# MAGNETS V BRAKE BLOCKS



## Stuart Carlile (Apr 11, 2001)

Hi to you All,
Please can anyone prove to me that magnets are any better at improving the distance 
of our casts than brake blocks !
My best distance is with brake blocks and if they are tuned correctly can obtain very big distances, and no messing around with reels during the cast. My 2p is that magnets are more convenient not alot better than blocks.

Regards Stuart. <@><


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## ade (Jan 20, 2001)

hi stuart you agree with a few of us in that mags are a lazy mans way and that the real art of tuning has been forgotten, its too easy to achieve consitent tuning by magnets. no blocks and oil is the answer. ultra cast has ruined the reel tuner.


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## Connman (Apr 14, 2001)

How is the fine art of tuning been lost ?I still have to play with my reels to suit conditions . I adjust quantity of mags,polarity of mags ,viscosity of oils ,starting position of the mag in relation to the spool ,i can but don't change bearing grades just stick with the factory bearing.In addition i have sent countless hours grinding and sanding parts of my ultrmag and modifying different parts .All that and now you tell me i should just have started out with a sports rocket .LOL ...
To be honest it gave me something to do this winter past however i am now low on surf rigs .


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## Led (Feb 1, 2001)

Stuart, Ade & Con,

I agree in that a suitably tuned un-magged reel is an awesome piece of kit, however the old 4 year apprenticeship of tuning reels and getting through 5 kilo's of mono are gone, but not forgotten.
















In this world of I want to do it NOW, this has gone out of the window, have you noticed hear in the UK how many casters come a go through the seasons. If they had to endure the apprenticeship then there would probably only be 20 casters at the UKSF events - this would suit some !!









The use of magnets has allowed, what would have been an average caster before to become a good caster now. The ability to constantly change the reels ability whilst the sinker is in flight helps us all, not just the un-educated.









I say - "Use what ever you like, if you are happy to try and take a short cut then do so, but don't come running to me when the conditions dictate that a blocked reel will outcast a magreel".









Led.


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## BlaineO (Jan 22, 2001)

While we are at it, don't some of you think that the design of reels has something to do with the popularity of magnetic braking?

Putting thicker oil on the spool shaft of an Ultra Cast spool design type reel, it just dosen't have quite the same effect since the shaft doesn't turn on most reels.









The older designs put also put little stress on the bearings or bushings, the pressure is on the spindle ends and caps because of the design.
Gotta have a bit of end tension with just oil, right? The bearings don't last with very much pressure directly on them for me with the newer spool designs.

Blaine


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## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

Please forgive me for posting here, but I am curious. I snuck in here from the Maryland board (I am not a caster). 

Am I to understand from the earlier posts that you adjust your brakes whilst the lead is in the air (after you have casted)? How does that work exactly?


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## ade (Jan 20, 2001)

a sports rocket is an ultracast reel.
what i am saying is that as led metioned the older 6500 style of reel can be cast with no blocks, just oils, bearings and spindle.
the oil breaks down quicker than you can get mags off.
there is no point in oiling the spindle on an ultracast reel.
ask any old timer the ulracast when it came out was behind a properly tuned reel. same with the ultra mags. you couldn't give them away.
neils record was done with an old 6500ca no blocks no mags.
mags were around since that cast was done yet no one beat it, why .
awesome cast awesome caster proper reel tuning. you decide, i think all three


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## ade (Jan 20, 2001)

to add to my previous post
i think that mags kill the cast initially after that it doesn't matter what you do with them you not going to get that energy back.
perhaps neil or roj could shead some light. it would make a good article for the new mag neil.
ade.


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## Stuart Carlile (Apr 11, 2001)

Hi All,
Just a thought.... say you are running mags on the edge - you know just that one more click and wizz crack. Say You manage to get that bit more power in to that last cast with mags set on the edge what happens wizz crack-off.
But if well tuned blocks are used the extra power / speed to the spool only makes the blocks bite that bit harder and off go's one of your better casts well thats my 3p and i'm sticking with it !
Will be trying blocks when time allows and will let You know what happens to distances.
To me properly tuned blocks are better than mags not used perfectly,and how many times are we happy that we got to the mags just right.?

