Reel Repair by Alan Tani

Let me BRAG as well!!!

Davido made me this one in late 2021 - the height of COVID.  I use it each summer fly fishing somewhere on the Western flowing Mountain streams of the High Sierra.  This summer it was No. Fk of the Yuba river upstream of Downieville & Sierra City.











The tight-fitting lid w/ the embedded seal is tighter than a Ducks' #$%!!  Seriously, it is!!!

I turn 70 this month, and climbing over the wet rocks - well, I end up in the drink (stream) more than I would like to.

And keeping my flies I use for the day is important; Dave has a great idea going here.

Daze, I appreciate your generous Gift!!!

Wayne



 

Do they float? I clear pelican case for my phone.I know zippo about 3D printers but made me curious if clear cases can be made for display reels or baseballs.

Quote from: jgp12000 on July 01, 2026, 06:41:42 PMDo they float? I clear pelican case for my phone.I know zippo about 3D printers but made me curious if clear cases can be made for display reels or baseballs.

Yeah, they will float for quite awhile. but two problems:  The first is that the seal is not going to be IP67 quality- that would require a much larger lip that takes up too much space.  The second problem is that since prints are made in layers, the layers are not 100% impermeable- water will eventually seep through.  There are ways around these limitations, but it is not worth it for the added protection.  If I need an IP67 quality box, I want one that has had multiples samples tested with the official process. That means buying a Pelican box or similar. 

Watertightness  is also a problem when  printing hollow lures.  There are tons of them out there on the internet, but I just shake my head.  Dragging a lure underwater will eventually get water inside, especially after you have bounced it of a rock a couple of times, or have a big strong fish crush it in it's jaws.  I have tried it for more rigorous saltwater fishing, and it is not worth it.  The lure lasts like a day or two at most.  You can solve this with some secondary steps.

In terms of somewhat optically clear prints- not really.  There are very clear filaments, but the little bit of porosity and gaps introduced from laying down all those beads of melted plastic make the boxes translucent at best.  My box and Todd's box were printed with a clear filament. If you hold them up to the light, you can kind of see what is inside the box, but that's it.

My personal opinion on  whether to stick a phone in a waterproof box or envelope:  Many modern phones have a pretty good IP rating, that will hold up when the phone is new.  You could go snorkeling with one if you are brave.  I just treat my IP68 rated phone as splashproof.  I would rather have my phone in my pocket getting a little wet every now and then instead of overheating in a sealed box or envelope - which is really bad for electronics and the battery.  And I don't want to turn my phone off and stick it in a box if I need to keep it on for some reason.  I also use an Otter case that has a rubber plug that covers the USB-C port.

Quote from: El Pescador on July 01, 2026, 04:59:51 PMLet me BRAG as well!!!

Davido made me this one in late 2021 - the height of COVID.  I use it each summer fly fishing somewhere on the Western flowing Mountain streams of the High Sierra.  This summer it was No. Fk of the Yuba river upstream of Downieville & Sierra City.

The tight-fitting lid w/ the embedded seal is tighter than a Ducks' #$%!!  Seriously, it is!!!

I turn 70 this month, and climbing over the wet rocks - well, I end up in the drink (stream) more than I would like to.

And keeping my flies I use for the day is important; Dave has a great idea going here.

Daze, I appreciate your generous Gift!!!

Wayne

Wayne!

Really glad to hear that you are using it, and that it is working for you.

-J

Quote from: jurelometer on July 01, 2026, 07:47:03 PM

Quote from: jgp12000 on July 01, 2026, 06:41:42 PMDo they float? I clear pelican case for my phone.I know zippo about 3D printers but made me curious if clear cases can be made for display reels or baseballs.

Yeah, they will float for quite awhile. but two problems:  The first is that the seal is not going to be IP67 quality- that would require a much larger lip that takes up too much space.  The second problem is that since prints are made in layers, the layers are not 100% impermeable- water will eventually seep through.  There are ways around these limitations, but it is not worth it for the added protection.  If I need an IP67 quality box, I want one that has had multiples samples tested with the official process. That means buying a Pelican box or similar. 

Watertightness  is also a problem when  printing hollow lures.  There are tons of them out there on the internet, but I just shake my head.  Dragging a lure underwater will eventually get water inside, especially after you have bounced it of a rock a couple of times, or have a big strong fish crush it in it's jaws.  I have tried it for more rigorous saltwater fishing, and it is not worth it.  The lure lasts like a day or two at most.  You can solve this with some secondary steps.

In terms of somewhat optically clear prints- not really.  There are very clear filaments, but the little bit of porosity and gaps introduced from laying down all those beads of melted plastic make the boxes translucent at best.  My box and Todd's box were printed with a clear filament. If you hold them up to the light, you can kind of see what is inside the box, but that's it.

My personal opinion on  whether to stick a phone in a waterproof box or envelope:  Many modern phones have a pretty good IP rating, that will hold up when the phone is new.  You could go snorkeling with one if you are brave.  I just treat my IP68 rated phone as splashproof.  I would rather have my phone in my pocket getting a little wet every now and then instead of overheating in a sealed box or envelope - which is really bad for electronics and the battery.  And I don't want to turn my phone off and stick it in a box if I need to keep it on for some reason.  I also use an Otter case that has a rubber plug that covers the USB-C port.

Quote from: El Pescador on July 01, 2026, 04:59:51 PMLet me BRAG as well!!!

Davido made me this one in late 2021 - the height of COVID.  I use it each summer fly fishing somewhere on the Western flowing Mountain streams of the High Sierra.  This summer it was No. Fk of the Yuba river upstream of Downieville & Sierra City.

The tight-fitting lid w/ the embedded seal is tighter than a Ducks' #$%!!  Seriously, it is!!!

I turn 70 this month, and climbing over the wet rocks - well, I end up in the drink (stream) more than I would like to.

And keeping my flies I use for the day is important; Dave has a great idea going here.

Daze, I appreciate your generous Gift!!!

Wayne

Wayne!

Nothing like getting a good dose of ice cold mountain stream water down your waders to make you feel young again. 

Really glad to hear that you are using the box, and that it is working for you.

-J