# Balancing a spool.....



## chuck(skidmark) (Jul 11, 2004)

I have always been pretty anal about how my line is packed on the spool. I've never had a reel that felt "out of balance" and I'm really not sure that I would know if it was. What does it feel like?
How does one go about balancing a spool and is it really beneficial in a 8 & bait type reel? I typically use Daiwa SHV's for spring fishing and may try a few of my 6500's this year since you can get decent drags for them now. I also use Fireline backing on my reels for added capacity and not having to burn through so much mono. I don't blow up a lot but still respool at least once a day. Any input from the tourny guys is much appreciated.


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## slimedog (Feb 25, 2006)

very good question. 

I seen somewhere where black beard posted how to balance a spool. 

I would also like to know how can tell if it is not balanced? Just less distance?


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## big brother (May 15, 2002)

everybody does it a little different. here's how i do it. (starting from scratch)
1. clean and dry the bearings.
2. reassemble the reel with dry bearings. oil will slow the spin.
3. spin the spool with your finger and see if it moves after it stops spinning. if it does, the spool itself is most likely out of balance and most spools are at least a little out of balance. (you could have a problem between the bearing and the race, but that is rare). 
4. i use black electric tape like a wheel balance until i get the spool to come to a dead stop after it spins.
5. i use a "center hump" balance, wind about a 1/4 " of line in the center of the spool, then level off the right side, then the left side. 
6. i then use a cross thread (about four turns of the handle to cross the spool) until i get it full.
7. spin it up and see if it vibrates. if it does not, you are good to go, if it does vibrate do it all again.
8. repeat 1-7 until you are happy.
9. when you are happy take all the line off, down to your original level, cut your line and retie. this is what distance casters call the "balance knot". don't forget to take it apart and oil the bearings.
10. the top distance guys, which i am not, will spend hours doing the above in one variation or another.
11. as for my fishing reels, i put line on it out of the box and throw as hard as i can.
12. probably the best advise i ever got about putting line on a reel is to do it your self. the guys at the tackle shop are in the line selling business.
charlie


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## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

Great advice brother.....

Like Charlie said, there are many different ways to balance a spool. Most involve a hump of line, or two humps. The best balancer I've ever seen (Blaine O) would usually not even use a hump but a carefully laid down corse cross weave pattern with the first 30 or so yrds of line. The most well balanced spool I own is a 6500 which in the end took 3 humps. One in the center and one on each end, basicly angling the line at 45 degrees on the spool edge up about 1/4 to 3/8 inch or so. It is sweet, had a dry bearing full off mag spin time of over 6 minutes the other night....  

Many guys don't waste time balancing a fishing reel. I do. While not anal about it like the tourney reels, casting performance will definitly benefit from a balanced spool. The bigger, 8nbait reels like 7500's, SL/SHV30's and others similar spool carry a much larger mass of line that if out of balance can really squeal like a pig. A single center hump, a little taller than the smaller reels usually works well.

A well tuned reel is a beautiful thing.... 

Tommy


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## chris storrs (Aug 25, 2005)

ive yet to find a 6500 spool that wont balance with the coarse cross weave (cotton style) method.take the line and tie a double uni or other tiny knot and slide it all the way to one side....then with no tension at all except enought to guide the line begin reeling and go back and forth very quickly with the line guiding thumb/finger.....it should look really messed up..lol...like a loosish(but not too loose) web of line.then, make one very even,slow line lay across the length of the spool with a bit of tension...and then another very even lay across.....then from there continue winding on line how u usually would with tension to fill up the reel....the shv 30s are also easily dont this way....9 times outta 10 i can get my 6500s and my diawa shv 30 done right the first time this way.

to tell if a spool is balanced...fill it up with line with whatever method of balancing u wish and use electric or painters tape and go around the spool exactly 2 times....stop exactly where u started on the 2nd time....then...spin the handle and flip it into free...set the reel on a lass table with the reel spinning....if it buzzes and makes noise other than the whir of the bearings...its outta balance...

if your reels have been outta balance..the first time u balance them ull instantly see the differene in smoothness and reduction of noise on the cast....like the difference between a knife thru butter and a chain saw on a tree...


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## chuck(skidmark) (Jul 11, 2004)

Thanks for the replys guys. I appreciate it.


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## FishRung (Nov 26, 2002)

Check out the ultimate tuning page at 

http://neilmackellow.sea-angler.org/reel_tuning.html

Good luck...


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## Dyhard (Oct 24, 2002)

If your reel hums on a fast cast, it is probably out of balance.
First check the spool with out the line by laying the spool and shaft assembly between two straight edges that are as close to level as possible.
Start the spool rolling very slowly and note if it stops in the same place each time that it is rolled. If it does, either take a little metal off the heavy side or add weight to the light side. Keep repeating until the spool has no preference for where it stops.
This will make a sweet casting reel out of a screamer. Longer casts too.


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