If you've been to a car show...you've seen 'em.....not much for paint, usually just primer...and that was "brushed on", Chrome...what there is of it, ...usually pretty rusty, and the fender on the left seldom matches the one on the right. Back when I was a "kid"....we called 'em "the best we can afford", or "it's good enough for who it's for".....well, here's MY "Rat Rod" ! I wanted an extra narrow spool, pretty tough drags, and a fairly low price tag.....at least until I'm sure that an extra narrow spool IS what I want. I've seen the half frames, the full frames, the "heavy duty" face plates, ...lots of things that REALLY look sweet, and preform just like they look, I'm sure.
The plates don't match....for color, but, that's what was in the "junk bin", the chrome on the posts is pretty well gone, but I'm thinking they are just as strong as they ever were....and, with the "narrow" stance, and the number of posts, it *should* be reasonably strong. It's set up for a double dog, and I plan on stainless sleeve and dogs (when I get my next "allowance ;) ), and a 5+1 drag set up. I'd intended to narrow a stock spool, in fact, I'd already started on it, but, since the "narrowing plan" would make an already heavy spool even heavier, I opted to get one from Randy, instead. The stand is from a 349, and by drilling one more hole in each plate, I can utilize all 6 stand screws. I added a few holes for posts....keeping them spaced so if I decide to use 501 size spacer bars, they will fit. I did need to shave a bit of brass off the top of the center stand screw "bosses", so the spool wouldn't rub on them. Utilizing the plate holes that "lined up" with the "end holes" in the stand actually "rotates " the reel plates, slightly, bringing the "drivers end" a little lower than that of a stock 113....which works out great, for me (short thumbs ;D). I just received the spool from Randy, today......and I just "had " to let some outside work slide (it was awful hot out there, anyway) so I could mount the spool, and check clearances, etc.....I gotta' say, considering that I haven't serviced the bearings yet...this thing has crazy good free spool :o. Anyway, here's where I'm at, so far, and I'll do some "follow ups" as I progress. Thanks for looking !
This is awesome Crow! Can't wait to see your creativity through the rest of the build!
you have my attention buddy
Nice work Crow - sort of like a mini mariner with all the cross bars, looking forward to the finished build.
Mike
Hey Crow, I have a first year left side plate that matches your handle side plate and if you want it I'll send it to you? Here's a pic of it:
Looks great Crow, very interesting, thanks for showing us, I will be looking for the end result, will be nice and strong ay, cheers Don.
I dug irises, this morning...just like I did yesterday, the day before THAT, etc., etc. BUT today it got entirely too , dang hot out there, so.........back on this project! Alan sent me a cf washer, for the "under gear" kit (thanks again, Alan !) but, alas, it was "too thick", as well. So, I looked at "Smoooth Drag, and found the closest, thinnest one I could, and ordered it, along with a couple stainless dogs. They arrived in today's mail .....come to think of it, that was "just about" the time it got "too hot to dig" ???.....anyway, that washer STILL gave just a bit of "too tight" to the inside of the gearcase ( I had, previously, Dremeled it a bit deeper), so, got the Dremel, and gave it one more pass....Success ! I assembled the head plate / drag stack using a "tip" I saw Keith (handi) use.....assemble everything in the case...sleeve drags, dogs, and dog springs, then put the bridge in, and installed the sleeve pin from the "outside"....works slick ! Only minor glitch was the "hole" in the stainless dog was a bit too "tight".....it wouldn't slide, freely, over the threads on the screw, so I checked the hole size in a stock, brass dog, and "opened up" the stainless ones , to that size, with a # drill. So, the head plate is complete, excepting I *may* have to add a second "Wave washer" under the star...there looks to be "plenty" of room!
You can see, on the plate, that when I Dremeled the area for the second dog.....I took it "all" the way to the "outside", leaving nothing to contain the spring....I figured that "gluing in"a small chunk of plastic, made more sense than trying to keep that little "wall area" by Dremeling around it....seems to work ! Tomorrow afternoon....if it gets "too hot" again ;), I'll assemble the rest of it....stand has already been altered, to clear the spool, and all the drilling for the extra posts is done, so it should go pretty quickly.
Arlyn, you possibly already know this, instead of using two wave washers under the star, try a delrin washer, then it is easier to ajust the star when you have a large fish on, Alan throes the wave washers away, as they tend to rust easy, & they are not required, I like the reel it looks great, cheers Don.
I'll have to try that Delrin washer deal ! I know that it doesn't take much pressure to flatten out the wave washer, so the idea that it lets you "ease into" the drag really doesn't make much sense, to me .
