yet another reason not to imbibe

[sdlehr]

Steve, I always learn something from your posts. Thanks.

[oc1]

Without a drag, a fish can steel a lot of line if it can get going fast enough to burn your thumb.  While trying to cool the thumb or switch hands and avoid the knuckle buster the fish will take advantage.  Being a hero about it doesn't work because you'll only turn a burning thumb into a blistered thumb.  This reel does not have any line to spare for the task at hand and I'm a wuss, so I made a miniature thumb stall.
-steve

[Bill B]

Really enjoying the "Adventures of Steve"...I seem to remember someone doing something like this on a freshwater baitcaster, maybe it was an ABU.....but cannot find the post.....Bill

[Bill B]

Really enjoying the "Adventures of Steve"...I seem to remember someone doing something like this on a freshwater baitcaster, maybe it was an ABU.....but cannot find the post.....Bill

Aaahhhaaa....I found it,

http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=18635.0

[oc1]

I remember that tread Bill.  Thank you for finding it.  The whiffle arbor made out of curtain rod is beyond my abilities though.
-steve

[Bill B]

Hey Steve....whats the worst thing that could happen     Except the wife finding her curtain rods are missing    Bill

[oc1]

Bill, getting that arbor centered would be really difficult. If it's off by 1/32 you will feel the imbalance when casting.

Also, super glue didn't work for holding magnets.  One came loose, shifted around and was rubbing on the spool.  It was windy and choppy so I didn't want to take the reel apart on the water for fear of loosing one of the screws.  Instead, the spool was shifted to the right a bit using the end caps.  That reduced the rubbing, but made a larger gap between spool and tail plate so the line went under the spool again.  The line under the spool pulled the rest of the magnets off and they all jumped on top of each other.  Back to the marine epoxy.
-steve

[Midway Tommy]

Bill, getting that arbor centered would be really difficult. If it's off by 1/32 you will feel the imbalance when casting.

Also, super glue didn't work for holding magnets.  One came loose, shifted around and was rubbing on the spool.  It was windy and choppy so I didn't want to take the reel apart on the water for fear of loosing one of the screws.  Instead, the spool was shifted to the right a bit using the end caps.  That reduced the rubbing, but made a larger gap between spool and tail plate so the line went under the spool again.  The line under the spool pulled the rest of the magnets off and they all jumped on top of each other.  Back to the marine epoxy.
-steve

Ouch! That would put a damper on an otherwise glorious day! 

[oc1]

The white line in the first photos was 12# braided dacron.  I gave up on it because it is so prone to abrasion in shallow water.  No stretch, great sensitivity and hook setting, but dacron is just too delicate in situations where it could touch the bottom.  So I switched to 12# braided nylon; the black line in the photos.  Nylon is not as prone to abrasion, but it stretches a lot.  In the smaller sizes it is like fishing with a rubber band. 

I finally found a few fish and hooked two but pulled the hook on both.  The next time I used the reel there was a big depression on the spool's line lay.  Turns out the stretched nylon had compressed or collapsed one side of the cork arbor.  Luckily, the thin aluminum spool flanges were still OK. 

The spool was put in a drill motor chuck and turned against a piece of coarse sand paper to make it round again.  It's sort of round again but not perfect and needs more work.  I was afraid of bending the shaft and need to set up some sort of tail block to stabilize the other end of the shaft as it is turned.  Having a tool rest like a real lathe would be nice too.

Funny thing is I like the reel more now than before.  Even though it's not perfectly round there is more spool capacity.  It's now loaded with 120 yards of spectra so its less likely line will slip behind the flange.


-steve

[oc1]

Then, there's this one.  Shakespeare Tournament Free Spool from 1936.  It is more refined than the 1931 model.  High chrome, fancy head plate, swirled translucent knobs, and a new clutch.  Please excuse the spectra line, floro leader and thumb stall in the photos.... it didn't come that way.


[im]http://www.raingarden.us/snap/TFSzb.jpg[/img]



Pull the handle outward about a quarter inch to disengage the main gear from the pinion.  There are spring catches so it clicks into place when engaged or disengaged.




Many reel makers started using this clutch during this period.  Penn No. 15 had the same configuration.  It's simple, but if those spring catches ever wear out or get gummed up you can mess up the gears in a hurry.

The spool arbor is made of wood rather than cork.  It is very light, but I don't recognize the type of wood.




The bearing blocks are not solid but have a bronze bushing.  Here is the weirdest thing.  The end of the spool shaft on the tail side is ground flat instead of being tapered to a point.  I didn't understand it until casting.  If the tension knobs are backed off so there is a little play in the spool, the free spool will be great when the reel is tilted to the right and the tapered right end of the spool shaft is riding on the jewel.  But, if the reel is tilted to the left, the spool shifts to the left, and the flattened end of the spool shaft rides on the jewel.  This is like a casting drag and decreases free spool by about 25%.  So, if you're really talented, you can tilt the reel to the left during the cast to slow the spool.

Well, I'm not talented so I put in a brass bushing with a little tit to override the flattened spool end.  It still doesn't cast quite as well as the 1931 model.


-steve

[mo65]

   I love reading your adventures Steve. I'll have to remember super glue is a no-no for the magnets.
I've only used two part epoxy...and no failures so far...knock on wood!

[foakes]

Excellent work and pics, Steve --

Good observations for all of us to know, also...

Best,

Fred

[Gfish]

You've developed a cool and fun demension to your angeling experiences. I'ma call it "Antique Angeling". It also looks like you're having too much fun for me not to be inspired by it. Perhaps it's time to get that circa 1910 Bluegrass no.25 out on the water and start playin with it. Any good sources for some a that Antique fishin line I've seen in some your posts from the past?
Gfish

[oc1]

Mo, last time I used PC-11 epoxy and it seems OK.

Gfish, it's really difficult to find vintage line that is still good.  All the silk, linen and other natural fiber line has deteriorated now.  Braided nylon was introduced about 1937 and braided Dacron was introduced a year or so later.  Some vintage nylon and Dacron is still good enough to fish with.  But, you can also buy brand new braided nylon and Dacron that is identical to the vintage stuff (try Mason Tackle).  For trolling, braided Dacron is a pleasure to fish with.  But, every knot must start with a Bimini Twist because the line will dig into itself and fray.  I think the Bimini twist was invented for Dacron.

-steve

[sdlehr]

I'll add that I, too, am enjoying the adventures of Steve's antique angling.

Sid