i was just thinking.  

 

i am not that far off from the day my wife will refuse to help me.  hahaha..  she wont help me bleed car brakes ever again.  

Berkley spooling station works for me. 

I have a couple.  My best one works when she isn’t busy doing something else.

Couch cushions with a small gap for the spool.

FM

Slapped together from some scrap aluminum I had hanging around...

I just open a side pocket on my tackle bag and stick the spool in there, holds it in place and provides a little tension through friction from rubbing on the sides, works better then the fancy spooling station I paid for.

Put the spool in a small box with a long screwdriver through the hole with the ends out. 

Get a cardboard box just wide enough to hold the spool so it’ll rotate freely. 
 

OR

Sick a pencil through the hole and hold the ends between your toes 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

29 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Sick a pencil through the hole and hold the ends between your toes 

Only a Redneck would do that. We civilized Hillbillies use a piece of 3/8" dowel rod. ?

When using this method to spool braid, it's ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL to remember, DO NOT hold the spool down against your wife's new light colored carpet and leave a green spot. Especially if your wife cooks with cast iron. Don't ask me how I know this, the incident in question is still blurry in my mind, and my ears are still ringing.

33 minutes ago, Mike L said:

Sick a pencil through the hole and hold the ends between your toes

 

I use a screwdriver lol

screwdriver mounted in a vise.

11 minutes ago, Aaron_H said:

 

I use a screwdriver lol

Neanderthal. Do you even walk upright? ?

My wife does the brunt of my line spooling work. I also keep one of those type you clamp onto the rod blank on the boat incase I need to do anything while I’m on the water. 
 

The biggest POS I ever bought (actually a Christmas present) was one of those table top spool station. A BPS or Berkley one, that got sent back in no time after trying it. 
 

I want my wife to out live me and I hope she does. But if something were to happen to her unexpectedly, she know I’m going to buy one of the electric STREN spooling stations just like the one at the bait shop. I tried to find one used on line back some time ago but, couldn’t find one. 

 

Hope the wife is around to help me do many many spools. 

I made a line spooler with tension control etc.  I still use the screwdriver with my toes.  Put tension on by pushing harder or letting up on the carpet in my man room.  
I might become more sophisticated and use a dowel so T-Billy doesn’t call me names! ??

I just stick the spool in a boot and cinch down the laces, stuff a little kitchen towel in there if I need a little tension.

Big screw and washer poke thru line spool screw to the wall of your shop start winding.  Or you can buy a spool holder and line holder from Walmart, Academy, 15.00 I think works like a charm has a little rubber lined hole to thread the line through.

Bought this a few years ago to relieve my wife from duty.  Works as advertised.  Not as pleasing to look at as my wife but quieter. 

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CIOXIUU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

I used my feet and a pencil forever. I got bored with that and decided to have a kid so he could hold that spool. Not the greatest return on investment though. ?

I use a Plano style box that holds multiple spools with rubber grommet feeding holes.  Spool just spins in the dividers in the box. 

Bring them in to Cabelas. They will spool them for free in minutes with an electric line winder and they do not charge for backing or spooling either. Drop off a few and go shop for a while while they do it.

I use a 2' piece of broken fishing rod under my knees.  Put as much pressure as you want.  

@MN Fisher: That is pretty cool. Would you mind sharing what the items are on the threaded dowel? I am seriously considering making one based on your awesome design. Thanks. 
 

I have a spooling tool and it works okay. It no longer keeps tension on the spool because I lost a part so I use s book or magazine. 

9 hours ago, MN Fisher said:

Slapped together from some scrap aluminum I had hanging around...

Show off! Just kidding Ken, like @islandbass requests, do share the details. Pretty please 

23 minutes ago, islandbass said:

I am seriously considering making one based on your awesome design. Thanks. 

Pretty simple really

Bolted a short piece of 1/8" angle to a piece of aluminum plate - countersunk machine screws from underneath held by nuts and lock washers.

Bolted the tall piece to that, drilled a 5/16" hole up high

Length of 5/16" threaded rod is held by washer, lock washer, nut both inside and out.

 

Then it's a standard washer, compression spring, fender washer, spool, fender washer, compression spring, standard washer, spring clamp. You adjust the tension on the line by moving the spring clamp closer to or further from the spool.

 

The big spring clamp secures it to the work-bench when spooling up...it's strong enough.

 

@MN Fisher: Thanks! This is flat out awesome. ?