This document provides 10 tips for customizing reel kits, including how to patina brass, drill holes in thin metal sheets, add details to screws and washers, make a click drag, unique grips, raised pillar frames, electroplating, flame polishing Delrin, preventing galvanic corrosion, and adding millgraining. It includes instructions, materials lists, diagrams, and photos to illustrate each technique. The tips were originally published in the author's newsletter and compiled into an eBook to share handy customization ideas for reelsmiths and metalworkers.

1. Ten Tips to Customize Your Reel Kit!

2. 10 Tips to Customize Your Reel Kit
Copyright © 2012 Michael Hackney
Please do not redistribute without written permission.
mhackney@eclecticangler.com

3. Ten Tips to Customize Your Reel Kit!
List of Tips
Tip #1 - How to Patina Brass
Tip #2 - Drilling Round Holes in Thin Sheets
Tip #3 - Finishing Details for Screws and Washers
Tip #4 - Make a Quick Click Drag
Tip #5 - Making Unique Grips
Tip #6 - Making Raised Pillar Frames
Tip #7 - Nickel Electroplating
Tip #8 - Flame Polishing Delrin
Tip #9 - What You Need to Know About Galvanic Corrosion
Tip #10 – Adding a Personal Touch with Millgraining
Introduction
In each of our Eclectic Angler Newsletters we publish a handy tip. This eBook is a
compilation of the first 10 tips. Even though these tips were written for reelsmiths,
many of them may be useful to rod builders and metal artisans. If you enjoy these tips
and would like more, please subscribe to our Newsletter:
http://www.eclecticangler.com/pages/Newsletters.html
Learn more about our kits, reelsmithing books, and other great products at
www.EclecticAngler.com.
Tip #1 - How to Patina Brass
Brightly polished brass fly reels are beautiful to admire but their sparkling reflections
may spook fish out on the stream. Brass takes on a very attractive warm amber color,
called patina, with age. It is easy to create this patina on your own reels. Here are a
few common techniques. Please note, although these are common or household
chemicals, please use appropriate precautions when using them.
1. Ammonia Fumes - This is a very simple and safe technique that has been used for
centuries. Fumes from common household ammonia (don't breath the fumes) react
with brass to produce a golden amber color. Longer treatments with ammonia
create rich verdigris (blue green) accents. The patina is easy to do. First, you need
to thoroughly clean the reel to remove fingerprints, dirt and other oily residue. I
usually do a quick polish with BlueMagic™ and then wash in warm tap water with a
little dishwashing detergent. Rinse and blot dry with paper towels. Do not handle
the cleaned reel with your bare hands. Once the reel is clean and dry, put it in a
plastic container - an old CoolWhip™ container is perfect for this. Fill a soda bottle
cap (a plastic cap from a 2 liter bottle works great) half way with household
ammonia and carefully place it in the container with the reel. Do not spill any on

4. the reel. Snap the cover on and place the container in a warm place where it will
be undisturbed overnight. Check the reel the next morning. It should start to have
a honey colored patina. If you want a darker color, reseal the lid and let sit for
another day or two. The longer the reel fumes, the darker the brass becomes and
verdigris begin to develop. When the reel is the color you want, wash it gently and
blot dry.
2. Vinegar Fumes - Fuming vinegar is a similar technique that provides a slightly
browner patina. It is done the same way as the Ammonia Fumes patina described
above, simply substitute the ammonia with common white vinegar.
3. Bluing Solutions - gunsmiths use special "bluing" chemicals to impart blue, brown
and black colors to steel and brass. Birchwood Casey™ Brass Black imparts a rich
black patina to brass. You can find it at gun shops or on the internet.
There are many books and sources of information on the internet for brass patina
recipes. Almost every color in the rainbow is possible. I've been experimenting with
some of these and will report in future newsletters.
Tip #2 - Drilling Round Holes in Thin Metal Sheets
Drilling holes in brass sheets turns out to be a bit of a challenge! Brass, for all of its
great properties, has the negative property of gripping cutting tools, especially
common drill bits. This results in out of round holes and even broken drill bits. I've
"drilled" holes that were triangular with rounded corners! Nickel silver is not much
easier to drill. Aluminum sheets drill easily but the following tips can be used
effectively on it too.
1. Slow Spiral or Zero Rake Drill Bits - Common hardware store drill bits have a fast
spiral and work well on wood, some plastics, aluminum and steel. They don't work
well on brass. The fast spiral pulls the bit in to the work, leading to out of round
holes. There are several ways to combat this. One of the simplest is to hone the
cutting edge on common drill bits to create a "zero rake". This is described in The
Reelsmith's Primer and there is some good info on The Practical Machinist Forum.
Or, you can purchase slow spiral drill bits specially designed for drilling brass.
McMaster-Carr offers slow spiral drills in fractional and wire gauges.
2. Counterbores - Counterbores have a pilot and are used to create a flat bottomed
hole. They work very well on thin sheet brass stock. They come with either a built-
in pilot or interchangeable pilots. I prefer the interchangeable pilots so they can
be used with different size pilot holes. Use a drill press for best results, otherwise
it is very easy to bind and break these tools.
3. Step Drills - Step drills combine several cutting diameters into a single drill bit
(see photo below). These drills feature a single flute cutting edge that works
similarly to a zero rake edge. To use one, first drill a pilot hole slightly smaller
than the diameter of the step drill's tip. Then use the step drill to enlarge the hole
to its final size. Use a drill press for best results. The 1/8" to 1/2" Irwin Unibit™
Step Drill has a convenient range of sizes.