Yes, you would need to try something first to see if it works.
On the tension spring, it is there to keep the star from backing itself out when under pressure, especially on larger reels.
You'll probably get away without it on smaller reels, with that said, I have it in place on all my reels.
As Don mentioned, a Delrin washer under the star will help while turning the star on high drag settings...again, more noticeable on larger reels.
Sal
Until the side plate arrives from Darin (thanks, again, Darin !!), and since it's STILL too , darn hot to do any "outside work" in the afternoons, I started making a handle knob for the "Rat Rod"....I got a couple stainless "arms' from Alan, and they arrived, today, so I fished out a box of "odds and ends" of some "exotic" wood left overs....they have been "drying" for over 20 years !!! Got them to make knife handles, chess pieces, etc., and stuck all the "left overs " away for "later" ! I guess 20 years qualifies as "later" LOL ! Anyway, I centered up a chunk of "leopard wood", and turned , what looks to me, to be a shape that will "fit my mitt". I dug out my can of paste wood filler (which is getting pretty "old" too !) and decided it wasn't "paste" anymore...I think it was harder than the chunk of wood ! Ran to my local hardware store, to pick some up....and they didn't even know what I was talking about....so, after I explained, they called their supplier, and was told, "Can't ship anything oil-based to Illinois, as Illinois stores can't legally sell oil based paints ". So, I picked up a quart of linseed oil (I guess that's NOT "oil based" ???), and a few other things, came home, and ordered some from Amazon ! Why is it that a "Local merchant" can't sell it, because it's "dangerous", and yet Amazon can send it to me , mail order?? Seems shipping it in the mail would be much more likely to cause problems! So, I guess it will be few days before I get back to the knob project.....maybe I'll start polishing the handle arm ?
The side plate Darin sent arrived today about 11:30....just as it had gotten "too hot" to work outside ;)! So, I started the assembly....first thing was to "swap out" the click button / tongue from the other side plate (I had installed a new one in it, as it was worn, also). Then, it was back to the drill press to put in the "extra holes"......and, I guess I must have been having fun drilling holes, because I even drilled one I didn't need >:(!
After the holes were drilled, I decided to install some magnets....3 of them, and I did it by the "washer method", instead of epoxying the magnets in, directly. I actually took some "step-by -step" pix......and my computer ate them >:(, when I downloaded from the camera ::). I'm somewhat "technically challenged" when it comes to computers....but I'm thinkin' that computer needs "Professional help" ! I gave the bearings a good cleaning / lubrication, greased stuff up with the "blue stuff", and screwed everything back together. Since the "knob project" is on hold until Amazon comes through for me, I just mounted Alan's handle blank....which fits nice and snug on the stainless sleeve.
I'm thinkin' I'll scare up some stainless rod, and make some "new" posts....the finish is really poor on the ones I'm using....lots of brass showing, and I'm sure the salt water will really work on them. When...and "if"...I figure out my wife's computer (that's what I'm using now :P) I'll repost some pictures with "arrows" to point out some things, but, for now, here's where I'm at: Stand and posts from a 349, aluminum spool from Randy, tail plate from Darin (now both "fenders" match !!), Handle arm from Alan, stainless sleeve and 5+1 drags from Mystic. Extra holes drilled for the extra posts, and the center stand screw, stainless "button head screws for all the 'extra holes". 3 magnets in the tail plate, and stock steel main gear and stainless pinion. I'm thinking I *may* add one more post....if it looks like it will "clear' the rod, when the reel is mounted.....a "shortened post would fit between the flanges on the stand...utilizing the end stand screws as mounting fasteners...that would mean drilling out the threads in the stand, and using the "post" threads to hold things secure. As I said before, using the two "outside" existing holes for the stand (and drilling a new "center hole", it "rotated " the reel ...slightly" to the rear.....bringing the "driver's seat" just a bit "lower", and that's going to make "thumbing" the spool a bit easier for me, as my hands aren't all that big (considering my "size" :D). Hopefully, the magnets will work out for me....I don't ...at least in the application i'm planning on using it for....plan on "casting", per se, more of a 'pitching" type cast. Anyway, I'll be back with some more pictures (if I can figure THAT out) of the completed handle / knob assembly, and what it "acts like" when it's "lined"....figuring on some braid from Keta, for this one, and the "fishin' 349"....anyway, here's an "extra narrow" 113H, with only an aftermarket spool...stand , posts, and plates are all 'Penn Parts".
Here's one last picture, and , Like Ringo said, "I get by with a little help from my friends "....thanks, everyone !!
