 inch.

24 June 2013: Drawing 1053 says “Use any involute cutter (1-8)”, but I now think that it would be best to select cutter #4 or #5. If you use a cutter meant for a smaller number of teeth, you will likely reduce the OD of your ratchet.