Hidden reel seat

Myls, are you looking to do this for yourself? I have no idea how this is done, but I do have an idea based on teh Vetre Matrix handle system, sort of. E-mail me at [email protected] & I'll foward you the e-mail I have with my idea for such a handle/seat combo. If I built light spinning rods I'd try it myself.

Call me crazy, but to me I don't see a hidden reel seat. I see a reel either glued to or sitting next to cork. The reel foot ends are not held by anything.


Phil

That's how I see it as well, under the cork lies the reel seat, either a Fuji plate with a spacer screwed to the reel foot (thanks Putter) or something that has been screwed to the reel foot.

No idea Myles but the bream look good.

That's the full reel foot showing there. If I am correct that pic is from Starlo and Bushy's bream book. The reel was just glued to the grip, which had a space cut out to accept it.

Looks like a Shimano Stradic 4000 or 2000 (probably 2000) reel bonded to a "hoodless" reel seat or long arbor to me. Can't see any other means of reel foot security.


The only way I see to do this would be to pre-measure reel foot position, glue on a long arbor or reel seat insert and then glue up the cork to the blank according to required cork ID's then turn the cork on the blank itself. When that's completed, relocate the reel foot position, scribe it in and cut away the overlaying cork. Then bond the reel foot to the substrate. I hope there's a better solution, and would love to hear it.


Whew, that's something I'd probably never want to undertake for fear of eventual reel foot bond failure. Myles, let us know what you find out.

Like i posted on the forum, I worked it out after some others gave hints. Screws through the reel foot either side of the stem, and a metal arbor under the cork that is drilled and tapped to accept the screws. Holes in foot are also countersunk to hide the screw heads.

Yes, I now see what could be filled countersunk holes on the foot. But I have seen other pics of similar setups without any indication of holes. I'm guessing drilled into the leg from underneath.

Popped the little ID plate from the surface of the foot of my Cardinal to have a look. Just adjacent to the foot there is a flattened surface that you could align a drill to. Drill, then countersink from the slope of the reel foot, and you have just enough to hide the heads. On a thicker reel foot it would be even easier. Don't think it's advisable to tighten too much though. I can see the countersink in the above pic on the right hand side of the foot, just next to the reel stem.

I think Ted you would have to fill that cavity with epoxy glue or a filler to give it support, I pulled my stradics little plate out to have a look too.