Reelsmithing...

EclecticGuy · Post by **EclecticGuy** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:40 am

As many of you may already be aware, I am writing a book on reelmaking - "The Reelmith's Primer". It will walk a beginning reelsmith through the entire process, from tool selection and use, materials and how to work them, actual full scale drawings and templates of the reel, and the instructions to build it.

The text is nearing completion and I have 14 apprentices all around the world who are using the draft version to build reels and provide their feedback. Some have already completed reels and posted photos! I have started a discussion forum for reelsmithing in general and there is a private area for the book and these apprentices. It is currently located here:
The Reelsmithing Forum

If you would like to build a reel, please register and PM or email me your username so I can add you to the private area.

Finally, I am collecting any photographs of old reel builders and their shops to potentially use in the book. I do not need to keep the original but I would have to have permission to publish the photo by its copyright owner. If anyone has any leads, I would greatly appreciate it! I do know that the book "Bogdan" has several nice photos of the shop. I live very close to the Bogdan shop so I am going to visit and see if they have any old archived photos I can scan and use.

I just joined ORCA recently so I am not sure if any of this material has appeared in past issues. I need to look.

Regards,
Michael

Reel Geezer · Post by **Reel Geezer** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 7:44 pm

You need to check out the article by Currey Gayle in the May 2005 issue of the Reel News. It is about the lathe used by Milam, Meek, and Gayle. I doubt if there is a more historic reel tool in existence.

Teal · Post by **Teal** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 8:07 pm

Phil,

Didn't Frank Perkins have pictures of the Talbot reel works and some of the machines in his awesome display?

-- Dr. Todd

Post by **john elder** » Fri Jul 31, 2009 9:48 pm

Vernon's book on Kentucky reel makers has some great pics of early Meek equipment and reelworks. The new book about the Kovalovskys also has pics of their shops and the classic pic of Coxe with all his reel is in the Bandini book and elsewhere...I imagine the latter pic is in the public domain.

EclecticGuy · Post by **EclecticGuy** » Mon Aug 03, 2009 3:18 pm

Thinks for the leads guys. I have some time but thought I would start sooner than later.

cheers,
Michael