Reel Repair by Alan Tani

I have 4 line metering machines.  One very heavy duty Triangle for large Conventionals, a fairly heavy duty Triangle for Conventionals up to 9/0, and two smaller Berkley's for just spinning reels.

But I never spool a spinning reel with a powered line winder —- always by hand, on a rod lower section, and with a little resistance based on experience and feel.  Just takes a few minutes to do it right.  Plus I change my line pretty often depending on usage.  Generally every year or two.  Cheapest assurance of success.

Here is an old cast iron line winder that I keep around for fun.

Alan hasn't chimed in —- but he has the ultimate set-up for Conventionals.  None better.

Best, Fred

Greetings, found this old reel at auction (amongst other reels).  Didn't work.  I opened it up and cleaned out the accumulated grease and dirt.  The gears are in place. The problem is the handle won't turn. There's something broken, missing, or stuck inside the receiving end of the handle.  Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

Since I don't use conventional reels I'm the line winding machine and my line holder is my own  homemade design. It holds three sizes of spools, bulk, medium and the smaller ones. I generally have a bulk spool of mono and a spool of dacron on it at the same time so I don't have to switch things around. Since I only fish fresh water I never install more than 120 or 125 yards of top mono.

The copper sleeves and washers give the spools a smooth surface to ride on and spin against. The springs set the tension I feel is appropriate. I pinched the wing nuts so they won't turn under pressure, but one of these days I'll replace them with nylon wing nuts.

Drag really has no relevance in spinning reel line installation other than making sure the line isn't too loose or too tight and stretched. I set mine by feel and experience.

I mount the reel on the reel seat section of an old SB fiberglass rod with a plastic reel seat & rings. The line only goes through one guide thats right next to the ferrule.

I've been known to use a drill, with a special head that I rigged up using a pipe tee and some padding, to spin the handle on a larger baitcaster or conventional to speed up the process. I've also modified a socket bit (again with a wee bit of padding) to spin the gear sleeve of a penn conventional for the same reason.

I modified the spool and spool shaft of a cheap spinner to mate up with and grip onto a filler spool so I can set the constant tension I want to load with. Then I just gotta make sure I keep the rod section im using straight because if I dip the tip the tension temporarily changes.

I am slowly refining my setup. Joe what you're working on here is very interesting, I may try to adopt a bit of your idea. A bicycle rim might be useful for the larger wheel. I hear they already make brakes for those... And they're adjustable.

Quote from: oc1 on Today at 05:46:44 AMIf you load a spinner on a mandrel the line will not be twisted.  But, twists are imparted as line leaves the spool on a cast (one 360 degree twist per spool circumference). When the line is retrieved, the twists are removed.

If you wind a spinner using the whole reel (rotor turning), then the line is twisted as it is loaded onto the reel.  But, the twists are removed as the line leaves the spool on a cast.

Pick your poison..... or, get a conventional.
Before braid line come out I only use spinner for 8 lbs test and under and you're right spinner 

Twists are neither imparted nor removed when drag is pulled but twists are imparted when that line is retrieved.  Twists are imparted when cranking against a slipping drag.  On a spinner with a 4:1 gear ratio there will be four 360 degree twists for every turn of the handle against a slipping drag.  So, the total number of twists accumulate/increase when there is a lot of back-and-forth in a fight.

I only use drill to wind up line on spinner ,Bait casting reel line lay out good .You're right spinner always get line twist .before braid line come out I only use spinner for light line 8 lbs and under but with braid it's less problem ,I load 30 lbs test braid on Dam 220, 2001 and have no problem with line twist .On conventional reel braid help cast further but not much ,using less than 20 lbs test create more problem

Quote from: oldmanjoe on Today at 04:43:24 AMTo be honest , I will not machine wind spinner spools.    I much prefer to wind on the reel it self , I want the line lay and know right away if the shimming is correct .

I do shim to get better spooling but unless you use old Mitchell reel that line spooling perfect , most spinner will get as picture when wind on reel itself ,few reels use oscillating gear similar to bait casting reel then line lay out good ( such as Daiwa SS1300,1600,2600 )

If you load a spinner on a mandrel the line will not be twisted.  But, twists are imparted as line leaves the spool on a cast (one 360 degree twist per spool circumference). When the line is retrieved, the twists are removed.

If you wind a spinner using the whole reel (rotor turning), then the line is twisted as it is loaded onto the reel.  But, the twists are removed as the line leaves the spool on a cast.

Pick your poison..... or, get a conventional.

Twists are neither imparted nor removed when drag is pulled but twists are imparted when that line is retrieved.  Twists are imparted when cranking against a slipping drag.  On a spinner with a 4:1 gear ratio there will be four 360 degree twists for every turn of the handle against a slipping drag.  So, the total number of twists accumulate/increase when there is a lot of back-and-forth in a fight.

To be honest , I will not machine wind spinner spools.    I much prefer to wind on the reel it self , I want the line lay and know right away if the shimming is correct .

 Don`t sell the 270 short , it is a beast of a reel .  Fred can get you the parts you need .  There is 5 different spools that fit the 270 with different drag arrangements .   The ru pacific is a nice fun reel also ,not a bull dog  .

I use a cordless drill to strip out old line and since I have many extra spool shaft I use correct shaft for each spool to wind up line