5. Irwin Unibit Step Drills
4. Tapered Reamer - Technically, not a drilling tool, the tapered reamer can be used
to true up out-of-round holes or increase the diameter of an existing hole. Its use
is described in The Reelsmith's Primer but it is very straight forward to use. Just
make sure to only rotate in the cutting direction (clockwise) or you might damage
or dull the edge.
Tapered Reamer (photo from The Reelsmith's Primer)
Tip #3 - Finishing Details for Screws and Washers
Stock machine screws and washers look very "plain vanilla" but with just a little work,
you can dress them up to add a little extra style to your reels. Here are some ideas,
and maybe you will come up with others.
1. Reworking screw heads - Slotted machine screws have a domed head that can
actually interfere with your fly line and tippet. A very simple enhancement is to
file the tops of the screws flat with a smooth file. I like to clamp the screws
between 2 blocks of wood - 5 or more together - in my vise with the heads facing
up. The wood prevents damaging the screw threads. A few strokes with a file
flattens the heads quickly. You can see the effect in this photo.

6. Brass screws are easier to work than steel or stainless. Once the head is filed flat,
polish them with 400, 600 and 800 grit sandpaper followed by brass or metal
polish.
2. Contrasting screws - Another simple idea is to use stainless screws on a brass reel
or brass screws on an aluminum reel to add a little contrast. Another interesting
technique is to patina brass screws with a bluing agent or home-brewed patina
(see Tip #1). You can also create a matte finish on the screw heads instead of a
bright polished finish by sanding with 600 grit sandpaper.
3. Washer beveling - Commercial washers are stamped out of sheet brass in high
volume. I instruct builders to sand the flat surfaces to provide a nicer (and flatter)
finish. Another simple detail is to bevel or round the edge of the washer as seen in
this photo.
It's easy to do, simple put the washer on the appropriate sized screw and fasten
with a nut. Chuck the screw in your drill, drill lathe or lathe. With the washer
spinning, bevel or round the edge with a smooth file followed by 400, 600 and 800
grit sandpaper. Remove from the screw and polish with brass polish.
4. Custom washers - You can also make your own washers starting with round rod.
Drill a hole about 1/4" deep in the end of the rod. Using a lathe helps but this can
be done by hand too if you are careful. Slice off your washer - a little thicker than
commercial washers gives a custom look. Finish the washer using the ideas above.
I recessed the face of the washer in the photograph above (reel with the black side
plate) to add a little more detail. This can be done easily on a lathe but you can
also use a drill press with a counterbore to make the recess.
Tip #4 - Make the Quick Click Drag
The reel described in The Reelsmith's Primer and our Reel Kits have a simple (and
quiet!) friction drag. We get lots of requests for a click drag though - turns out that
many anglers like the sound of a whirring reel. So, we prototyped and tested a lot of
ideas for click drags last year and ultimately developed the Click Drag Upgrade that
can be added to our kits. You can also make your own from click drag using basic hand
tools, this tip shows you how.

7. Materials
• one 1 3/4" by 1 3/4" piece of 1/8" thick Delrin (white or black)
• one 1 1/2" length of 1/16" Nylon rod
Tools
• 1/16", 1/8", and 1/4" drill bits, countersink, and an electric drill
• center punch and hammer
• smooth file
• jeweler's saw with a fine tooth blade
• spray adhesive
Instructions
First, download the Quick Click Drag drawing file (http://www.reelsmithing.com/
files/QuickClickDrag.pdf) and print a copy. This is a full scale drawing so make sure to
turn "Scaling" off when you print it. Measure the width of the black square to insure it
is 1 3/4" across.
Quick Click Drag - drawing not full scale, please download the full scale drawing.
(http://www.reelsmithing.com/files/QuickClickDrag.pdf)
1. Cut the paper template out on the black lined square (left side of the drawing).
2. Glue this template to your Delrin sheet with the spray adhesive.
3. Mark the locations of all holes with the center punch and a light hammer tap.
4. Drill the 1/4" center hole on the click wheel.
5. Drill the 1/8" holes on the click wheel and click bracket.
6. Countersink the three center holes on the click wheel to accept a 4-40 flat head
screw.
7. Cut out the wheel and bracket with the jeweler's saw.
8. File the edges of the click wheel and bracket with the file.