Regards Stuart. <@><


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## BlaineO (Jan 22, 2001)

Stuart,

A little like drag racing, automatic Vs. manual transmissions.

If everything goes just right, the manual wins. If not, the automatic does.

Good point about the ragged edge.

ade,

How would you tune a Sports Rocket with no brake blocks? Please be specific, I want to 
give it a try against a Mag Elite just to see for myself.

TIA,

Blaine


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## BigWillJ (Jan 21, 2001)

For HuskyMD - Basically, you cast just as you normally would, then while the line is coming off the spool, you "adjust" the magnets in a way that keeps the spool running without too much overrun. It's just another way of controlling a conventional.


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## ade (Jan 20, 2001)

hi blaine you probably cant as i said the sports rocket is ultracast design, i was refering to the old 70's abu's where the spindle is part of the spool, in this case you would oil the bearings with probably a 20 or 30 grade oil and put stp or ep80/90 on the spindle where it goes through the pinion gear.
you will probably get the first cast where it doesn't go the next 2 will probably be good then the next will crackoff.
this is the tuning that i was refering to, where oils actually are used to tune the reel, i dont know of anyone who runs a mag reel so much on the edge as that different grade oils would be especially noticable in the cast.
just my 2 cents i actually use a mag myself.
but whether i believe in it is another thing i do intend to get round to it eventually.
ade.


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## rojaway (Jan 24, 2001)

interesting thread, we've had similar before, i'm with stuart, as some will remember from before, as posted, in the old days all the big casts were done with blocks and oil, although mags were around back then, i bought a second hand um111 about 4 years back out of curiosity and it was cheap, did some good casts with it, but have deliberatly cast with the old 6500 the last two years, i guess at the end of the day it comes down to personalpreference and what you feel confident with, rods are the same, different people prefer a particular rod length or action.
for the record, i'll be using the old faithful 6500 again this year, as i did in france in april, england in august, and of course, Hatteras in october, boy am i looking forward to that one, should be a great week, what we need for the worlds is the kind of weather we had on the friday last year, 50 mph norther, YEEE HAAAAAAA!
as they say in texas.


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## HuskyMD (May 19, 2000)

Thanks BigWillJ


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## Led (Feb 1, 2001)

Roj,

I'll take that cheap old Mag off your hands !!









I'm trying to re-understand the advanced reel tuning for older reels again, unfortunately I've been told that you need a vintage caster to help. Any offers Roj !!

Led

[This message has been edited by Led (edited 06-14-2001).]


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## rojaway (Jan 24, 2001)

1. i'm keeping the cheap mag
2. you are saucy when we live so far apart, i'll give you some veteran when i'm over in august.
6500 tuning, as posted before, use a good balanced spool, fill with line, tape down line and spin spool, listen, if its quiet its ok, if out of balance, re-spool the line or add a piece of tape and try again till it runs sweetly.
oils, cool windy day, 10 grade in bearings, 20/50 or 10/40 on spindle where it runs in pinion gear.
warm day with light wind, 20/50 in bearings and on spindle.
hot day , no wind. 20/50 in bearings and 90 gear oil on spindle, or like at US nationals in 96, 90 grade gear oil in the bearings and on spindle and still cast as far, but without line lift or backlash.
next, lots of practice to perfect technique and timing, there is NO substitute for the last bit.
find a rod and reel you like and stick with it to get the best from them.
constant changing of rods and reels has a detrimental effect.
hope this helps,
roj the veteran!


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## Led (Feb 1, 2001)

Hi Roj,

Great advice from a great caster. 

I know I'm cheeky, but us young'uns will always look after the more mature casters at the events. I'm looking forward to casting alongside you in August as it is a great honor for me to be on the same court as yourself.

Would you like anything else to be cooked on the BBQ ?

Regards,

Led.


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