The Jigmaster Project

[twotone]

Wholly molly.

Your work is brilliant.

Been following, Thx for posting!

[mhc]

Good to see you back on deck. Very neat work on the eccentric lever, is that out of 2mm thick stock?
Mike

[Rothmar2]

Yes Mike, 2mm sheet stainless. I traced the curve of the star to get the shape. The centre-centre distance is the same as a stock lever. Actually didn't take too long to make.

[mo65]

Love this thread Rothmar2...great work!

[Rothmar2]

A little more to add. I made a rough knob for the Cortez build out of some PVC stock I bought away with me, just to get an idea of what a knob would feel like. Only took 15mins to spin it up. I think I prefer T-bars. Just a personal thing I think, probably from using large lever drags for a lot of my fishing over the years. Back to the drawing board and lathe.....



And the composite rod clamp is done for the 500. I ended up putting another layer of carbon fibre tape over the whole piece as I had a little rub through to the polyester/fibreglass core when I did the first round of fairing. I then built up the epoxy thickness over the second layer of CF tape, and then faired and polished it up. Result....



I don't have the 500 with me at the minute, but will show it completed when I get home in a few weeks. This clamp is the last piece for it. I'm hoping I'll have the Cortez build done as well as the fishing will be hotting up when I get home, and hopefully I'll be able to break both of them in. I've also been chipping away at a couple more frames while I've been out here, these will be the last of the jigmaster frames that I'll do.

Thanks again for all the words of support.

[Bill B]

Outstanding work brother....that knob reminds me of the wheels on the kids skateboards....hmmmm might have to take a look at those wheels....two bearings and soft urethane.....interesting concept.....Bill

[Alto Mare]

You keep on adding Chris, while we sit back and enjoy the show.

Very nice!

[broadway]

Chris,
   You haven't stopped impressing me, WOW! You do some beautiful work.
How is the counter weight on the handle attached.  Is that "pin head" a rivet?
Awesome job, bud!
Dom

[Rothmar2]

Dom, the counterweight is screwed on with a M5 thread. The little bit in the centre is just left over from when it was turned on the lathe. I'll eventually do away with the bolt through crank arm, and just Loctite an M5 stud into the counterweight and fair it flush with the back of the crank.



I've made the rod clamp from stainless, I used the tool I made for modifying the International stands for the first 501 frames to hold the piece to machine the rod profile.





And as you can see, a SS handle. It's hollow, and I've skimmed it as much as I dare. Despite this, it won't be staying on the counterweight crank, I've just mounted it for show. I've started another crank which won't be counterweighted for this handle. I did try to counterweight it, but the required weight to balance is too large, and just adds too much unnecessary weight to the whole reel. I'll probably make a black Delrin ball in future and fit it to the CW crank and eventually to the Frankenstein Jiggy.

I've also started on an ally frame which will eventually be mated with the Cortez plates. Long way off yet, I am trying to find a place where I can get the anodising done without it costing an arm and a leg. Making this frame has presented its own niggles, no problems drilling and tapping, just too easy to scratch and warp the frame's surfaces during the machining and clamping processes, despite putting thin copper sheet between the frame and clamping tools. The seat has been made from a broken alloy crow bar we had on board, its strong stuff, but have the feeling I may have to get it painted/powder coated, as anodising  won't take to certain alloys, and my gut feeling is this will be one of them. At the end of the day, no hurry at this point.



Still have some overall fine tuning of the drag stack, and find out why free-spool isn't great, plus a bit more polishing of parts. All  things I can do when I get home. Hopefully I'll get this Cortez reel, and the 500 out for breaking in soon.

[mhc]

Looking good great! It's a pity the SS grip is a bit heavy for that reel, it really suits it.
Did you end up bending the ally frame in the die you made for the SS frames?
Mike

[Rothmar2]

Yep, bent it around the punch/die Mike. Was an 8mm ally flange from a cooling water tank that was scrapped.
Just cut the strips to bend from that. Try to utilise scrap wherever I can.

[Bryan Young]

Wow!!!

[Penn Chronology]

Yep, bent it around the punch/die Mike. Was an 8mm ally flange from a cooling water tank that was scrapped.
Just cut the strips to bend from that. Try to utilise scrap wherever I can.

Very amazing work! You have old time skills. Hard to come by in today's world.

[Rothmar2]

Looks like an opportunity has presented itself for a shakedown of the 500 and the Cortez reels in the next couple of days. I have hastily finished the new crank for the Cortez so it's usable, but will require further finishing at another time.
These reels have been set-up for different purposes. To recap, the 500 has stock bridge, with an extra dog fitted, stock gears, stock brass drag stack, but SS 8 toothed gear sleeve and Delrin sleeved spacer, Delrin U/G washer. It also has Adam's Star. I intend to only fish this reel with 8kg test line, so maximum drag will probably only ever be 7-8lbs, well within the capabilities of the stock parts.
The Cortez has the works. BP SS 4:1 gears, bridge, jack, yoke and 10 toothed gear sleeve, self made SS spacer (no delrin sleeve.....yet), Delrin U/G washer, self made SS/Carbontex drag stack with Delrin washer on top, curved Three Se7ens star. I've spooled it up with 24kg Platypus Pretest Braid, and has about 50' of 24kg Momoi topshot. It's mounted on a custom made United Composites "Zues" PE5 rated 5'10" jig-stick, Alps reel seat, guides are "Acid Wrap" configuration. This will be a knock 'em down/drag 'em out rig for school sized tuna and reef fish. 16-18lb drag straight up.





Close up of composite reel clamp fitted



Not much chrome to peel around here!



Or here



Looking forward to making this sing



Will post up some pix if I have any joy.

[Bill B]

Good luck brother....hope you get a chance to put a hurt on some fish......Bill