8. 9. File off the corners on the perimeter holes of the click wheel - see the completed
click wheel drawing for details.
10.Drill a 1/6" hole in the middle of the bracket.
11.Insert the piece of 1/6" Nylon rod (clicker) into the hole. Hold the Nylon rod with a
pair of needle nose plier close to its end to help get it started. A little water on
the Nylon helps too.
The bracket is designed to fit where the reel foot is attached to the reel's backplate,
the Nylon clicker oriented inwards. The click wheel is screwed to the spool hub's back
plate using the same holes and screws used to retain the backplate. You can purchase
the materials at SmallParts.com or OnlineMetals.com.
Tip #5 - Making Unique Grips
We get a number of emails from reelsmiths asking about using wood for making the
grip. Highly figured wood can be very attractive and the brown and red wood tones
compliment brass and aluminum reels. But, many other natural and synthetic
marMaking a custom handle is not particularly difficult but there are a few things to
consider.
1. Metal Grips - if you have a metal lathe, an easy project is turning a custom grip
from brass, nickel silver or aluminum. Look at your reels and photos of reels
posted on www.reelsmithing.com/forum for shapes and ideas. This grip was made
by reelsmith Wayne Caron and is blackened brass. Note the countersink to recess
the retaining screw. I ream my metal grips .002" oversize so they rotate freely on
the handle spindle but are not sloppy. So, for instance, for a .1875" diameter
aluminum spindle, I would ream the grip to .1895".
2. Synthetic Grips - there are many types and colors of synthetic materials, many are
well suited for grip making. The reel kits we offer use black or white Delrin for the
grip. This material has high wear resistance, is naturally lubricated, and
compliments brass and aluminum nicely. Similar to making a metal grip, Delrin
should be reamed .002" oversize too. There are many other synthetic materials
available too; acrylic, micarta, artificial stone to name a few. Pen maker's blanks
are also a great source for grip material. Most of these materials can be used as-is.
However, if the material is brittle or prone to fracturing or swelling due to water
absorption, you should insert a brass sleeve to stabilize and strengthen the grip.
Thin wall brass tubing (made by K&S) is available at most hobby shops and many
local hardware store. The K&S 7/32" OD brass thin wall tubing has a 3/16" bore
sized perfectly for a 3/16" aluminum spindle. I start with a 1/2" x 1/2" x 1" long
section of material and bore a 7/32" hole end-to-end. Cut the brass tubing 2" long
so you can grip the overhanging end in your lathe chuck. Sand the tubing with 400
grit emery cloth to roughen it, then glue it in the blank with a thin coat of super
glue. This will really help prevent splits and breaking and the brass sleeve prevents
the grip from binding on the spindle if it swells. When the super glue is cured,
chuck the extended end of the tubing in your lathe and turn the grip to shape.
Finish by sanding with 600 to 2500 grit emery cloth and polish with a plastic polish
(I use Blue Magic for polishing brass, aluminum and plastics). Finally, part or cut
off the extra tubing.
3. Wood Grips - wood is a very popular choice for reel grips. However, wood does
swell and can crack if it gets wet. Simply adding a sleeve of brass tubing as
described above can eliminate these problems. Some interesting wood options
include stabilized reel seat blanks, bamboo rod cut offs, and even thin branches

9. with the bark still intact. Unlike synthetic and metal grips, wood grips should be
sealed with a top coat. Spar varnish is the old standby. A hand rubbed oil finish is
also attractive and can be quickly renewed with an oil soaked rag. A modern finish
that is attractive and holds up well is the "CA Finish". CA is the abbreviation for the
chemical name for super glue - cyanoacrylate. The link gives a very detailed
overview of the process.
Brass Grip Acrylic Grip
Bamboo Grip Amboyna Burl Grip

10. Tip #6 - Making Raised Pillar Frames
Raised pillar reels are a classic, timeless design.
Intended to decrease weight while allowing more
line on the spool, this style of reel was developed by
Philbrook and Payne in the 1870s. McGowan, a
London reelmaker and active between 1857 and
1882, also designed a brass raised pillar reel(^1) in
this time frame. Regardless of origin, it is easy to
appreciate the aesthetics of the raised pillar design.
However, many reelmakers are intimidated by this
design since the frame plates can not be simply
turned on a lathe. Fortunately, making the raised
pillars using reelsmithing techniques is enjoyable
and not difficult! You can easily modify an Eclectic
Angler reel kit - even a completed reel - to convert
it in to a raised pillar reel. This tip explains how.
Tools
• a jeweler's saw with size #1 blades (www.riogrande.com)
• a bench pin (you can make this yourself by cutting a "V" notch in a piece of 1x2 about
6" long, see photo below)
• spray adhesive (3M) or a glue stick
• scissors
• sharp XActo knife or single hole punch
• smooth file, sandpaper (4000 to 600 grit), and small sanding block
• five 4-40 x 3/8" round head screws, five #4 washers and five 4-40 nuts - preferably
brass
Preparation
Before making the raised pillars, I recommend completely assembling your reel kit
first. Make sure that it is adjusted and working smoothly. Do not finish the brass frame
parts above 600 grit sandpaper since you are going to continue to work on them. Once
your reel is complete, mark the back frame plate and two frame rings with a
permanent marker so you can re-orient them in the same order once the pillar ears
are cut. If you choose not to heed this advise and work on the kit parts before
assembly, you do need to remove the burrs on all edges of the frame back plate and
the two frame rings.
Download, then print and cut out the Raised Pillar Template on the outside dotted
blue line. Make sure to measure the 1.00" long bar to verify that your printer did not
scale the print. If it did, you will need to turn scaling off (use 100%) and reprint the
template. Now you need to cut out the small black circles around the perimeter
where the pillar screws go and the central hole. You can use an X-Acto™ knife or small
hole punch to do this. These do not have to be perfectly round, they are just to help
align the template to the frame.

