Hand reel

[Roadkillphil]

While at the RV I wanted a go on JonnyPs pole lathe to make a hand reel. Unfortunately I didn't get time. Anyhows, I was rooting around the dark corners of my garage today and found this old 4poster bedpost and got inspired!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5147/5659122936_bb62832fb0.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5659122936/)
4poster errr post (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5659122936/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

After a bit of cutting and drilling and sticking steel pins in, I made this

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5304/5659146584_87b2402f3b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5659146584/)
Made a reel (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5659146584/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

The wood is pine, not what I'd like to use, but it's recycled and just an experiment.
I've given it a good sanding to get rid of the varnish and then used linseed oil to finish it.
It opens up like this

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5224/5658565697_cb4178cd2a.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5658565697/)
Lid off (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5658565697/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

And has all this inside it

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5230/5659132582_67d031e706.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5659132582/)
Contains all this (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7904270@N07/5659132582/) by roadkillphil (http://www.flickr.com/people/7904270@N07/), on Flickr

Total time to make was 2 hours, including spooling the line on, total cost £0.

Thanks for looking

Phil

[Bernie]

Nice one!

[Martin]

I am in awe at your ability to have so many projects on the go at one time. Brilliant job mate, will be good to use that out of the coracle one day. :)

Martin

[Roadkillphil]

I am in awe at your ability to have so many projects on the go at one time. Brilliant job mate, will be good to use that out of the coracle one day. :)

Martin

Thankee kindly (To Bernie as well)

Most of my projects are all half finished though Martin :D I'll get round to those later ;)

[klause]

Very ingenious Phil...love it.

[Ben Casey]

It looks really good :)

[Fletching]

Nice one Phil.

I've been looking around at hand reels and some of them are stupidly expensive. You've just given me a great idea, I'm off skip hunting. :)

Steve

[luresalive]

looks just the ticket

[paul standley]

Nice one Phil... I am also a master at half finished projects (mostly house ones which my wife will testify too...!)

Great way to use up some old wood.

I've seen a lot of these made out of PVC pipe etc but they are very utilitarian and have no 'crafted' look to them so yours does it for me and would double as a priest should you be lucky enough to catch your tea....!

[JonnyP]

Recycling at its best.. Nice one Phil.. :0)

[RobbC]

Another fantastic piece of crafting and recycling there Phil, great work!

Robb

[fish]

similar to some ive seen however to make it from recycled materials and execute the project so well is top banana mate!

[JEEP]

Very nice job!

[Roadkillphil]

Thanks to all of ye for your kind words :D
It was fun to make and even more fun to, 'ahem' NOT use it this arvo on my little stealth mission :D
I could do with some tips on casting the line out though :innocent: When I Didn't use it I got the line tangled a few times :)

Thanks again for looking and all your comments :D

[bigzee]

Necessity is the mother of invention (I'm not sure who the father is -but I'll bet he's a Scotsman).
Full marks on the materials expenditure, that's the way to do it!!!

[Martin]

.....I could do with some tips on casting the line out though :innocent: When I Didn't use it I got the line tangled a few times :).....

What gauge line weren't you using mate? Was it errr would it have been mono or braided line? Don't forget that monofilament has a memory effect and if it's wound on the spool the wrong way round will have a tendency to tangle, the thicker the gauge the worse the problem.

The other thing to do, would be to unwind the amount of line you want to cast so it's coiled tidily on the floor at your feet and cast by swinging the line weights, maybe ledgering would be a better method??

Anyway, looks like a good method to master and certainly very compact. :)

Martin

[Roadkillphil]

What gauge line weren't you using mate? Was it errr would it have been mono or braided line? Don't forget that monofilament has a memory effect and if it's wound on the spool the wrong way round will have a tendency to tangle, the thicker the gauge the worse the problem.

The other thing to do, would be to unwind the amount of line you want to cast so it's coiled tidily on the floor at your feet and cast by swinging the line weights, maybe ledgering would be a better method??

Anyway, looks like a good method to master and certainly very compact. :)

Martin

Not sure on the line, I bought it in Germany in 1999! I could sling it fine with a BB on, so a trotting rig would do the job, its just the coiling that presented a problem. There was a lot of vegetation so a ground coil was impossible, I tried to hold the coil in my hand and thats how I got the birds nest on a couple of occasions. Better casting site for a ground coil would be the job I reckon.
Cheers for the advice Martin

All the best

Phil

[harryhawk]

Lovely bit o kit there Phil. Top work fella.

[Raven]

nice one mr maker, like that!

[Roadkillphil]

nice one mr maker, like that!

:D cheers Paul, how's ye? Hopefully catch up with ya at Ivans at the end of the month :D

All the best

Phil

[Ashley Cawley]

Great work Phil, nice one.

[Roadkillphil]

Great work Phil, nice one.

Cheers Bud :D

[fish]

just a tip for any would be hand line users,never use braid! when playing a fish it cuts your hands very badly!!! to reduce the coil effect use a 'low memory' line they are more expensive but very good.

[basicbushcraft]

great work

[Jack Russell]

Hang on just a cotton pic'n minute Phil - that first picture looked like there was probably 2 to be had outta this project - you got the offcut matey? (sorry I'm a skiprat too haha). nice job I use one in the estuaries and creeks for Bass, flatties and even try for grey ghosts on it. Your casting problem could be solved a couple of ways, erm maybe. As already suggested try low memory line as the main on the spool. Smooth the front lip of the spool and build up the line with a backing so you can cast short distances directly from the spool (bit of practise you can get a good 18 foot chuck into a swim. The one I'm using I backed with the cotton cloth used between bycycle wheel rim and inner tube - from a rubbish skip, naturally.
Your build compared to a fleabay turned pukka jobbie at the neck end of £10 with delivery?? Priceless matey!!! cheers Jack

[Roadkillphil]

Cheers for the comments basicbc and your advice too Jack :D