Fly reels & 3D printers

There is a company, 3D Fly Reels that does this. They are outstanding. I dunno how many tries it took to get everything dialed in though.
 
Pez Vela said:
I need to figure out how to turn it on first…😁
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I'm a technology dinosaur, so a year ago when I was able to get a tour of SpaceX's Falcon-9 facility in Hawthorne, California, I went along for the tour. To say the facility is AMAZING is gross understatement. One of the stops on the tour was a chance to look at and hold components for Falcon-9 that were 3D printed. I don't know what the metal alloy was on a few of the pieces but it was easier for this fossil to begin to understand how 3D printers play such a crucial role in today's manufacturing and engineering marvels.

Steve - Good luck with your new printer!
 
Looking forward to hearing more about this. I too just got a 3d printer and need some projects. Have you found a good resource for fly fishing related plans? Hadn't thought about printing a reel. Was thinking about a fly rod holder. Maybe fly reel storage boxes? Custom fly boxes? I have 3d modeling experience so making my own designs shouldn't be a problem. The printer just showed up today and is still in the box.
 
Pez Vela said:
I’m in the building fly reel bidness….! 😁
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Hey, if you want a real 3-D printing business, I have a whole mess of broken plastic, metal and other small parts that I would love to have 3-D printed!!!

If I were Minni-Kota I would make all my replacement parts 3-D printed particularly for the older stuff.

The recent Sky and Telescope magazine had an article on 3-D printing a complete astronomical telescope.
 
This is very cool, but being a luddite, I have no idea how this works - what do you use for starting material, do you just program in a plan and it prints it from said starting material?

thanks!!
 
Canuck from Kansas said:
This is very cool, but being a luddite, I have no idea how this works - what do you use for starting material, do you just program in a plan and it prints it from said starting material?

thanks!!
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The short version…. You download a program to a flash drive, choose a filament, (in this case carbon fiber for strength) .. and hit the start button. For the fly reel, there’s 3 different prints for the parts, and takes about 2 hours to complete. I did have to buy some ss nuts, screws, and bolts to put it together. It makes a pretty nice reel… more information to come.

(Don’t know why the images are sideways)

IMG_2672.jpegIMG_2671.jpegIMG_2666.pngIMG_2665.jpeg
 
Pez Vela said:
The short version…. You download a program to a flash drive, choose a filament, (in this case carbon fiber for strength) .. and hit the start button. For the fly reel, there’s 3 different prints for the parts, and takes about 2 hours to complete. I did have to buy some ss nuts, screws, and bolts to put it together. It makes a pretty nice reel… more information to come.

(Don’t know why the images are sideways)

View attachment 175773View attachment 175774View attachment 175775View attachment 175776
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Very cool, thanks very much!!

Have fun!!
 
It’s a wrap…or print in this case. I used this download: https://www.printables.com/model/1293989-fly-reel
And with the Flashforge Adventurer 5M Pro printer, a .4 nozzle, PETG-CF filament (carbon fiber), ss screws, nuts and bolts, ….it took about 3 hours to print. I’d recommend 100% fill for strength, and add supports under the reel seat. (a programming thing)
I like the reel, and will fish it as soon as I load some backing and fly line…and the weather gives me a break. The lever on the back is a drag.. no clicker.
I’m new at this, so if you have questions pm me, and I’ll try to answer them…

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Cost of materials excluding buying the printer?
I notice at printables it’s in the public domain and available for commercial use? Not that I need to start a business, curious.
 
Buzzy said:
I'm a technology dinosaur, so a year ago when I was able to get a tour of SpaceX's Falcon-9 facility in Hawthorne, California, I went along for the tour. To say the facility is AMAZING is gross understatement. One of the stops on the tour was a chance to look at and hold components for Falcon-9 that were 3D printed. I don't know what the metal alloy was on a few of the pieces but it was easier for this fossil to begin to understand how 3D printers play such a crucial role in today's manufacturing and engineering marvels.

Steve - Good luck with your new printer!
Click to expand...
When I get enough courage I ask a seven year old for help and then pay him off with candy.
 
Fourbtgait said:
Cost of materials excluding buying the printer?
I notice at printables it’s in the public domain and available for commercial use? Not that I need to start a business, curious.
Click to expand...
I'm guessing that it will be like tying flies.. not about saving money, but being able to do it yourself. I am curious what the cost of materials is.. cheers!
 
Okay this is so familiar i spent a career drawing and drafting as a structuraland graphic designer. Then things got weird and computers showed up. Got a Mac 11vx, later an IMacTaught myself CAD Illustrator, photoshop. Deneba products Freehand, Photoshop, MSWord but eff Access and Excell…;) and other software-how to eff up a computer. The graduated to beta testing because I was good at fouling things up, 3D Cad… yada yada, 9-11 career ended. So did my computer use in the mid 2000’s I really could care less, must have been from brain damage from a divorce in 2012… anyway I really know very little about what my iphone does or why? I am still good at screwing things up as I beta testing my phone- To me…progress is overrated.
 
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