Max drag before failure on stock 115?

[floating doc]

Hi Sal, no offense taken. I work about 60-70 hours a week, so I don't have time for experiments of my own. Besides, I am sure that I'm not as capable of doing as good a job of designing and executing a test as I've seen here. I've followed your writeups, and you can count me as a fan of yours. My training is in medicine, and anyone with a good understanding of engineering (such as a skilled carpenter/mason) would quickly put me to shame.

I'm only addressing this since I'm trying to understand.

Back to the original question: I don't doubt that a reel at 3/4 of it's drag capacity is going to be smoother than an unmodified version same reel maxed out with equal drag. I was only addressing the heat generated. Whenever any reel pulls x pounds of drag, that energy is converted to heat. At least as far as my understanding of physics goes, the same amount of drag amounts to the same amount of kinetic energy converted to thermal energy/heat.

However (and this addresses your observation that the modified reel is smoother), it could be that the smoother (modified) reel is generating less heat at the same setting because it's not having "spikes" in the drag setting that would occur if the drag was inconsistent (jerky). In addition, the higher quality parts like stainless gears may dissipate the heat better.

Adding drag washers would do the same thing: same amount of force distributed over a greater area should result in less heat per washer, although no less total heat since the drag setting is the same.

So as I said before, it makes sense if you consider that the modified reel might either dissipate heat better, or produce less heat or both. I want to emphasize that I never intended my comment to seem that I was questioning your observation. I'm just wondering how it works.

[Alto Mare]

This wasn't a matter of you questioning me floating doc, I just wanted to use your knowledge to help out .
My simple testing can only give us so much, as I've mentioned before, these need to be tested on the water....that will answer most of our questions.
My shelves are getting emptied....NOT... , I have a few reels and some parts out there getting tested, we'll see how that goes.
These tests could go either way, if they do fail,  it will still be good for us to know.
I do believe we have something good here.
Sal
Ps you're working too many hours, leave some time for fishing

[floating doc]

Time for fishing...

I'm working on it anyhow. I'm taking my 9 year old son on a party boat for a half day on the 11th, weather permitting. I'm also checking forum member interest for a two day bottom fishing trip in the gulf next year. I can't afford a trip to San Diego.

There's nothing like a real world test.

[Shark Hunter]

I know what you are saying Doc. I'm not working 70 hours a week, but steady 60's. 12 hours a day Monday thru Friday. I won't be able to get to the coast next may. I can't afford the San Diego Trip either. I just keep going to work and try not to think about what else I could be doing instead. Someone has to do it.
The Party Boat sounds fun! Winter is already setting in here in Kentucky. Its going to be 29 degrees tonight!
I will be giving those Hex gears a workout come May!