First Attempt

[RJD]

Hello Reelsmiths,

This is my first attempt at building a reel which is the result of stumbling upon Michael's post from the Classic Fly Rod Forum detailing his version inspired by John Bett's book concerning strip build wood fly rods. I contacted Michael, and he informed me that a step by step tutorial was being developed that ultimately manifested itself in the current book that he graciously shared with the rest of us. You will notice that my hub is made of aluminum instead of Delrin due to 4-40 being so fine that I wanted something more durable than threaded plastic, and my reel foot is mounted via pillars to the bracket instead of being directly connected. The handle is made from maple burl.





Ron

[eclecticguy]

Very nice job Ron! The foot mount is very unique and looks attractive & functional!Great job on the polishing and flattening of the screw heads too. It looks like you used 3 washers for the handle grip bolster? Was that for decorative effect? It looks nice as does the burl. I believe you completed your reel in about 30 days from when you first contacted me! Very nice indeed.

One comment on the Delrin hub. I have actually tried to rip the hub plates off of the delrin hub pulling on them and could not do it. Delrin is known to thread nicely and have great holding power. The 3/8" screws I use gives a little extra holding power too. But, that aluminum hub looks nice!

Have you fished with it yet?

Cheers,
Michael

[RJD]

Thanks Michael. Yes, there are three washers on the handle grip bolster just for aesthetics. I figured metal on metal contact would be better in the long run for the hub, but found Delrin to machine as well as to thread very nice. It ultimately didn't take as long as I initially thought it would.

Ron

[eclecticguy]

I like it! I have some black delrin washers. One of those sandwiched between 2 brass washers might look really sharp too.

By the way, I forgot to mention that your photos are also superb. Well done all around.

Cheers,
Michael

[fishketcha]

Ron,

Very nice job!! Like Michael said...superb photography. I have to agree with Michael on the strength of the delrin. I was skeptical at first but it does have great properties although, I absolutely LOVE the aluminum center. My only question is...will the gap between the back plate and the spool create a problem?

Wayne

[RJD]

Thanks Wayne. My understanding is that the correct hub length according to the directions was "when the front spool plate is flush with the front ring when the spring washer is compressed about 1/2 of its length. This provides the right amount of drag." Maybe I misunderstand the directions, and Michael could answer one way or another. Michael, did you mean that the the spool should completely compress the spring so that the back spool plate should rest on the back plate with no gap? I made the hub length so that when the spool was installed the spring was compressed not all the way which resulted in a slight gap.

Ron

[eclecticguy]

Ron, you read the instructions correctly but the spring washer is not very "thick" so the gap should be quite small. On mine - I just measured one - the gap is 0.015" (about 1/64"). Here is a photo:



The photo makes the gap look huge - perhaps because of the reflection. Can you measure your gap for us? I use an automotive feeler gauge.

cheers,
Michael

[RJD]

Michael, The gap is about 0.040" which might be a problem. What do you think?

Ron

[eclecticguy]

Ron, the only problem with a large gap is that the fly line "might" get caught in it. 0.040' is wide enough that the tapered end of a 4wt synthetic line might fit in. But, I am guessing this is more theory than practice. The spool plates tend to keep the line away from the gap. Do not overfill the spool with backing and line and you should be fine.

With a 0.040" gap, do you have friction on the spool? It seems that there would not be a lot of spring compression. You could make a new aluminum hub or put a shim between one of the plates and hub to widen it. I would try cutting a circle out of an old milk bottle the diameter of your hub. Drill holes for the spindle and three plate retaining screws. Use it as a shim and see what happens! It would close the gap - see how the friction compares to what you have now.

cheers,
Michael

[RJD]

I opted to make a shim out of brass which would be less involved than turning/tapping a new hub, and there is a difference in the friction as expected with a gap of approximately 0.013".




Ron