Category Archives: Reel Parts

A Loss of Concentration

Posted on April 5, 2013 by dave49

This was to be the front spool end of a reel. The very last machining operation is to plunge mill 10 larger lightening holes. It is a repetitive operation; plunge, index 30 degrees, plunge again. But at this radius, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Spool End | 2 Comments

Making a Washer Flat

Posted on February 22, 2013 by dave49

At the base of the spindle, my reels have a thrust washer. It is meant to take any axial forces generated during cranking. If this washer is thicker on one side than on the other, the spindle will not sit … Continue reading →

Posted in Abrading, Spindle, Thrust Bearing | Leave a comment

Rear End Plate

Posted on October 9, 2012 by dave49

I have made prototypes of two sizes of my “Fixed Spindle Reel” (see post immediately preceding this one), and am now starting the first reel for a customer. Also, I have committed to deliver a plan set by the end … Continue reading →

Posted in End Plate | Leave a comment

Downsized Click

Posted on September 3, 2012 by dave49

My new “Fixed Spindle Reel” is 2.78 inch diameter, but I also intend to make a smaller version of 2.28 inch diameter. The two versions can use mostly the same parts, except that end plates and spool ends must be … Continue reading →

Posted in Click, Pawl, Ratchet/Gear | Leave a comment

Aluminum Finishing

Posted on August 21, 2012 by dave49

By now I have made enough reel parts of aluminum to have established a routine procedure for finishing. My goal is to arrive at a finish that is uniform but not highly reflective. If the aluminum is shiny before anodizing, … Continue reading →

Posted in Abrading, Frame | Leave a comment

Front End Ring

Posted on July 12, 2012 by dave49

Since my new reel design has a fixed spindle, it requires a front end ring instead of a full front end plate. Here is the sequence of steps to produce a thin end ring for a raised pillar reel. Starting … Continue reading →

Posted in Milling, Ring, Turning, Work Holding | Leave a comment

Dyed End Plates

Posted on May 9, 2012 by dave49

Having dyed some scrap metal parts (this blog, 23 April 2012), I moved on to some machined reel parts. On my first attempt, the result was not satisfactory. There were small but obvious flaws, like this spot on the rear … Continue reading →

Posted in Anodizing/Plating, End Plate, My Reels | 3 Comments

Ratchet Teeth

Posted on April 17, 2012 by dave49

When I made my first reel design, I had to find a way to make a serviceable ratchet. First there was the problem of what material to use; this blog has several post on material testing. But there was also … Continue reading →

Posted in Milling, Ratchet/Gear | 2 Comments

Progress Report #8 : Little Progress

Posted on March 20, 2012 by dave49

This is how far I got on the next two reels before I was rudely interrupted: Last Wednesday I set these front end plates down and left the house for an evening meeting. Just before walking out, I took the … Continue reading →

Posted in End Plate, My Reels | 3 Comments

Spool Capacity Data

Posted on February 19, 2012 by dave49

I get a few questions about the line capacity of my reels. So I did a study to try to see how commercial reel manufacturers rate their reels. Many have ratings (line size + yards of backing) on their web … Continue reading →

Posted in Spool | Leave a comment