11. Raised Pillar Template - drawing not full scale, please download the full scale drawing.
(http://mhackney.zenfolio.com/img/s8/v11/p925451117.png)
Practice positioning the template on the outside of the frame back plate. Make sure
the holes are properly aligned with the back plate. The crosses over the holes on the
template are to help center them properly on the back frame plate. It is helpful to
hold the back plate up to a lamp to align the template. Once you are comfortable in
aligning the template and back plate, you are ready to glue the template in place.
Spray the back of the template and the outside of the frame plate with the adhesive
(or use a glue stick). When tacky, carefully align the template and stick it in place.
You can peel off the template and reposition it if you need to adjust.
With the template glued to the back plate, stack on
the rings and screw them together with the 4-40
machine screws. Make sure to keep the rings aligned
as they will be in the completed reel (use the marks
you made earlier). The rings are positioned on the
side of the frame back plate opposite the template.
Insert a screw through the rings and then the back
plate. Add a washer and the 4-40 nut. The nut should
be on the template side. Insert the remaining four
screws with washers and nuts in the same orientation.
Cutting the Raised Pillar Ears
You will cut the raised pillar ears in all three parts (back plate and two rings) at once,
that is why they are screwed together. This way, the parts will be perfectly aligned
when you reassemble them. Make sure you have installed and tensioned the #1 blade
in your jeweler's saw. Clamp the bench pin to your workbench. Position the stacked

12. parts over the "V" on the bench pin with the template side up. I like to use a
magnifying head set so I can carefully follow the drawn line.
Start at one of the foot pillars and follow the black line on
the template. Stay just outside the line and take long smooth
strokes with the saw. Don't try to over power the saw, let the
blade do its work. The #1 reason for broken blades and poor
cuts is overpowering the saw. With long, smooth, vertical
strokes, follow the black cut line on the template. Make sure
to keep the saw blade perpendicular to the work. The blade
is very thin and very easy to control. If you find yourself
wandering off path, simply backup and get back on path. If
you go slowly at first, you shouldn't have a problem staying
on track the entire cut. If you've never used a jeweler's saw
you will be surprised at how quickly it goes. And, you are
cutting three parts at once.
When the cut is finished, use the smooth file to clean
up the cut and make any adjustments. Follow with
sandpaper on a sanding block. Use the edge of the
sanding block to create a nice curved transition from
the frame to the pillar ear. Once you are happy with
the final shaping, disassemble the back plate from the
frame rings.
Reassembling the Reel
Now you can reassemble the reel, making sure to keep the back plate and rings in the
proper orientation. I like to round over the edges of the back plate and rings with 400
grit sandpaper to remove the sharp edges.
1. Classic & Antique Fly-Fishing Tackle: A Guide for Collectors & Anglers, A. J.
Campbell, The Lyons Press, 1997
Tip #7 - Nickel Electroplating
Nickel electroplating has been used to protect and beautify copper-based metals like
iron, steel, brass and bronze since about 1850. The plating is shiny but not overly so,
and does not rust. Reelsmiths electroplated brass reel components to provide the look
of nickel silver without its expense. Specialty shops will nickel plate parts for you but

13. it is inexpensive, easy and fun to do yourself. Plus, you get to control the final
appearance and thickness of the plating.
The Electro-Plating and Electro-Refining of Metals, Arnold Philip, 1911, Van Nostrand Company
Brush Plating
Several companies (Caswell Plating and Micro-Mark) now produce inexpensive ($35 to
$50) hobby "brush plating" systems that use a simple wall transformer for power, a
nickel containing solution and a stainless steel wand. The wand end is wrapped in
cheesecloth and soaked in the nickel solution. The ground lead (black) of the
transformer is attached to the part being plated and the positive (red) lead is
attached to the wand. The electrical circuit formed by brushing the wand over the
part causes nickel in the solution to deposit on to the part. It is really that easy. This
technique is great for small parts like screw heads and can also be used to restore old
nickel plating since you can finely control how much material is deposited. It is also a
great technique to mimic old, worn nickel plating.
Emersion Plating
Emersion plating uses the same setup as
brush plating but instead of brushing the
plating solution on to the part, the part is
suspended in a tank of solution. The
stainless wand is dipped in the tank and
not permitted to touch the part. The tank
can be made of any non-conductive
material like glass or plastic. I like to use a
glass salsa jar - it has a wide mouth and is
short and stable. The photo shows my
setup to plate a small brass replacement
cap for an 1874 Orvis reel. The wood
clothespin keeps the stainless wand fixed
in place on the rim of the jar.
Suspend the part in the solution and plug in
the wall transformer. Write down the starting time. You will see bubbles appear on
the surface of the part being plated. Every 15 seconds or so, gently swirl the plating

