Hi there, for all my spoolings(getting on the secondary reel decently tight, than real tight on the primary reel), I like to pump the line off another reel to get it on there tight, in a realistic fashion and, especially in smaller reels without pressuring the gears too much, now I played with the thought of getting a Senator just for that purpose, wouldn't be hard to find a 9/0-12/0 fo 60-100$ but I heard about them getting hot and I got even my 50w Makaira pretty toasty and had to take brakes when spooling some reels, so I was wondering if there's maybe a better option of a reel that I could get for cheap that will work as a line winder with drag, since it won't be exposed to the elements maybe there's a reel out there that's not expensive but does the job, alternatively I could see myself in the mid term future maybe get 1 reel that's just a back up and for spooling, but I'd prefer to not spend a grand just so I can properly spool my 130s I hope(and probably will) to get within the next year.
Best Regards and tight lines, Marlon
I used to use an old reel for loading braids on a reel but about a year ago I bought a bees knees line spooler. Works great and nicely made. Saves a bunch of time not loading an extra reel
I would make something that applies braking to the product spool. Perhaps mount the spool on a small hydraulic pump, with a relief valve maintaining head pressure on the pump. You would want a fairly good size reservoir or sump for the oil, so it would not get too hot. That would eliminate friction and give you very good control over the resistance, and also you would not have to transfer line twice.
For filling a smaller reel, you might look for a Penn 309. They go for chimp change on fleabay and they hold a fair amount of line. To load, make a widget that you chuck into a drill, that engages the handle.
I have used a Long Beach 68 without any problems. Gotta service the drag every few uses. It holds alota line and was less expensive than a Senator.
Yeah still use my dad's old 4/0 for line x-fer & washing. Anchor in a small cooler & thread line over/around handle for added tension. Not nearly as slick & consistent as a line winder but I'm retired (and cheap).
Quote from: GrowleyMonster on November 02, 2024, 12:57:56 PMI would make something that applies braking to the product spool. Perhaps mount the spool on a small hydraulic pump, with a relief valve maintaining head pressure on the pump. You would want a fairly good size reservoir or sump for the oil, so it would not get too hot. That would eliminate friction and give you very good control over the resistance, and also you would not have to transfer line twice.
For filling a smaller reel, you might look for a Penn 309. They go for chimp change on fleabay and they hold a fair amount of line. To load, make a widget that you chuck into a drill, that engages the handle.
3 Interesting, my problem with directly off the spool was always that the line wasn't on there tight enough(it would dig in when spooling the reel as tight as I wanted), but maybe with a line spooler I could load it onto an empty spool under higher tension, then onto the reel, though I'm afraid that might be even more costly. Maybe an apparatus that remove the brakes from the actual spool would work, like putting a relatively non conductive spacer that sticks to the spool and break in between, sooner or later I'll probably get something like that. Also played with the thought of getting a big reel as a wall hanger, spooler and to bring almost empty so when I have to the off a reel, even multiple times I have something where I can crank in 2-3 reel fillings, the 20/0 Everol would be perfect but far from cheap...
Quote from: Congerslayer on November 02, 2024, 05:01:18 AMI played with the thought of getting a Senator just for that purpose, wouldn't be hard to find a 9/0-12/0 fo 60-100$ but I heard about them getting hot and I got even my 50w Makaira pretty toasty and had to take brakes when spooling some reels,
That's interesting. I wouldn't have thought that a person could crank fast and hard enough to heat up a big Senator. Maybe more likely when the doner reel spool is not very full so the spool speed is way up there. Don't know anything about a Makaira.
Quote from: oc1 on November 02, 2024, 10:49:52 PMQuote from: Congerslayer on November 02, 2024, 05:01:18 AMI played with the thought of getting a Senator just for that purpose, wouldn't be hard to find a 9/0-12/0 fo 60-100$ but I heard about them getting hot and I got even my 50w Makaira pretty toasty and had to take brakes when spooling some reels,
That's interesting. I wouldn't have thought that a person could crank fast and hard enough to heat up a big Senator. Maybe more likely when the doner reel spool is not very full so the spool speed is way up there. Don't know anything about a Makaira.
