Hello from The Shed

[Shed_Monkey]

I've just put the kettle on. Quite intriguing post, Steve! Welcome to the TFF! When will we see some pictures of your efforts?

Greetings from Bamberg
Martin

Hi Martin,

I wouldn't hold your breath for pictures - it's taken me 3 years to get this far

I'm planning on making the inaugural build a Chapman 500 as a gift for a family friend who was kind enough to give me his when I was a young boy - this was my first "proper" rod which fired my imagination as it was the gateway to "real" fish rather than the minnows and stickelbacks I had been catching and it has given me a lot of pleasure over the years. It is a bit like "Triggers broom" these days having been re-ringed a couple of times, lost 2 inches of tip and new cork on the handle - but I am still fiercely proud of that old rod. It has tamed all sorts of fish, ranging from (in my young eyes) mighty gudgeon through to wildies that pulled like shire horses and crafty old tench who thought they were safe in their hidey holes.
(I did have a simple bakelite pin which I used with it for many years, but alas I don't have it any more having sadly been lost in a house move - I'll have to search for something suitable some day)

At the moment my workbench is far from photogenic, being covered in oily metal swarf from the seemingly endless drilling, tapping and filing that is required to make a set of adjustable forms - I followed the guide on Thomas Penroses website to build mine. When I get it tidied up a little I will get some pictures taken.

Regards
Steve

[Dave Burr]

Welcome to the forum

[Duebel]

... now I'm even more intrigued! Nearly suffocated though ...

[Zipper]

Hi Steve and welcome form another Steve

[Bobthefloat]

Welcome sir

[Wallys-Cast]

Welcome aboard Steve. Looking forward to seeing the 500 come together, its a great rod and a very good idea as a first project. You had better start taking lots of pictures now to help answering all the questions you'll be getting later.

Wal.

[Shed_Monkey]

Thank you all for such a warm welcome - Wal... good idea about building up the pictures.
Once I've finished my cuppa I'm heading down to the shed to start tidying the bench up so will make a start, and just maybe there will be some pic's of the forms later.

[CrayCane]

Welcome to the forum Steve and good luck with the rod making. Look forward to seeing your forms.

Pete

[Shed_Monkey]

So, the bench is visible again and swarf tidied away. Here are a few pictures of my tools used for form building


Top: File plane for cutting the 60° groove
Middle(L to R): Small 1940's tapping wrench, 6mm hand reamer, 5.8mm drill bit, M6 Lyndon intermediate hand tap, 5mm drill bit, 6mm spotting drill, dial indicator with 60° tip
Bottom: 12" mill bastard file

The only other things missing from this list is a bench top pillar drill, a dozen 2" g-clamps, sore thumbs, aching elbows and oodles of patience.

Here are the forms:




And my effort at a cutaway view showing how the hardware is positioned in the forms - these are placed at 5" centres.
You can see dowel pins which help keep it all aligned as the forms adjust in and out, pull bolts that go through both bars to pull the forms together, and push bolts (grub screws in this case) which only go through 1 bar that push the forms open.

[CrayCane]

That looks like a great job you've done there Steve, you should be proud of the result.

Pete