Hi guys,
I'm pretty new here, but I've already learned a ton from you all and serviced many reels using all this great information!
I've started putting together a set of tools based on recommendations here and I'd like to get some ideas for it.
Have any of you put together a portable work station?
I'd like to be able to keep them with me for on the go.
I was thinking of maybe using one of the big hard brief cases that harbor freight sells.
What do you all think?
Several folks on here go on a number of offshore trips annually and carry portable service "center" with them.
Give it a little time for them to find your discussion here and they will jump right in. Personally I do all my service on my garage workbench. This year it's been such a mess I can't get within 10 feet of it.
If you like Penn reels. The first must have is The one and only Alan Tani Wrench.
Senators are easy to work on. I take only a few small tools with me.
Appropriate screwdrivers, Pin Punch, Alan Tani Wrench, small pick, small pair of pliers, 1/4" drive ratchet with socket for clamp nuts and small adjustable for the rod braces. And of course Loc tite, and Corrosion X.
I have to pack enough gear for Sharking, I try to keep it light.
If I can't fix a reel with these tools, I always have a back up reel. ;)
Spare springs in case they go flying!
A good multi-tool.
A towel or mat you can roll up in the box to lay things out on so they won't roll away.
I take a small plastic ammo-style box on any trip, which includes as above plus a tip repair kit and five minute epoxy. a little piece of braid will serve fine for a temp repair til you get home. You see penn blue on Daron's table. I also take the small penn kit that comes with a 1 oz penn blue and small squirt bottle of penn reel cleaner. If I'm in a high-spray situation all reels and rods get sprayed with freshwater and a quick wipe with penn cleaner every night. I find that this box does pretty well if I end up pawn shopping due to weather on an extended trip and find something to work on, on a picnic table.
box is appx 8"H x 10"L x 4"w.
I take an extra tackle box. All parts are in separate little ziplocks so even if the box goes tumbling, it's easy to organize again.
I don't have a work area where I live at now so I must keep things on the smaller side. I use a small plastic tool box to hold most of my reel repair/maint stuff.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/thJsBQGV0oYZW7Li8ZDF2qs-hD_4ItymVsgRioNtIcNGJQTQk3V76Kdrj2tRyGPMH5d3lC-Rft-_XSosBwi7VVlH_OddfcuOPLA8ZZ0bsLjxMHot6gCW2-G0bWSD6khiqYFy2Ms8BzGJx4TsMYXZO8Npi8qiKDhjMogzcaO1BeGbLHX0UDomSy3mnJL1qMW72zWVIsbNDIwgQcPoDxpyN-PeXuC5C_o-ijFYEs_3HO937cK1HUA879dmw4K73P4TV3eHb_ZcJa3EJKGG1enNuQhDdgC957fnUyqhZehdWnWMsJfjaXKBqfF4Ikt0xOAgyatl5U3MWqwFRln3-qNoigyh-ifGO9pevkLEnStpawTL6ISYdWd35kxg9YiJonq8AvmoBM5KQOw-DMR5R3QghcMy0rYix3X35XWHiIXxMxYPOEttWkdnYKuYG8r6ui8IRs1iq5qlJUcT7FV4XxCXmS3j7hd5Q_4YhwTp1diTX21ZLWAHo-o2SAbQa68ME1ZRq02szYQFCwIjM3dgbPz71UHK_L8xy8UZMFca_-4aWBfBOICjmIZl-Wef6Vkh13PVcr7s8HeRZySfqrXiJkibPuV8G4CrP7XKEt5CyFUOoxOYaAni3WU1=w934-h700-no)
Quote from: SoCalAngler on August 29, 2017, 05:46:53 PM
I don't have a work area where I live at now so I must keep things on the smaller side. I use a small plastic tool box to hold most of my reel repair/maint stuff.
(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/thJsBQGV0oYZW7Li8ZDF2qs-hD_4ItymVsgRioNtIcNGJQTQk3V76Kdrj2tRyGPMH5d3lC-Rft-_XSosBwi7VVlH_OddfcuOPLA8ZZ0bsLjxMHot6gCW2-G0bWSD6khiqYFy2Ms8BzGJx4TsMYXZO8Npi8qiKDhjMogzcaO1BeGbLHX0UDomSy3mnJL1qMW72zWVIsbNDIwgQcPoDxpyN-PeXuC5C_o-ijFYEs_3HO937cK1HUA879dmw4K73P4TV3eHb_ZcJa3EJKGG1enNuQhDdgC957fnUyqhZehdWnWMsJfjaXKBqfF4Ikt0xOAgyatl5U3MWqwFRln3-qNoigyh-ifGO9pevkLEnStpawTL6ISYdWd35kxg9YiJonq8AvmoBM5KQOw-DMR5R3QghcMy0rYix3X35XWHiIXxMxYPOEttWkdnYKuYG8r6ui8IRs1iq5qlJUcT7FV4XxCXmS3j7hd5Q_4YhwTp1diTX21ZLWAHo-o2SAbQa68ME1ZRq02szYQFCwIjM3dgbPz71UHK_L8xy8UZMFca_-4aWBfBOICjmIZl-Wef6Vkh13PVcr7s8HeRZySfqrXiJkibPuV8G4CrP7XKEt5CyFUOoxOYaAni3WU1=w934-h700-no)
thats pretty much my same Portable work station, I might actually took some pics later to post them, along with the plastic tool box I use a portable heavy duty plastic small table to work (like to ones to eat in front of your TV), when I finish the reel I always have to clean the area, clean the tools and put them on the toolbox and fold the table and move everything to my storage room.
