flyreels are finished-thanks for the patience, guyz

Post by **Brian F.** » Wed May 10, 2006 2:19 pm

Cool lure, John. Troll, cast? What would a couple of gill marks look like?...what?...a reel board?...Oh right!

Post by **john elder** » Wed May 10, 2006 5:53 pm

Brian: He's 6 1/2 inches, with 6 belly weights...we'd need Big Lou to throw him! Think I'll stick to the troll. More on the way and I will likely put some gill marks on em.

Ron Mc · Post by **Ron Mc** » Thu May 11, 2006 8:37 am

get some of those fly-shop glass eyes for them.

Post by **john elder** » Fri May 12, 2006 2:52 pm

Hey, they're starting to school!

Incremental progress on reels...more sanding plus made the shafts for the spools..this is the trick using the tap and die to shape the dowels and make a nice tight fit for glueing

Lots of time spent staring off into space, trying to figure out how to make a workable clicker in a very tight space, using woods that don't particularly like being thin!

Post by **john elder** » Sun May 14, 2006 9:08 pm

Okay, you folks have been patient...let me see if I can push thru and finish these reels. I put a channel to guide the clicker, installed the clicker gear wheel, and put the housings together. next step will be to trim the spool axle and put a thread on the end for a nut to hold the spool in place...a bit of poetic license, but stock is too thin to risk threaded hole:

m3040c · Post by **m3040c** » Sun May 14, 2006 10:32 pm

Well Mr. Elder, you are doing a fantastic job. I have been looking at the shaft and spool assemblies. I can see you are a purist in your wood construction but it seems to me there is enough material in the center of the spools for you to bore the spool center larger and install a ball bearing assembly. I was thinking you could counterbore the spool deep enough to install the bearing from one side of the spool and cover it with a drilled wooden plug. That way you will have enhanced your reel to a ball bearing type and reduce the friction of the spool on the shaft. You could install this bearing assembly at the stage you are at right now.

Post by **john elder** » Tue May 16, 2006 7:20 pm

Hi, mike...your point is well-taken and if I go back to make fishables like this, I'll take your suggestion. However, these will just be ojay darts and besides, they run pretty smoothly just on the wood axle!

sanding...finishing...had to start something to mount these on:

m3040c · Post by **m3040c** » Tue May 16, 2006 11:03 pm

Hello Mr. Elder,

I understand what you are doing and I am sure they runs smoothly on the shaft. I can see the tolerances you are working at. You are doing a beautiful job. I appreciate this type of workmanship so much because I have been a metal and woodworker all my life. My trade is Aircraft Structures and I have a real soft spot for this kind of workmanship. I can not wait to see when you turn a wood rod out of hickory to mount the reel to.

Post by **john elder** » Sat May 20, 2006 4:16 pm

Well, I think the rod butt came out pretty good and will work to display the reel. Cocobolo and ash are both excellent for holding threads, by the way:

Tried to make that poplar handle look like old cork grip, with some success, I think.

Post by **john elder** » Mon May 22, 2006 9:14 am

You turn your back for a minute...now they are breeding! Oh, well, it's Spring

Post by **john elder** » Tue May 23, 2006 7:49 am

Okay, I quit

Jim Wiegner · Post by **Jim Wiegner** » Tue May 23, 2006 12:42 pm

John:

Outstanding! A fitting end to an amazing journey.Thanks for allowing us to look over your shoulder along the way (1905+ views). Now take a well earned break and go harass the albacore.
And for your next project, should you choose to accept it, rather than just make the body and fenders for that fellow admirer's Corvette,how about doing an entire replica of a 1963 split window Stingray coupe? In my favorite Corvette color of course. Know of any blue trees?
Well done my (our) friend. Take a bow. Take several bows.

Jim

Post by **Brian F.** » Tue May 23, 2006 12:51 pm

Very nice work, as usual, and thanks for letting us watch!

cool-thumb

Ron Mc · Post by **Ron Mc** » Tue May 23, 2006 11:01 pm

great work, John.
See you have the caliper clicker in place. What did you use for the caliper? Did you use a spring?

m3040c · Post by **m3040c** » Tue May 23, 2006 11:11 pm

When does it go on Ebay?