Well, I'm not sure about the Senator, but from what I k ow I'd nor expect them to handle heat better than a 50W Makaira, on the contrary. I actually don't crank the line onto the final reel, at least once there's some line on there and the effective spool diameter increases, as I pump it on, usually while harnessed up. I know big conventionals should be able to take it but as someone who grew up with spinning reels cranking it on with no regards doesn't feel right and some conventionals up to the 2lb Mark I had longer did not take kindly to this type of spooling, event though they had stainless gears they felt like they had aged a few years, so I prefer to reel under moderate tension, but pull the line tight by pumping over the rod, plus it's much easier and faster once you have serious tension compared to cranking. I remember when I was spooling my Makaira 30, line coming off the 50w, that I needed to stop cause once I got into the groove I could've kept pumping that line on without stopping no worries, but after 100 yards or so(very rough estimate) the 50w was already pretty hot. Now a 130 18/0 or 20/0 leverdrag would surely be a different animal, but even a big star drag has me scratching my head, since the drag has to produce 2-4 times the amount of resistance that a leverdrag would for the same drag pressure, I might be wrong but I'd expect WAY more heat build up, but it's all theory, that's why I asked here🙂.
That said, I did have the idea to maybe get a Senator just for my spinners and smaller conventionals, then again my bigger reels, as long as the Top Shot is off, will have enough capacity for that as well.
Maybe building a drag for a standard line spool is the most practical solution, if anyone has some specifics on how to build one that has either a large heat sink or physically isolates the drag system from the spool itself, let me know, I'd be more than curious
Quick "btw" question: is there any difference in heat build up(not talking about smoothness) between greased and dry drags? My guess would be no, since friction is friction(maybe a tiny extra heat reservoir from the grease, but not enough to matter), but I might miss something
Quote from: Gfish on November 02, 2024, 02:49:18 PMI have used a Long Beach 68 without any problems. Gotta service the drag every few uses. It holds alota line and was less expensive than a Senator.
Thanks will look into that
Ok, the long beach 68 ain't it for my needs, even when spooling big Spinners I'd be using more drag than that reel is designed for(10-20kg) and I have spooled some reels with 200lb Cortland (that stuff breaks in the 300s) at 30kg+, now this might be excessive drag, but I wouldn't spool a big reel with less than 20kg of drag and for some crazy fishin where I use 300lb braid(love the Cortland, it actually holds more than 500lb JB but is thinner than 300lb JB) and I will pack that line with 30kg+ of tension, both for capacity and to prevent line digging, when anchored down, straight sticking the rod, I have gone as high as 100kg/200lb of drag(not pre set numbers, but I checked with a scale what it was when the spool was mostly empty) to stop some fish, So far that has turned every fish or pulled the hook when I was close to being spooled, they might take a bit more line but never all that much. and that's why I need that line on there extra tight. Kinda realizing that for those crazy spoolings probably only a big, strong reel will work, well, if anyone has a 18/0 or 20/0 Everol they wanna sell for not too much money, let me know😅
But maybe I'll still find a solution for more normal stuff, for 130lb line, even if it's one that breaks in the 200s, 30-40lb of pressure would probably be fine and even a Senator can do that if it's not spooled all the way to the top
Quote from: oc1 on November 02, 2024, 10:49:52 PMI wouldn't have thought that a person could crank fast and hard enough to heat up a big Senator.
Most unlikely, unless said person spent most of his youth turning the Wheel of Pain. Or was brought up by a family of great apes...
I built a setup by killing an old spinner that I use for spooling my reels. I'll be the first to say that mine does not have the max drag or the ability to hold a large enough spool of line for your needs, and I don't think mine will give more than 15# of drag. I don't have anything with more than 500 yds of line on it in general, and I'm clearly not doing the same type of fishing as you. But maybe you can run with the concept, because I LOOOOVE the results I get with my setup. I posted about it when I made it, but I'll take more pics today.
Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on November 03, 2024, 02:39:37 PMI built a setup by killing an old spinner that I use for spooling my reels. I'll be the first to say that mine does not have the max drag or the ability to hold a large enough spool of line for your needs, and I don't think mine will give more than 15# of drag. I don't have anything with more than 500 yds of line on it in general, and I'm clearly not doing the same type of fishing as you. But maybe you can run with the concept, because I LOOOOVE the results I get with my setup. I posted about it when I made it, but I'll take more pics today.
Thanks, definitely interested, maybe it would be possible to beef up the set up. I could imagine butchering one of my cabo 120s, they are some of the toughest spinners out there, able to produce 65lb of drag, not sure how your set up works yet but maybe with that reel as the foundation it could be fit for my needs, at least most of them
Quote from: Patudo on November 03, 2024, 11:58:59 AMQuote from: oc1 on November 02, 2024, 10:49:52 PMI wouldn't have thought that a person could crank fast and hard enough to heat up a big Senator.
Most unlikely, unless said person spent most of his youth turning the Wheel of Pain. Or was brought up by a family of great apes...
Yeah, no, not cranking, but pumping is a different ball game since you're using your whole body
Ok so the idea was I wanted to be able to set an ideal drag pressure that was unrelated to how firmly the spool is gripped. The plastic spool the line arrives on is a poor drag surface. So I took a cheap reel and cut the skirts off the spool save for the two tabs I kept that hold the ridges on the spool of line. The length of the spool shaft is what stops me from being able to use it for really large "filler" spools of line, but a longer shaft would address that. Bottom pic is the actual order of the pieces I have on there. The tape is over a steel sleeve I used the tape to build up to desired diameter close to that of the ID of the spool of braid. It keeps it from wobbling. I use a washer to keep it from hanging up on the vise, how tightly it's gripped in the vise plays no role whatsoever in the line tension that's all set by the drag on the butchered spool. It only needs to be right enough to keep the tabs from slipping out. But the washer from the reel that's keyed to the spool shaft is important because that's what the drag squeezes against.
(The spool I cut has the mono line on it that came with it. I never removed it because it's not in the way. It plays no role in the process.)
Interesting! definitely gives me ideas! Not too far from a design I had in my mind, if I were to get the right shaft I'd actually just need a spare spool and drag knob, definitely gonna try to build something that works in a similar way, probably not before my upcoming Trip to Brazil but afterwards. I'm thinking as long as the connection between the plastic spool and the spinning spool, or another similar drag unit, hold there should be no real limit to how much resistance could be used(just on the drag system itself) and maybe I could connect something like a stainless rod to connect both spools, so it's removed and the spool can heat up without the line ever getting heated. Actually that reminded me, I have a broken Penn Spinnfisher 9500 laying around that I could butcher, that thing actually is capable of about 30kg of drag, unlike the 10500 which only produces 15kg, I'll see what I can do with that. To prevent wobble on a much simpler set up I used to just cut a piece of pipe that barely fit in the spool, worked like a charm.
When I only fished dacron or nylon mono I could normally work direct from the manufacturer's spool (with a damp towel and a second person the apply resistance as necessary) but modern PE braids need to be packed pretty tightly.
For my 50W, 80W and 130 reels I load the PE braid pretty tightly from the manufacturer's spool onto a 12/0 Everol - super smooth drag - and then wind onto the destination reel uder a lot of tension. Yup- forearm cramp, thumb cramp, wrist cramp but the line won't bury itself in use and it does build up my Popeye winding muscles. I find I can't get enough tension direct from the maker's spool to wond the line directly onto the destination reel.
I could use a 12/0 Senator but the Everol does a great job.
For smaller reels, I'll press a 9/0 Senator into service and use less tension.