14. solution to remove the bubbles. Watch the part and clock. Small parts require just a
few minutes (3 to 5) but large parts like the frame back ring might take 15 or 20
minutes. Once you have timed a particular part, it is easy to repeat the plating cycle
on a similarly sized part. Unplug the transformer before removing the part to look at
it. If the part has thinly plated areas or doesn't seem shiny, simply place it back in the
solution and plug the transformer back in.
Preparing the Parts to Plate
To get the best results, you need to spend some time preparing the parts to plate.
Plating will not fill in scratches or imperfections in the metal parts so it is important
to make sure you have sanded and polished all parts to a shine. The more work you do
in this step, the better your plating results will be.
Once the parts are polished, they need to be cleaned and degreased. Oil, grease and
finger prints can ruin a plating job. Start by washing the parts in warm soapy water. I
like to use Ivory™ dishwashing detergent. Rinse well and place the parts on paper
towels to dry. Do not touch them with your bare hands from this stage on. Either use
plastic or latex gloves or handle the parts with tweezers or other clean metal
grippers. As a last step before drying, you can dip the part in rubbing alcohol. Alcohol
dissolves finger oils and grease and dries quickly.
The clean and dried parts can be plated one at a time or you can wire them together
with thin copper wire. I like to coat the threads of brass screws with rubber cement
so they are not plated. I use a thin copper wire wrapped several times around each
screw thread to connect 5 to 10 screws together. I then coat the wire and threads
with rubber cement so they are not plated.
Nickel Plating Aluminum
Aluminum can not be nickel plated directly. However, you can copper plate aluminum
with a similar Plug-n-Plate Copper plating kit and then nickel plate the copper plated
aluminum part. This copper plating can be used to fill small scratches and pits in the
metal, so it is useful to copper plate brass parts too if they need some surface
restoration. Caswell even sells a combo Nickel/Copper plating kit.
Reel Plating
It is possible to plate one of our brass reel kits with the Plug-n-Plate systems
mentioned above. However, you'll get the best results if you order an extra bottle of
plating solution so you have more liquid in which to suspend the frame plate and rings
and spool plates. I recommend plating each of the large disks and rings individually.
The pillars and screws can be ganged together (with copper wire) and plated in
batches.
Plating Tips
• Warm plating solution works faster and produces a better finish than cool solution. I
like to warm my solution in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds. If it still needs to be
heated a little more, microwave it again. Follow the instructions that came with your
plating kit.
• Make sure all parts are highly polished and completely clean. Do not touch parts with
your bare fingers once they are clean.
• Make sure the parts are completely submerged in the plating fluid.
• Make sure the parts do not touch the stainless wand.
• Occasionally swirl or agitate the plating solution to remove bubbles from the pated
part's surface.
• Read the manufacturer's instructions. They have great advice and safety tips.

15. Also remember, you do not need to plate the entire reel! Consider plating just the
pillars and feet for instance. The contrast of brass and nickel is quite beautiful.
Tip #8 - Flame Polishing Delrin
Delrin is an amazing synthetic material that has found widespread use in industrial
and consumer applications. Delrin is the trade name for a thermoplastic material
developed by Dupont in 1956. It's common name is acetal or acetal copolymer. The
material is light weight, tough, wear and abrasion resistant, high strength and has a
low coefficient of friction (it's slippery). Delrin is naturally white or off-white but can
be filled with carbon black to make it black. Both the white and black nicely
compliment brass, aluminum and nickel silver reel components. Delrin and acetal
polymers are easily machined, drilled and tapped.
For all of its great properties, Delrin has one problem - it is a little tricky to get a nice
surface finish. This is not usually an issue for its typical applications as mechanical
components but problematic for visible parts. Being a thermoplastic, most of the
sheets, rods and tubes you purchase are extruded. Special parts like gears, screws and
washers are usually injection molded. Both of these processes leave the surface
smooth and glossy looking - quite attractive. However, once you machine Delrin on
your lathe or mill, or even work it by hand, that smooth glossy finish is destroyed.
Step 1
Achieving a nice looking finish on machined Delrin parts begins with the machining.
Delrin likes to be turned or milled at high RPMs. It is important to use lathe tools that
are radiused and very sharp. For that reason, sharp high speed steel (HSS) tooling is
much better than carbide or carbide insert tooling. A slight rounding of the tip (I
usually use a 1/64" radius on my Delrin lathe tools) helps minimize machining marks,
as does a high speed. For some applications, this finish is suitable and maybe even
desirable for tool or reel grips and other items that are handled.
Step 2
Once you have a nicely machined surface, the next step is to use a fine Scotch-brite™
pad to further smooth the surface. This is also best done in a lathe if possible with the
workpiece turning at high speed. Simply hand-hold the pad and touch it lightly to the
surface. This should remove most of the tooling marks and leave the surface with a
nice uniform matte appearance. Again, this may be suitable as the final finish for
some applications. I like to use this technique for spool plates. The matte finish nicely
compliments shiny brass and aluminum. If your part can not be turned in a lathe, you
can hand-hold the pad and buff the surface.
It is important to NOT use sandpaper or emery cloth at this stage. These materials
inevitably leave a fine grit that impregnates the Delrin surface and is very difficult to
remove. After using the Scotch-brite, micro-mesh pads can be used with a final
treatment of plastic polish (Flitz™ works well) to produce a low gloss surface. You
don't need to do use micro-mesh though if you are going for a flame polished finish.
Step 3
For the ultimate in Delrin finish, flame polishing is the way to go. Flame polishing is
exactly what it's name implies - slightly melting the surface with a flame (or heat gun)

