Category Archives: Materials

Bronze Castings

Posted on February 5, 2022 by dave49

Here is a bronze casting in the form of a rectangular solid bar, and a reel foot made from this material. Bronze alloy C954 is supplied as a casting, made by the “continuous casting” method. The cast bar is quite … Continue reading →

Posted in End Plate, Foot, Materials | 1 Comment

Sherlock Holmes, Metallurgist

Posted on December 15, 2011 by dave49

Recently I anodized two reels. All end plates and pillars (6061 aluminum) look right. The feet (7075 aluminum) look right. Of the 20 screws (all 7075 aluminum), 14 look right but 6 of them are dark and dingy. What happened? … Continue reading →

Posted in Anodizing/Plating, Materials | 5 Comments

Knobs

Posted on December 13, 2011 by dave49

I am getting down to the final details on the first two reels of my winter 2011-12 production. This week I am making knobs of a variety of materials. This is “Alternative Ivory”, a plastic substitute for the real thing. … Continue reading →

Posted in Knob, Materials | 1 Comment

7075 Aluminum

Posted on September 21, 2011 by dave49

The most widely available aluminum alloy for home craftsmen is 6061. I have been using 6061 for many of my reel components. But when I decided that I should make (vs. buy) aluminum screws, I chose alloy 7075 to get … Continue reading →

Posted in Foot, Materials | Leave a comment

Finishing Plastic

Posted on July 18, 2011 by dave49

To finish metals, I often use wet/dry sandpaper. The finest grit that I have on hand is 2000. That seems to me to be fine enough for metals; I don’t really want a mirror finish. But when I have tried … Continue reading →

Posted in Abrading, Materials | 2 Comments

Two More Plastics for Pawls

Posted on May 7, 2011 by dave49

Someone brought Ertalyte and Ertalyte TX to my attention as possible materials for pawls. The data sheet properties looked promising, so I bought a small quantity of each and made pawls. I tested these on the low speed tester, as … Continue reading →

Posted in Materials, Pawl, Testing | Leave a comment