Reels

Anybody else here built any reels? Specifically, I would like some info
about machining titanium alloy. Will "standard" ceramic cutters be OK?
Cutting speeds? I have been given some titanium alloy pieces, and I don´t
want to waste any of it.

Also, I would be most interested if anybody has any info on making carbon
fibre reels.

TL
MC

This is a good site to ask questions on materials.
http://www.eng-tips.com/threadhome.cfm?tp=1
go to the forum on Metal and Metallurgy engineering. The titanium shops I
have dealt with use lathes, milling machines, saws etc with very high
coolant flows (water based I think). The waste material is dangerous as it
can burn. The finer the material the more dangerous it is. The shops store
it outside away from there building and clean it up every night.
I have some titanium wire and plans for a reel with "woven" side plates. I
am going to have the center hubs machined from aluminum or stainless. The
wire has a memory and theorically will return to its original shape after
hitting a rock.
"Mike Connor" wrote in message
...
Anybody else here built any reels? Specifically, I would like some info
about machining titanium alloy. Will "standard" ceramic cutters be OK?
Cutting speeds? I have been given some titanium alloy pieces, and I don´t
want to waste any of it.

Also, I would be most interested if anybody has any info on making carbon
fibre reels.

TL
MC

"B J Conner" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
This is a good site to ask questions on materials.
http://www.eng-tips.com/threadhome.cfm?tp=1

Thanks. I have bookmarked it.

I have more or less given up with stainless, as no matter what one does, it
is still too heavy. A carbon/stainless construction seems a much better way
to go, although if I could solve some of the construction problems ( on a
"hobby" basis), I would prefer all-carbon construction.

The titanium alloy seems promising, but I have heard very conflicting
information about machining it. Hence my questions. Unfortunately, I have
no exact details of the alloy either. I would prefer not to waste either
material or tools, if I can help it.

TL
MC

"Mike Connor" wrote:

I've used 1 graphite reel, the Loop reel. It's OK for holding the
line, but not too good if you have to fight the fish from the reel. It
seems to flex too much and the distortion messes up the smoothness.
It's probably perfect for panfish.

Regardles, it sounds like a fun project.

Chas
remove fly fish to reply
http://home.comcast.net/~chas.wade/w...ome.html-.html
San Juan Pictures at:
http://home.comcast.net/~chasepike/wsb/index.html

I heard that titanium was very dangerous to work with because the cuttings
come off in very long continuous sharp curls.

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA, USA
www.kiene.com


"Mike Connor" wrote in message
...

Anybody else here built any reels? Specifically, I would like some info
about machining titanium alloy. Will "standard" ceramic cutters be OK?
Cutting speeds? I have been given some titanium alloy pieces, and I don´t
want to waste any of it.

Also, I would be most interested if anybody has any info on making carbon
fibre reels.

TL
MC

"Bill Kiene" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
. ..
I heard that titanium was very dangerous to work with because the
cuttings
come off in very long continuous sharp curls.

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA, USA
www.kiene.com


A lot of these materials are dangerous in this, and in various other
respects. One is obliged to
take the necessary precautions.

TL
MC

Mike, I have a big Loop, and a couple of big Okuma "carbon" reels that I use
for sal****er flyfishing. All of them have had marlin on the other end and
come through with flying colours, lost all the fish though, my fault not the
reels. But quite a few tuna and yellowtail king fish up to 80lb have
sucuumbed to these reels.

Am not sure of my facts, but I thought carbon fibre was more 'rigid' than
most metals - any problems I have had with carbon reels is usually based
around the ****ty quality of the metal parts, gears, drags etc. not the
carbon itself.

Tony Bishop


"Mike Connor" wrote in message
...

"Bill Kiene" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
. ..
I heard that titanium was very dangerous to work with because the
cuttings
come off in very long continuous sharp curls.

--
Bill Kiene

Kiene's Fly Shop
Sacramento, CA, USA
www.kiene.com


A lot of these materials are dangerous in this, and in various other
respects. One is obliged to
take the necessary precautions.

