Repairs, reel servicing & rod building from (ex) Trafford Angling Supplies longest serving staff member Dave,

with over 25 years in the industry, and creator of the TBR2 Barbel Tripod.

Friday 29 April 2016

Drennan 12ft 9'' Tench Float Handle Conversion.

I recently had this Drennan 12ft 9'' Tench Float  dropped off for a handle conversion from the old sliding reel fittings to a new style screw down winch fitting, I've always had a thing for Drennan rods, I personally think they're up there with the best ever made and sold in the UK market.

The Tench Float's one of my favourite's, so it was with a pang of jealousy that I set to work on this one !

The start consists of removing enough of the cork to accommodate the winch and still keep the reel in the position on the handle that the owner uses it in.


Then the blank is cleaned up in preparation for the masking tape arbors that the winch will be seated on.


Arbors in place, the winch can then be tried in place before a liberal dosing 
 of epoxy resin to ensure it doesn't go anywhere !


In place and once the glue's set, the blank can then be whipped and finished.


 The finished article, showing how the reel locks on with my 'half a reel' that I keep around for lining up winch fittings with the butt rings.


Incidentally, this particular rod had one butt ring that was also removed and re-whipped and finished.



Luckily I had whipping that was an identical match to the original ;)  



Any enquiries for prices or estimates for any type of work, call me on the usual number, top of the page . . . . . . .

Monday 25 April 2016

Cork handle & winch fitting clamp

Howdy folks, been a little while since my last post, been keeping busy with rod building and quite a few refurb's and the usual smattering of reels to service !

I had a few handle conversions all come in at once, like buses, so as I made a start on them, placing an order for some winch fittings that I'd run out of, I thought I'd be clever and get ahead of myself by having everything ready and to hand for once !

Didn't quite pan out  . . . . .  as I rummaged around the outside shed where I'd stored all sorts a couple of months ago having a big tidy up - I clapped eyes on the end of my handle clamp, only to realise it was buried under a load of brollys that had fallen over ( I also repair brollys!) and unfortunately, my clamp was twisted and bent beyond repair :(

So part of this afternoon was spent making a new one, quick trip to toolstation in Trafford Park for some m6 threaded bolt, and for the princely sum of about £3.00 with my wing nuts and washers, a new clamp was born !


A quick test with a Drennan IM8 Super feeder that's in for a handle conversion from plastic rings to Fuji DPS/HPS reels seat and the job was a good 'un !


As I don't have a rod to hand that's recently been converted I'm a bit short on before and after pic's, but this is the Fuji DPS/HPS fitting below that replaces the old style rings with a really decent fitting that keeps the reel solid and brings an end to reels dropping off mid battle !


These look really great on the rod, I'll post a few 'after' shots of some of them that I'm doing when my order arrives and I get cracking with them, and for those wondering about cost, generally they end up between £25 and £30 as an average price, that's finished and everything included.