1st pic...#1 shows the "hole I didn't need" ::), #2 shows the holes filled with solder (rings), and epoxy/ bakelite dust mix (plates). probably not needed, but, *maybe* a bit more strength / a little less "crud"
2nd pic....arows show the place I *think* might get another post....*maybe* a bit more strength in the base?!
And , I forgot to mention the twin , stainless dogs, and thin carbontex washer, from Smoothdrag !
Looking good buddy, glad it worked out for you, happy to help!
Taking advantage of the "too hot to be outside" weather. I spent some time in the shop...in front of the fan ! A while back, I queried Sal about his procedure of making the "hardware" for his custom knobs , and he graciously told me about his procedure. (Thanks, again, Sal !) I ordered up some stainless seamless tubing (0.375 " X 0.028 " X 0.319 "), and some 0.3125 cold finished rod....both in T316 stainless. I cut the tube, so that after cleaning up, and "easing" the ends, I had a length of 1 & 7/8 ", and cut the "round" .030 " longer. Drilled both ends of the round (#25 bit) , and tapped both holes 10-24 (I just used HS bits, and "regular" taps, with Butterfield Tapping Compound). If you notice, in the picture that shows the screw head...it was drilled *slightly* off-center...this was NOT intentional :P !! But, it worked out for the best. I planned on "slotting" the screw head (after I had filed it down to a slightly small diameter that the tube O.D.) to allow an easy path for oil to get between the "shaft", and the "tube"....off center drilling gave me a "path" !
I started polishing the tube O.D., as well as Alan's arm, with a felt buff, in the Dremel, using white rouge as a medium.....it's not "mirror finish", but probably "good enough for who it's for" ;).
I'll cover the actual "knob" , later, and, I'm sure that since this is mostly "by guess and by gosh", I'll wish I had ....made the tube longer,..or shorter...or larger diameter...or something! But, until I try it, I really don't know WHAT I want, so.....
I drilled the knob I had turned, and finished ( one coat of paste wood filler, and three coats of poly, and a rubdown with fine steel wool and mineral oil) to accept the 3/8" tubing (used a "U" letter drill....that gave me what I *think* is enough of a press fit)), and also for a ball-oiler (that took a 6mm drill), and then pressed everything together. I had "marked: the tube, with a piece of tape, so I knew "how deep" to press it on. The "shaft hole" is drilled at a slight angle (didn't measure it, just "eye-balled what looked to be a comfortable angle). I attached the completed assembly to the handle arm with a torx head 10-24 stainless screw, and blue locktite, and "snugged" the heck out of it!
Not nearly as fancy as most of the Custom made' handles I've seen here, but, plenty good enough for a "Rat Rod Reel" :D. As I mentioned earlier in the thread, I'll , no doubt, wish things were different with it, when I get "to fishin'", but, I feel you need to pick what you think is best, try it, and THEN start "changing, if needed"....I'll never learn any younger ::)!
I haven't got the line for it, yet, but do have some 50# braid ...enough to fill it...so I'll probably spool that up, so it's at least "fish-a-ble"
It looks very functional Crow, and that's all you were shooting for. Great job! 8)
Nice and solid Crow, should catch plenty of fish, good luck cheers Don.
Great job, Crow, turned out nice!
Great project.
It'll be fun when you hit the water with it.
Nothing more satisfying than rattin' out your own reel and putting it to the test.
Solid workhorse Crow, nice work on the knob and hardware.
Mike
Thanks, fellas ! Yes, I'm looking forward to seeing how it does !
Good job on that reel Crow, the handle looks good as well.
Should give you many years of usage... enjoy it.
Thanks everyone ! Here's a pic of the knob.....not a very good image, as, between "the old camera", and "the old man" using it....there's a "whole lotta' shakin' goin' on" !!
This scrap of wood isn't the "best quality" of leopardwood that I've seen....I guess I must have kept "culling" down through the box ???, so mostly just "dregs" are left. I Want to do another of Alan's blanks, using a different "shaft" arrangement, and as soon as I figure out, for sure, which reel it'll be going on, I can make my choice of woods....I have a few more , various chunks of "exotics", but I'm leaning towards either a chunk of black walnut crotch, or black cherry crotch ( no rude comments !! Remember the rule !!)
Keta hooked me up with some Spectra line, and I decided that I'd better "line up" both the "rat rod", and the "349, fer fishin'", so , since I was feeling strong last night , I put the spool on my "spool holder", and started cranking ! Even with a "moderate" amount of drag on the spool holder....I didn't feel NEARLY as strong after filling both those reels !! :P
Next project a line spooling machine :D Nice work Crow :)