TL
MC

"BishFish" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
Mike, I have a big Loop, and a couple of big Okuma "carbon" reels that I
use
for sal****er flyfishing. All of them have had marlin on the other end and
come through with flying colours, lost all the fish though, my fault not
the
reels. But quite a few tuna and yellowtail king fish up to 80lb have
sucuumbed to these reels.

Am not sure of my facts, but I thought carbon fibre was more 'rigid' than
most metals - any problems I have had with carbon reels is usually based
around the ****ty quality of the metal parts, gears, drags etc. not the
carbon itself.

Tony Bishop




I have a few carbon fiber composite reels as well, and none has ever let me
down, although I have never had a really big fish on any of them. Indeed,
compared to what you write, I have only ever caught "tiddlers"!

Carbon fibre has a much higher elastic modulus ( basically resistance to
bending)than any metal, but it is only used for construction in conjunction
with various epoxy resins, which form a composite. It is quite useless by
itself.

Cheap carbon reels may suffer from excess flexibility due to insufficient
wall, or cross section thickness. I have seen a couple where the
compression induced by nylon backing, or even just winding line on tight
while playing a fish, has expanded the spool side-plates to the extent that
the spool jammed. The material is not normally permanently deformed, and
returns to its original shape when the pressure is removed, but such reels
are more or less useless, as they will jam every time under such
circumstances.

I have tried "moulding" carbon fibre pre-preg, ( pre-preg is
resin-impregnated carbon fibre cloth), and then baking it ( in just the same
way as a rod blank is made), but I have had enormous difficulty getting
accurate "castings" and in maintaining tolerances, and machining the stuff
does not work very well, although it can be done to a limited extent. The
stuff is very expensive, and my supply is extremely limited, although I have
been lucky to obtain various "cut-offs" and the like. Some of the special
resins used are also beyond my reach. I was hoping somebody else might have
some ideas here.

Normally, I only make "one offs", for myself, and the amount of work
involved in order to produce a single object is often exorbitant, when
compared to the value or utility of the finished product. I don´t mind that
so much, as long as I get something I really want, or is in some way to my
advantage.

In my small machine shop, I can make a great number of things, including
gears, various small metal parts etc etc. to a very high standard, but it is
seldom worth the time and trouble involved.

My main reason for wanting to try the titanium alloy, is that I have a
design for a sal****er reel, quite similar to the Vivarelli, but with a few
ideas of my own added, and I have been unable to realise the design using
other metals, or indeed carbon-fibre, either due to the intrinsic weight
involved, or because of my limited facilities and capabilities. There are no
titanium reels on the market to my knowledge, and I have often heard that
this is due to the price, which is a direct result of the machining
difficulties, and thus the time involved. Time is of no object to me here, I
have no deadlines to beat, ( except the final one!) and I would like such a
reel!

Over the years, I have invested massive amounts of time in various projects,
quite apart from the money involved, in some cases learning whole new
techniques in order to be able to do something myself, and not be reliant on
others. However, I do not wish to have to re-invent the wheel all the time,
and so in this particular case, I thought I might ask if anybody had any
relevant information on the subject. The site that BJ posted looks as
though it might be helpful for one or two things, but it is not exactly what
I was looking for.

The thread will undoubtedly morph into all sorts of things. But my main
intentions here are as stated above.

TL
MC

http://www.supraalloys.com/Machining_titanium.htm

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.

"rw" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
link.net...

http://www.supraalloys.com/Machining_titanium.htm

--
Cut "to the chase" for my email address.


First class! Thanks!

Unfortunately, the alloy I have is an airframe grade alloy, and I do not
know its specific properties, but this site will be of great help
nevertheless. Perhaps I can find out the properties of the stuff somewhere.

At least it looks, ( after a cursory glance) as if my WC and Ceramic tools
will suffice.

TL
MC