The Jigmaster Project

Marcq · July 20, 2016, 05:18:39 AM

Looks bad ####!!

Marc..

Penn Chronology · July 20, 2016, 02:42:25 PM

It is good to know that a skilled man is willing to put this much time and heart into a fishing reel. Absolutely brilliant and unique work. Priceless!

mhc · July 29, 2016, 09:56:24 AM

The 501 frame arrived this week, thanks a million Chris! - it's every bit as nice as it looks in the photos;

I have mounted Penn side plates with a set of stainless rings made by Chris (see page 1 of this story), stainless internals by Alan C, handle arm and star by Adam, and a chrome 501 spool.

And together with it's stable-mate, a mostly stainless '99' width jigmaster.

Thanks again Chris - I would have posted these photos a few days earlier but I couldn't put the frame down long enough to assemble the reel.

Mike

Rothmar2 · July 29, 2016, 09:34:38 PM

Thanks for posting those up Mike. My frame is done except for the polishing. As you know, I'm trying to fit my Cortez plates to it, but have some tweaking to do to get it together. Will get a post up when I have succeeded.

Rothmar2 · August 17, 2016, 01:39:16 PM

After finishing the first of the 501 frames, I was curious to see if I had got the side plate holes accurate enough for some Cortez plates. They certainly looked close to lining up. Much more so than the 500 frame. A trial fit saw a little resistance on two of the screws. Rather than leave it this way, I modified the kit screws a little in an attempt to reduce the wear on plate holes. Please note, this is not a reflection on Tom's work, but the lack of precision on my part.
What I did was file down the threaded part of the shank that was not engaging with the frame holes.
Mount the screw by the cap head end, and take a flat faced needle file to about 2/3 of the threaded shank, from the underside of the cap head. You want the end of the shank to be un-touched

Touch up the filed area with some fine emery when satisfied the edge of the thread is flattened off sufficiently

If you look closely, you can see the thread on the end is untouched.
Then using an old post bar, take the screw and wind it in at one end until it bottoms out.

Then mount the bar into the drill chuck, and using a coarser file, file off the little ridges on the cap head. Finish with the emery.

Remove screw from the post using the hex key, nice smooth head.

While we're at it, might as well hit it with a bit of polish from the little Dremel polishing wheels

Bring out the shine (not a great pic)

Each of these screws only take a few minutes once set up.
Then mounted the plates to the frame.

The Tiburon spool was supplied by Randy, Vintage Offshore Tackle. I soaked the ball bearings from the Cortez kit for a couple of hours in TSI 321, then drained them off before fitting the spool. The free-spool time was amazing! Very happy!
Still need to make a few more parts before final assembly and prepping for fishing.
Will post that up later. Have BP drive train gear on standby.
But very pleased to have been able get the 501 frame to fit the plates.

Tiddlerbasher · August 17, 2016, 02:39:32 PM

WOW that is gorgeous

STRIPER LOU · August 17, 2016, 02:48:13 PM

Beautiful work as always Chris!!!!
...............Lou

Penn Chronology · August 17, 2016, 04:14:01 PM

AMAZING!!!!

broadway · August 17, 2016, 04:23:19 PM

Amazing job bro! It's a modern art masterpiece.
Hope you enjoy that reel... you certainly earned it!
Thanks for showing what can be done,
Dom

sdlehr · August 17, 2016, 04:41:09 PM

Incredible work, Chris! You didn't say if your screw modification improved the fit any... was it worth the effort?

Sid

basto · August 18, 2016, 04:04:55 AM

Very impressive! That`s dedication. You have taken custom to another level.
congratulations
Basto

mhc · August 18, 2016, 10:43:30 AM

Great work (again) - the plates and spool really go well with the frame.
Thanks for sharing your idea to file down the mounting screw threads where they contact the plates - it will help me with my rough stand & spacer experiments when the holes are not perfect and the screws can be a little hard to start.
Mike

Rothmar2 · August 18, 2016, 04:20:18 PM

Sid, yes it was worth the effort, although I have to hold the plate up off the frame face a little while setting the screws. There is the slightest hint of thread etched into the two holes that I was concerned about, but overall, it does not feel as tight as when I first attempted to fit the plates. I will just keep the site mantra of greasing these mounting holes when doing the full prep, and I think I'll be OK.
Mike you know as I've PM'd you, but didn't post previously, I had to shorten the screws a little as well. Removed about 1.5mm off the kit screws, with a belt sander......except for one you also know about!

Thanks for the kind words again guys.

thorhammer · August 19, 2016, 04:27:31 PM

Wow. just wow. Nice work, dude!

Rothmar2 · November 28, 2016, 01:06:26 AM

Update for those following.

I have had some drastic changes to my work situation over the last few months. Long story short, becoming a victim of the oil and gas down-turn, and so called "globalisation" (read scheme for the rich to get even richer). So I have had an extended time at home, and have been busy with alternative employment to try and keep afloat, so I haven't had much spare time. Thankfully, for the time being, I have returned to my usual job, and have been able to progress things a little.

I have started on building the finishing pieces for the 500, namely the reel clamp.
I acquired a piece of carbon fibre tape, and some clear epoxy. Inspired by Marcq's custom work, I am wrapping the fibreglass core to finish it off.

Mix epoxy and apply resin to the shaped core

Coat the whole piece evenly and allow to cure for a few hours until tacky

Once it has tacked, but not hardened, wrap the core with the carbon and press it into the resin (note gloves)

Cut along the edge line to wrap up the sides

Press sides in until held all the way around, and allow to cure. The side with the rod profile will be done after the external faces are complete.

Once the carbon layer has cured, apply a couple of sealing coats of resin and allow to cure hard, before sanding to fair the piece. This is where I'm at now, will show more in time as I progress.

While I didn't have a lot of free time while home, I did get a little done on the Cortez build. I shaped a crank and eccentric lever, to kind of tie in with Adam's curved star.
Still have a bit more polishing to do on the crank after I have made a handle, and have a couple of SS counterweights roughed out in readiness. Now if I can just get Striper Lou to part with a piece of his acrylic stock (dark blue/cobalt and white swirl) to match the spool, I'll be super stoked! In the meantime, I will knock something else up instead.

The drive train is in. I had the little knock from one of the dogs on the BP bridge against the cut out on the plates. A quick hit with a needle file off the corner pointed to, soon fixed that.

I also made myself a 5 stack, out of 0.5mm SS shim stock. The CF is 0.4mm. There is a 0.6mm Delrin UG and a 0.6mm on top of the drag stack, flat for now, but will make a delrin belleville later. I also had to machine up a sleeve spacer, the supplied one with the BP gears was a shade too thick.
A few of the stack parts below.

The only thing I'm a little disappointed by is free-spool is not great, only a couple of seconds. I have done a polish on the spool shaft and inside of the pinion, but no improvement. Might have to have a closer look at the jack springs perhaps?