16. to produce a smooth glossy finish. The trick to flame polishing is to make sure the
part is well prepared and scrupulously clean and apply the heat quickly.
Let's start with cleaning. After machining and Scotch-briting (is that a verb?) the part,
wash it in soapy warm water using a soft sponge or rag. Rinse well in cold water and
blot dry. The part should not have a dusty residue. Once the part is clean and dry, it is
ready to flame polish.
First a safety note: make sure to do this in a well ventilated area and have a fire
extinguisher on hand. Better yet, do it outdoors on a calm day. Delrin burns with a
very hot colorless flame. If you are not careful, you can get badly burned or set
something on fire. Use common sense!
If at all possible, it is best if the part is spun in a drill, drill lathe or lathe while
flaming. This helps even out the heat and results in a better finish. I use a 3M 5"
sanding pad (without sandpaper attached) on my electric drill and use double sided
tape to attach the pad. The Delrin disk is simply stuck to the pad. You are not
applying any force to the part, so tape works well.
I use either a propane torch - the kind you can get at the hardware store with a
disposable tank - fitted with a flame spreader nozzle to spread the flame or a heat
gun (not a hair dryer but an industrial heat gun). The heat gun is slower and gives
more control. It is probably the best way to start if you have one.
Delrin has a melting point around 347°F so set your heat gun to about 500°F. Your
torch should have about a 3" flame from the tip of the flame spreader nozzle. Don't
attempt to use the normal round nozzle that comes with the torch, it concentrates
the heat and is very difficult to control without ruining the part.
Get the part spinning quickly, I find that faster is better. Then, holding the heat gun
about 2" away or the torch about 4" away, start at the center of the part and move it
to the outer perimeter and off the part in about 3 seconds. You should see the surface
of the Delrin change from dull to glossy. If it doesn't, you either need a hotter flame
or heat gun (hold it a little closer or turn up the heat) or slow the movement of the
heat source over the part. When done correctly, the entire part will look glossy as the
heat source moves across it. Turn off the drill or lathe but do not touch the part, it is
hot and you might leave a finger print in it. Let the part cool before removing it and
doing the other side.
Tips:
• Practice with some scrap Delrin first. No sense ruining a good part.
• I like to do the back side first and then the "good" side.

17. • Be careful with edges (like the outside edge of a disk), the heat will cause them to
round over. A little rounding is good but it is easy to over do it.
• It is best to flame polish the part before porting. The heat rounds over the edge of the
holes. I find a nice crisp edge looks best on these.
• If the part does not polish in the first pass or two, let it cool before trying again. You
want to keep the heat on the surface and not penetrate the part. The more passes you
make over the part, the more you are heating it to its core. It will eventually melt and
warp.
• Once the part is flame polished and cold, a little paste wax helps protect it from
scuffing.
Tip #9 - What You Need to Know About Galvanic Corrosion
Fishing reels are typically fabricated using different metals and other materials. For
instance, an aluminum reel frame held together with stainless steel screws or a
bronze spindle attached to brass or nickel silver spool plates. In these situations, the
opportunity for galvanic corrosion exists.
In its simplest form, galvanic corrosion is an electrochemical process between two (or
more) dissimilar metals. There are three conditions that must be met for galvanic
corrosion to occur:
1. there must be two electrochemically dissimilar metals
2. they must be in electrical contact
3. the metal junction must be bridged by an electrolyte
Lets take a closer look at each of these conditions and then explore ways to eliminate
one or more of them in order to prevent galvanic corrosion.
1. Electrochemically Dissimilar Metals
All metals and metal alloys have an electrical potential. This is measured with
respect to a standard in order to compare the potential of one metal to another.
With this data, metals can be ranked according to their electric potential to
create what is called a galvanic corrosion table. A representative table appears on
the next page.

