cutting custom drag washers

[alantani]

i have a box filled with the 25 or so different smaller ht-100 drag washers that penn makes.

http://www.fullspeedfishing.com/gallery/data/500/medium/105_1115.JPG

i am frequently faced with a situation where stock penn ht-100 or carbontex drag washers will not fit. if the penn washers are thin enough to fit, then i still often have to deal with the outside dimensions. what i can do is find a washer with the proper inside diameter and thickness. then it's just a matter of cutting down the outside diameter to fit. what i'll do is find a shaft of some sort that will fit the inside hole. i will used a drill bit or, in this case, a deep socket, to serve as an arbor.

http://www.fullspeedfishing.com/gallery/data/500/medium/DSCN59641.JPG

slide the drag washers over the socket.

now you have to hobble something together to hole the drag washers in place and keep them centered. an old bench grinder will make quick work of this. my bench grinder is on a rolling stand. it goes out in the drive way, then i point a fan at it to blow away all of the carbon dust. this is not the kind of stuff that you want to inhale.

http://www.fullspeedfishing.com/gallery/data/500/medium/DSCN59661.JPG

hold the stack of drag washers against the grinding wheel and a slight angle. the drag washers will spin like crazy, and get ground down at the same time. particles of carbon (and fiberglass, in the case of the thicker penn drag washer), will fly everywhere if not for the fan. like i said, don't inhale this.

http://www.fullspeedfishing.com/gallery/data/500/medium/DSCN59671.JPG

http://www.fullspeedfishing.com/gallery/data/500/medium/DSCN59661.JPG

[reelfishin]

I am getting ready to tear down a 30 year old reel. It is a South Bend 760A and after all these years of being used in freshwater and some in saltwater it does not have any rust on it. Even the screws on the inside are not rusty. I have not torn down the main part yet. I am waiting on a schematic for it. I also will replace some parts on the poles that have broken. I think this is going to be a good winter project. I like the way you use jigs to make things easier. I do that all the time. This will be my first reel to get back into shape. :fishing:

[chumbucket]

Alan, As usual you are simply brilliant. Just what I was looking for to make the 7000 carbon-tex's fit the new 7000i's.