MAGNUM 500 - PENN JIGMASTER

[David Hall]

Here's my jigmaster 99 magnum build.  The bridge should be here by next Monday or Tuesday and I will be able to seriously get into the projec.  Today I decided to dry fit the frame, plates and spool, I removed the bearings for cleaning and lubing.  It took awhile to locate the spool and 99 frame but with a lead from Randy P.
I was able to make a deal with a private seller down south and secure those parts,  it's getting an accurate main gear and pinion that Dom shipped to me last year, Adams insert and drag Kit.  One of his counterbalanced arms and oversize star, a new 10 tooth sleeve. And to ice the cake, Lou is working on a special handle for it.
So this is the intro, I will take step by step photos as I work through the reel once the bridge arrives.  For now it's just general cleaning and organizing the parts.

[mikeysm]

I got everything to work in my squidder. The 5.1 gears the 10 pt sleeve and Bryans washer set also the dual dog stainless bridge and yoke. The reel is tight and smooth with little or no backlass. It can't get much better than that.

[David Hall]

Mike that is probably the most powerful little reel ever built and capable of 25+ lbs of smooth drag.
I might get bigger numbers with the larger gear set in terms of drag but Overall I don't think it will be any stronger than the squidder magnum. It would be fun to load it up with 100lb test and fish wahoo with it.

[mikeysm]

I used the new parts out of my penn 99 with Tom's plates. Then I ordered more parts from alan minus the gear set. I want the 4.0 gear ratio and the 2nd generation drag set up. It should be just a few weeks and it will be ready. I hope the 113 2nd generation gear is right around the corner also. We are talking more eye candy for the reel addiction we all have. What will they come up with next? Handles that set the reel apart from the others is very hard to find.

Mike

[mo65]

Awesome reels...great thread!

[David Hall]

Bridge arrived in today's mail, so here's what were tossing aside and replacing in this reel.
On the left we have the old and on the right the new.
1st up is the old brass single dog bridge and original brass sleeve with hard fiber washer, it will be replaced by the long awaited pro challenger bridge with 10 tooth sleeve and delrin under gear washer from Adams insert kit.
2nd the old brass main gear will be upgraded with an original accurate 4:1 stainless steel maingear and pinion courtesy of Broadway.
3rd.  This reel had an upgraded 5+1 drag Kit, but Adams insert will boost even those numbers so that's the way we're going.

[steelhead_killer]

Looking great!

[David Hall]

Let's look at the rest of the parts.
We start with accurate magnum sideplates, bearings opened cleaned and lubed with tsi321.
An immaculate accurate 99 frame, I had to purchase a whole jigmaster reel to get this but it was worth it.  The reel itself had never been spooled so now I have the frame to use on my magnum reel and a virtually brand new set of jigmaster sideplates for future use.  And then there is the spool, the unicorn of the magnum reel world.  So hard to find in any color or size. to try and find a red 99 size was at times frustrating, but persistence and patience  paid off and I was able to procure this very clean red 99 magnum spool.

[PacRat]

I can tell you the PC double dog bridge fits with no mods to the Magnum plate! With that said...I'm experiencing some fit issues that I haven't sorted out yet. It feels and sounds like contact on the drive side. The bridge screws were trimmed to fit a Penn bridge and now they stick out a little further but if they didn't contact with the Penn bridge; they shouldn't contact with the new PC bridge. The Penn bridge is beveled around the edge so I'm suspecting that I may need to soften that edge on the new PC bridge. I fogged the inside of the spool flange with carnauba wax. After it dries I'll re-assemble then take it apart and check for contact.

The bottom line is; all these parts are compatible with the Magnum and just require a little fitting. The best thing is that they feel very solid! This beast will be incredible when finished!
-Mike

[David Hall]

I was just dry fitting the maingear and checking clearances around the dogs, I noticed when the bridge is placed into the side plate, it does stick up a bit.  I don't know that this is going to be an issue but I think I might take your observation and ease the edge of the plate just to see if it sets lower into the sideplate.
First I'm going to check the spool centering in the frame, with the bearings in place and assembled.
Here's the new bridge and gear stack with insert all dry fit.
I moved on to assemble the right side plate.  During installing the eccentric spring I had a first ever occurrence, the spring slipped out of my pliers under tension of course and I vaguely caught the blur as it flew up past my face nearly touching the garage ceiling and zipping across the room and hitting a piece of cardboard,  hmm fortunately for me there are only 5300 cardboard boxes in my garage, I should locate it by August!  Okay time out for me, my mind is muddled and beleive it or not, the doctors have me on a five pound weight restriction, I discovered it takes more than five pounds to compress an eccentric spring and wiggle it into position.  Will get back to it later.

[Maxed Out]

The 99 is my favorite and just seeing one as a magnum is mind boggling, and to think of it handling a cow tuna, but no doubt it is capable.

  Ted

[David Hall]

That was my intent to take this reel on my next cow hunt.  I believe the reel is capable of the drags required but I don't think the 99 will hold enough line to do the job, we will see, maybe my Hawaiian wide build will be better suited.

[Alto Mare]

I can tell you the PC double dog bridge fits with no mods to the Magnum plate! With that said...I'm experiencing some fit issues that I haven't sorted out yet. It feels and sounds like contact on the drive side. The bridge screws were trimmed to fit a Penn bridge and now they stick out a little further but if they didn't contact with the Penn bridge; they shouldn't contact with the new PC bridge. The Penn bridge is beveled around the edge so I'm suspecting that I may need to soften that edge on the new PC bridge. I fogged the inside of the spool flange with carnauba wax. After it dries I'll re-assemble then take it apart and check for contact.

The bottom line is; all these parts are compatible with the Magnum and just require a little fitting. The best thing is that they feel very solid! This beast will be incredible when finished!
-Mike

Mike, as you've noticed the 113H bridge plate is not beveled as Penn plate is, it is doing good in the 4/0, but on a Jigmaster size spool you might need to bevel the edge. I do not have a  Magnum, but I'm pretty much sure that would do it.

Sal

[David Hall]

Scavanged an eccentric spring from an unused side plate and got the side plate together. Toms bridge screws fit perfectly.  The bridge itself fit right in with zero tuning, no mods whatsoever, but Toms frame screws don't fit through the holes in the side plates so I had to use stock slot head screws for now.  The bridge screws protruded through and stick up a little bit.  I assembled the left side plate to the frame, installed the spool then the right side plate, nested right snug and tightened it up to the frame, no problems shifting in and out of freespool, the new 10 tooth sleeve is awesome practically eliminates backlash in the handle.  Added Adams star and a temporary arm and handle to match.  The spool is slightly off centre as Mike has indicated and it appears the problem is the same, the drive side bearing cup needs to be milled a few thousandths deeper to get the spool to move slightly right.  There's no line eating gaps so I may or may not do anything about it.  I think it came out looking like I planned and once I get my Motive Fab counterbalanced arm polished up and one of Lou's knobs, I can call this one done except it's all dry fit right now and everything needs grease and oil.

[David Hall]

Another view, note:  not shown here is Toms knurled adjustable bearing cup, it is installed, fits perfect and works fantastic.