18. Potential in Volts
reproduced from www.corrosionist.com
2. Metals in Electrical Contact
Metals at the anodic end of the table (right side, most active) are more more
likely to be corroded than those on the cathodic side (left side, most passive).
Most importantly, the further apart two metals are in the table, the higher
potential between them and the greater the risk of galvanic corrosion. If possible,
choose metals that are very close on the table. Differences of .1 volt are likely to
cause galvanic corrosion.
There is also an area effect on galvanic corrosion. A small anode contacting a
larger cathode results in a high rate of corrosion of the anode. So, for example, an
aluminum screw (anode) threaded in to a large stainless plate (cathode) would
likely result in corrosion of the screw. However, a stainless screw threaded in an
aluminum plate would have a significantly lessened effect. Reelmakers take
advantage of this effect when they assemble aluminum reels with stainless screws.
In addition to exploiting the area effect to minimize galvanic corrosion, you can
also place some form of barrier between the dissimilar metals to prevent
electrical contact. You can do this by painting the cathodic metal, plating the
cathodic metal, or placing a nonconductive material like rubber or plastic between
them. Notice that graphite is at the far end of the cathodic scale. Don't use
graphite lubricant, it can cause corrosion with almost all metals. A simple and
effective deterrent to galvanic corrosion for screws is to use a thread locker. In

19. addition to locking the screw in place, the screw is insulated from the threads with
a thin coating of the thread locker.
3. Presence of an Electrolyte
The third condition that must be met for galvanic corrosion to occur is the
presence of an electrolyte bridging the gap between the dissimilar metals. An
electrolyte is simply an electrically conductive fluid. Absolutely pure water is not
an electrolyte but river and lake water has dissolved minerals and salts and is a
weak electrolyte. Sea water, on the other hand, has a high electrical conductivity.
Since fishing reels are going to get wet, potential electrolytes are always present.
Fresh water really does not present much of a problem and when combined with
insulating the dissimilar metals from one another with a coating it becomes a non-
issue. Thread locker is particularly effective since it also seals the threads so
water can not penetrate the juncture. Also, drying the metal parts after a day on
the water significantly lessens the opportunity for galvanic corrosion. Reels meant
to be fished in sea water require a little more attention to galvanic corrosion.
These reels are frequently constructed of aluminum and stainless steel. Simply
anodizing the aluminum provides an insulative layer that protects the parts.
Thread locker also seals screw holes and isolates the aluminum reel parts from
stainless steel screws. And of course, a good rinsing in tap water and drying will go
a long way to preventing corrosion on your ocean going reels.
An Experiment - the Thirty-six Cent Battery
Galvanic corrosion is the same process that powers simple batteries. In fact, you can
make a simple battery at home to experience the effect first hand. Its simple and
only requires thirty six-cents - coins that is!
Materials
• 6 nickels
• 6 pennys
• 6 1/2" squares of paper towels
• 6 oz warm water with 2 tablespoons of salt dissolved in it.
Instructions
1. wet the paper towel squares in the salt water.
2. create a stack by placing a nickel on the table, add a wet paper towel square, add
a penny
3. repeat the stack in the same order until all 6 nickels, paper towel squares and
pennys are used, make sure each nickel is separated from a penny by a paper
towel
That's it, you have just made a battery. To test it, touch one of the probes of a volt
meter to the penny and the other to the nickel at the other end of the stack.
Conclusions
When working with dissimilar metals for your reels, it is important to take galvanic
corrosion in to consideration. For most fresh water fishing reels, it would take 100s of
years for the effects to cause damage to your reel. I have reels in my collection with
aluminum in contact with steel and brass with no coating or protection and no visible
signs of corrosion. Simply drying the reel after a day on the water will minimize

20. problems. Also, thread locker is a very effective preventative and it has the additional
effect of holding the screw in place!
Aluminum reels intended for saltwater should be coated in some way; paint,
anodizing, or powder coating are all effective. Again, thread locker will help protect
the interface between stainless screws and aluminum reel parts.
In researching this tip, I was surprised to learn about the corrosive effect of graphite
lubricant. I knew that graphite was high on the cathodic scale but never stopped to
think about it in the context of galvanic corrosion. In salt water, graphite parts or
lubricants might be particularly problematic.
Tip #10 – Adding a Personal Touch with Millgraining
Millgraining is an ornamental beaded edge usually found on jewelry. The pattern is
created by special knurling tools that leave either a raised or recessed pattern.
Millgraining has also been used as a decorative detail on scientific instruments and
high quality items – including fishing reels and reel seats – for more than a century.
The term “millgrain” comes from the Italian word “mille”, which means thousand.
The pattern left by a millgraining tool looks like 1000s of little beads. Millgraining is
related to knurling but the later is used primarily to apply a geometric pattern that is
easy to grip, like on a tool or instrument knob or handle. Millgraining is purely
decorative.
It is relatively difficult to find information on using millgraining tools, it seems this
technique is usually learned at jewelry making classes. Jewelers use 2 types of
millgrain tools – simple push tools and lathe mounted tools. Both can be used for
decorative effects in reelsmithing. I have learned how to apply millgrain details to my
reels by reading a few jewelry making books and experimentation. It turns out not to
be a difficult technique to learn, it is much easier than knurling.
I use the lathe mounted millgraining tools and will describe how to use those. Knurling
on a lathe requires a lot of force, so knurling tools typically have two opposing
knurling wheels to minimize stress on the lathe spindle. Millgraining tools are simply
single wheel devices. The wheels are also quite small, on the order of ¼” diameter.
The forces involved in millgraining are significantly less than knurling since the area
of contact of the tool with the work piece is much smaller. There are even desktop
hand-operated millgraining machines that jewelers use to apply the decorative
treatment to rings.
Millgraining Tools
Millgraining tools are still produced today and come in several patterns and sizes. The
patterns are female, male and rope and these come in several widths.
The female andmale designations refer to the tool, not the pattern it leaves.
A female tool leaves a raised pattern on the work. A male tool leaves a recessed
pattern. These patterns resemble small linked beads, either raised or recessed, on
the work. Rope is a special design that leaves a twisted rope like pattern. You’ve
probably seen these patterns on rings, bracelets and other jewelry. Figure 1 shows the
millgraining patterns commonly available and Figure 2 shows examples
of rope and female tools.

