newapti5

Nah, I've seen better.

So this is the one with a stash hole at the bottom of the handle. Interesting...

Even with ceramics, that reel will be screaming crazy after a while. Why would he do that? Ceramic won't make the dirt and debris inside the bearing disappear magically. Bushing may be a good idea. I would just get a cheap and disposable reel.

I think it's 5x9x3mm if I remember correctly, but you may want to measure it to make sure. That one doesn't take much effort to get to.

Yes, and on Roland's channel, I have seen he used the rod and reel as a walking stick when wadefishing smallies. We're talking about full submerge in the muddy water. I am just glad that's not a Shimano reel.

Such a bummer. I had the same experience twice out of all my online rod purchases. And I asked, why? why bother taping it up when the tube and the content inside are clearly broken in half? Might as well just ship it straight back to the seller and save me the heartbreak of seeing it.

I agree with DVT, but if you really want to know each bearing size and change them, a cheap digital caliper would do the job perfectly.

It's not brass gears.

After 9 long years, finally Shimano renews the Metanium DC reel. I don't care much about the black color, but the new IDC-5 brake is interesting. Using aluminum gears, it weighs only about 6.1oz, which is very light, given the DC brake unit usually weighs a lot. https://fish.shimano.com/ja-JP/product/reel/baitlurecasting/a075f000045zv32qag.html

A few things worth mentioning: 1. I used 500 and 1200 grit sandpaper to prep the surface, and wetsanded it with 1500 grit to finish. You don't have scrape all the original paint off, but smoother the surface is, better result you can achieve. 2. I didn't use primer, as I found the Testors lacquers work quite well without primer, as long as the surface is smooth. 3. Clear coats are optional, but I found them help alleviate small scratches. Painting clear coats, though, requires extra effort and care. Several light coats with quick hand movement. You don't want to spray too much in one coat, which could cause dripping. 4. For lacquer, masks are not gonna cut it. You must use respirators like this: https://www.harborfreight.com/p95-maintenance-free-dual-cartridge-respirator-large-67727.html?ccdenc=eyJjb2RlIjoiNzA0ODQ5MDUiLCJza3UiOiI2NzcyNyIsImlzIjoiMTIuNTkifQ%3D%3D&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=20938165855&campaignid=20938165855&utm_content=160520900791&adsetid=160520900791&product=67727&store=3030&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA44OtBhAOEiwAj4gpObpqZ8eQFsVo6HelRDs7xkJc4rnPGEKJEx1efbD-cGFPpc3YJPyRaxoCK2gQAvD_BwE

I am new to this as well. I chose Testors Extreme Lacquer (the old One Shot Lacquer) for these reels, but TBH, I kind of regret that decision. Lacquer is good for many things, looks beautiful as well, but it's prone to even tiny scratches, which are inevitable for fishing reels. My next project would be back to enamel paint. There aren't much information regarding painting fishing reels online, but there're a TON of info about painting model cars. It's a really deep rabbit hole if you want perfection. If you're interested in the process, I found this YouTube video quite helpful: Forgot to mention, if you could disassemble the whole reel, the paining process would be much easier.

I have a couple of this handle. The quality is quite good. The knob tolerance is very tight without any tiny movement.

Another TD-Z repainted. The is the 36mm spool 100ML "US Trail" version.

What's the difference between the OG Muse Gold and the later Muse Black? Blank makers? I've only used the former in spinning setup, which is still one of my favorite.

If you have a budget over 200, my only suggestion is to take the JDM route. Digitaka, JLS, Plat, Asian portal... just pick your poison.

It's more like a stand-alone movie in between seasons. The season 4 of Mando is still coming. I LOVE The Mandalorian, yet I just don't how to describe what Favreau did. I mean, Mando's story line is simple and straight-forwarded, nothing fancy, but it just seems to get the gist of Star Wars. The sequel trilogy is something I choose to ignore.

Both of them are pretty smooth. Curado has a metal side plate and X-ship, but Tatula has T-wing and third-party spool options. I think it comes down to the line capacity and lure weights. Curado K is a 200 size reel that excels at 3/8oz plus lures; Tatula CT is a 100 size reel good for 1/4 - 1oz lures. Edited: I stand corrected. The K also has a plastic handle side plate. I must've remembered it wrong.

"Jon Favreau is directing a new Star Wars movie, titled 'The Mandalorian & Grogu.' It will go into production later this year."

Finally finished the TD-Z rebuild. This is my first time to spray paint something like this, so I have made a LOT of mistakes. Well, lesson learned and better luck next time. I still have a TD Zillion waiting. Besides the paint job, which took up most of the time, other works include, 1. Deep cleaned EVERY part. The reel was quite dirty, and hadn't been used for a while. 2. Fixed a loose magnet brake ring. 3. Replaced one pinion bearing, one main shaft bearing, and a level wind bearing. Flushed the rest. Surprisingly, two spool bearings are still in great shape. 4. Upgraded the drags to carbontex, and mirror-polished the drag washers. 5. Replaced the gear set with TT's 7:1 gears kit, which is a little different than the original gear set design. 6. Replaced the front piece with a new one. Not sure how long it will last though. 7. Installed an aluminum drag star and a 95mm Gomexus handle. 8. Put a Steez SV 105 spool in it, for now. This is the original reel: And this is the finished rebuild:

Yeah, the promotion period just ended and the Yen is up a little, so it's not much different than Digitaka pricing now.

Isn't R18 is the same line as Tatsu? I have tried a couple series from YGK braids, very impressed by their slickness, not so much by their abrasion resistance. 131 is on my list as well, but I just couldn't convince myself of that high price. Shimano has free shipping for it till Dec 26: https://fishshop.shimano.com/products/mastiff-fc

This Gomexus handle and titanium knobs are pretty nice for 45 bucks, but I could only find it on Japan websites, not on Gomexus's official site or other Chinese sites. Why? US and Chinese markets aren't big enough?

I put a Scorpion MGL spool in my Curado K. It casts 3/8oz jerkbaits much better.

No free shipping. Hard pass.