PS: my tool box is a mess compared to yours
Im with Byran....living in a 30' trailer for three years I had to keep things small and tidy...all the tools and lubes mentioned above fit in a Plano tackle box and stored easily...for tear downs I use a kids school pencil box with the lid for big parts and the bottom for small parts..It also fit insidethe tackle box when not in use..Bill
i couldn't possibly do portable...... ;D
Quote from: alantani on August 30, 2017, 02:45:31 AM
i couldn't possibly do portable...... ;D
don't you? on the long range trips? ???
not any more. those days are done forever! ;D
Quote from: alantani on August 30, 2017, 04:02:17 AM
not any more. those days are done forever! ;D
Right ::)
Quote from: thorhammer on August 29, 2017, 02:18:15 PM
I take a small plastic ammo-style box on any trip, which includes as above plus a tip repair kit and five minute epoxy. a little piece of braid will serve fine for a temp repair til you get home. You see penn blue on Daron's table. I also take the small penn kit that comes with a 1 oz penn blue and small squirt bottle of penn reel cleaner. If I'm in a high-spray situation all reels and rods get sprayed with freshwater and a quick wipe with penn cleaner every night. I find that this box does pretty well if I end up pawn shopping due to weather on an extended trip and find something to work on, on a picnic table.
box is appx 8"H x 10"L x 4"w.
Great idea, rod repair as well as reels. Some hot glue(the kind that fits into a hot glue gun) might work better for tips, in case you gotta remove the tip latter(just heat it with a match for installation and removal).
Gfish
latter
My approach is a little different, maybe --
Just a canvas tool roll with a few screwdrivers, reel wrenches, crescent wrench, small ignition channel locks, needle nose, swiss army knife, small spray bottle with simple green, micro oiler, tsi321, Yamalube Marine in a small grease gun, saltx, Cal's, WD40 for cleaning, couple of shop rags, flashlight, extra pair of reading glasses, assortment of common drag washers -- that's it.
Plus, I always have back up reels -- when I'm fishing, I don't like to work on reels -- that can be done at home.
The kit is just for basics, or to help out others.
Best,
Fred
Lots of great ideas!
Thank you all!
I'm going through all the tool posts and making a list of the necessities so I can be well prepared. :)
Key point. I assumed you wanted a travel kit but in fact you may be looking a lot to roll out in a garage Space or wherever. That changes things.
Quote from: thorhammer on August 30, 2017, 05:42:29 PM
Key point. I assumed you wanted a travel kit but in fact you may be looking a lot to roll out in a garage Space or wherever. That changes things.
Not necessarily a travel kit.
More of a condensed kit that can do MOST service/repairs that is portable.
I don't have room for a permanent work station at home so I'd like to put together one that will hold most tools and some parts that I can use many places. I want to be able to open it up in the living room after the kids are in bed or on my lunch break at work. Does that make sense?
Quote from: xjchad on August 30, 2017, 06:06:22 PM
Not necessarily a travel kit.
More of a condensed kit that can do MOST service/repairs that is portable.
I don't have room for a permanent work station at home so I'd like to put together one that will hold most tools and some parts that I can use many places. I want to be able to open it up in the living room after the kids are in bed or on my lunch break at work. Does that make sense?
Makes sense... just don't too involved and forget to go to sleep or forget to go back to work. It happens ;)
steve
yep perfect sense, that's why I asked. depends how dirty you want to get in the house. I keep a small caddy for the "tv dinner table" with screwdriver, AT wrench, Penn blue, corrosion X, ALLEN set, crescent and needle nose pliers. its about 8" x 8" and lets me assemble about any Penn I have cleaned parts for in the shop while hanging in the living room.
Quote from: xjchad
I want to be able to open it up in the living room after the kids are in bed , Does that make sense?
That's me.
My hobby job shift starts at 9pm to.. err.. ehem.. hmm around 12 or 1am, bit from time to time I find myself awake at 4am and go to bed just because I have to be awake at 6am everyday
Well I picked up an aluminum case a HF yesterday with my 20% off coupon.
I'll start putting it together today and report on how it works out. ;D
Here's a few pics of the HF tool case.
(https://s20.postimg.org/xdocdq225/IMG_2933.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://s20.postimg.org/wlh30s8h9/IMG_2935.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
I plan on mounting an 18" tool magnet behind the upper insert piece like this:
(https://s20.postimg.org/ou4yfytpp/IMG_2936.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Only starting to get it sorted out, but I think it will work great and give me a small work space in the bottom when it's open so I can work on reels with it sitting on my lap if needed. I just need to make prop rod to hold it open.
(https://s20.postimg.org/d7kueu6el/IMG_2938.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
Good choice, Chad --
Best,
Fred
I have one of those too. Brand new from years ago. I was going to use it for work, but settled on the open top tool box with a strap.
I only mention because I thought of offering it up here when I saw this thread.
Weird that you found one anyway.
I think it will work great for you.
Thats turning out to be a real winner......looking forward to the end product....Bill
I have that same case full of my Cortez Jigmasters :)
Keep us posted.
Man, if you can keep it that small, more power to ya! Sure do miss Harbor Freight. I'll put it on my "mainland visit list"
Gfish