21. Figure 1 - Millgraining Patterns from the Gesswein Catalog
Figure 2 - Closeup of Millgraining Tools - Rope on left, Female bon right
In several years of searching I have not found a source for any but these three
common forms. You can purchase these tools (and hand millgraining tools too) from
Gesswein (www.gesswein.com), a jewelry tool supplier.
To put a nice straight band on the perimeter of a circular piece, I prefer to use the
lathe mounted millgraining tools. Even the small lathes like the Sherline and Taig are
suitable for millgraining small reel parts. The tool is held on your lathe’s tool holder
and the work is held in the chuck. My millgraining tools have a small 1/8” x 1/8” shaft
– too small to be held securely by my minilathe’s tool holder. I made the simple
aluminum adapter in Figure 3 to position the millgraining tool in my lathe’s tool
holder. It has a 1/8” wide slot by 1/16” deep to position the tool.

22. Figure 3 - Millgraining Tool and Lathe Tool Holder
Millgraining is applied on the workpiece by rotating the lathe spindle by hand, you do
not use the lathe’s motor. If you don’t have a lathe, you can rig up a simple spindle
(even the lathe drill described in The Reelsmith’s Primer works fine) to hold the work
and make a tool holder to position the millgrain tool. The millgrain tool can even be
hand-held with a bit of practice.
Unlike knurling, millgraining does not require sizing the diameter of the part to an
integral increment of the tool’s pattern. This is because the repeating pattern a
millgrain tool makes is very small and looks fine on any diameter. A knurling tool has a
larger repeating pattern so it is necessary to size the workpiece properly before
knurling.
Applying the Millgrain
In the following procedure, I’ll put a female millgrain edge on a brass handle bolster.
The final product is shown in Figure 4.
Figure 4 - Millgrained Handle Bolster

23. Before millgraining, it is best to finish and polish the stock material or part. You can
polish and buff after applying the millgrain but you run the risk of destroying fine
detail and crisp edges. I’ve successfully millgrained aluminum, brass, nickel silver and
stainless steel. Although millgraining tools will produce good results on all of these
metals, hard metals will wear the tool faster than softer metals. So, to prolong the
life of my tools, I anneal brass and nickel silver before working it. This is simple to do,
heat the part up with a propane torch until it is just barely glowing red and then
either allow it to air cool or quench it in water. Polish after annealing.
Figure 5 - Polished Part Mounted in Lathe
With the work piece properly prepared, you are ready to millgrain. Select your tool
and mount it in the lathe’s tool holder. Millgrain wheels are quite small and
sometimes difficult to see, so make sure to get the orientation of the wheel correct!
The wheel should be vertical, not horizontal and its center line should coincide with
the work piece’s center line.
Figure 6 - Millgrain Tool Positioned Properly on Center Line of Work
Position the millgrain tool to the location where you want to apply the millgrain
pattern but do not touch the part with it. Apply a drop of light machine oil to the
millgrain wheel and then slowly extend the tool until it just touches the surface of
your part as shown here:

24. Figure 7 - Ready for a Drop of Oil
Now, rotate the lathe chuck, by hand, slightly more than one complete revolution.
The tool should leave a slight imprint on the part. Advance the tool 2/1000s of an inch
(or so) and rotate the chuck one and a little extra revolutions again. The impression
should be deeper.
Figure 8 - One Rotation of Chuck
Figure 9 - Three Rotations of Chuck
Continue this process until the millgrain is well formed, this usually takes about 6
revolutions and tool advances. That completes the millgrain.

25. Figure 10 - Completed Millgrain
Now you can part-off the work or remove it from the lathe chuck, clean it off and
your are finished.
Millgraining Tips
• Make sure the part’s surface is clean and polished. Grit and rough surfaces accelerate
the wear on your millgrain tools and create incomplete patterns.
• NEVER turn on your lathe. You will likely destroy your tool. Power is not needed, a few
turns of the chuck by hand and the work is finished.
• Do use a drop of light machine oil on the millgrain tool before starting.
• You can apply a millgrain to the edge of a screw head even if the slot interrupts the
pattern. If that’s the case, start and end the rotation in the space where the slot is.