Jack Bright · Post by **Jack Bright** » Wed May 24, 2006 11:07 am

SUPER journey, enlightning and educational. Will they take a WF 4 F ?
What`s length of rod ? I know a guy who want`s to order a dozen, how
soon can you have them ready ? If they sell well, he`s thinking of an order of 500 at first, and then ?

Jim Schottenham · Post by **Jim Schottenham** » Wed May 24, 2006 12:05 pm

John,
Fantastic job on the reels, and outstanding job letting us watch and marvel at your work. If and when you ever decide to tackle a side-mount, let me be the first in line to drool over it! After all, if Alonzo Fowler could make one out of hard rubber, I'm sure an original John Elder would look better and last lots longer!
Thanks for sharing!
Jim

Harvey · Post by **Harvey** » Wed May 24, 2006 1:01 pm

John,
Your craftmenship is second to none! AMAZING work! One should be quite proud to admit ownership of them. I can't wait till you retire and have a display cabinet full. And those lures are just too pretty to fish. Thanks, like everyone has said, for a chance to be part of this project. Even from a distance of 3,000 miles, I find myself brushing off the saw dust.
"H"

Post by **john elder** » Wed May 24, 2006 6:26 pm

Thanks much for the pats, folks...had fun...not counting the lures, I figure about 30 hours...seems like a ton of time and certainly lots of it would go faster if/when i take on Jim's idea. But it's just amazing how fast an hour or two goes by when you are enjoying yourself. I hope this inspired a few "heck, I can do that" comments and that some of you come have some fun yourself...even a Ph.D. can do this

..and Ron, you would ask that question! It's cosmetically fine, but i still am grappling with a good way to make that clicker sound off and behave like I want it to. I'll report back when I've solve the problem. ..and Jack, if your friend would like 500 copies, tell him I can have the xeroxing done by tomorrow afternoon

Ron Mc · Post by **Ron Mc** » Wed May 24, 2006 10:17 pm

give in and buy some brass strip?
you can definately get it at Micromark

A. WILLIS · Post by **A. WILLIS** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 11:39 pm

I'M NEW HERE AND WAS TRYING TO LOOK AROUND A LITTLE. CAME ACROSS YOUR POST AND SAW THE WOOD PIECE THAT YOU WERE USING FOR YOUR REEL PROJECT. I LIVE IN AZ. I HAVE HONDURAS EXOTIC WOOD SCRAPS. MAHOGANY, COCO BOLO, SANGRIA. MY SPELLING IS PROBABLY ALL WRONG, BUT YOU WILL KNOW WHAT I MEAN. IF INTERESTED IN SCRAPS LET ME HEAR FROM YOU. I MAKE ROCKING CHAIRS AND THE SCRAPS ARE LEFT OVERS FROM THE ROCKERS.

Post by **john elder** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 10:32 am

Mr. Willis: Thanks for the offer and if i could drop by, I'd pick them up in a heartbeat! However, I don't get over to Az these days and the cost of mailing might cancel out the value of doing it. Let me know what you need for them and how much weight is involved and maybe we can save them from the fireplace! ..and if you are coming for a look or have entered the Design in Wood Show at the San Diego Fair, maybe we could make a connection...if you haven't ever seen it, it might be worth a weekender, just to see Russ Filbeck's Maloof-style rockers! If you have a website for your rockers, i'm sure many of the readers would like to see some or your work as well. You can email me at . best to you!

Post by **john elder** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 7:37 pm

Well, I wish all my little adventures would end so well...we won First place in the Design in Wood show, in the catagory Model building, not to scale! thanks for the help, guyz!

Post by **Brian F.** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 8:26 pm

Alllrrright John!

Jim Wiegner · Post by **Jim Wiegner** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 1:28 pm

Not bad Elder Jim

flyreels are finished-thanks for the patience, guyz

just a thought

the bearings

The Eldermatic

Pfelder Raised Pillar

Wood you ever think of doing............

REEL WOOD