BB's Reel

[Mike Wilson]

It would have been quite ironic if it had burst into flames when I cleaned it up.

I didn't mention in my story that my Uncle found an incendiary bomb by the Thames at Richmond [Ice Rink] at the early part of the war. For some reason it had gone out and the magnesium was only partly burnt. The local lads spent ages trying to relight it and eventually took it to an open space and put it on a bonfire. Eventually it burst into life catching a fence alight. All the lads got into very serious trouble and sitting down was very uncomfortable for a while.
As an aside I seem to remember we used paraffin on aluminium and magnesium alloys as a cutting lubricant. I'll see if I can find my 'Chapmans'.

Mike

[QuinetteCane]

I'm with Len on leaving a little mystery.

I think there is enough documentary evidence around for it
to be highly likely RW came away from a RAE visit with a billet
of AC grade special metal in whatever form it may have taken.

Given that RW is also the Godfather who made the carbon fibre link from RAE Experimental to Hardys and fishing rod manufacture .

A good story left unproven is the best one for me.

Thanks to All contributors.

Excalibur. Didnt that get chucked in a lake much like Walkers teapot ?

[Len Arbery]

Hello All,

Well, I suppose I'll have to admit it! I found the inhabitants of my childhood venues, such as the 'Roach 'ole', just upstream of Chiswick Bridge over the Thames, and Barnes Pond, etc. far more appealing than I did the schoolroom. Therefore, my academic education wasn't what it might have been, and the Archimedes Principle remains something of a mystery. Not too sure it's done me much harm, though; up until now, that is!

(One of the better and most memorable days actually spent in the classroom occurred when one of the boys brought in a live incendiary bomb; that, as can be readily imagined, caused quite a little bit of excitement.)

One of the few things I did learn being that 'you can't get a quart into a pint pot'! Consequently, Santiago, 'BB's' reel won't go in a one litre measuring jug! As may be seen below:



Besties,

Len

[QuinetteCane]

Mmmmmmm. Shiney.......

[Len Arbery]

That, QC, is the flashgun 'bounceback'; in reality, the 'BB's' reel possesses more of a matt finish. Len.

[Nobby]

I once found a way to make magnesium ribbon burn very readily ( probably best not to say just how on the 'net) in the school chemistry lab. So bright it destroyed the china crucible.......

For some reason I thought this would be a good idea on one of the rare 'open days' to which the parents were invited. I'd got very bored using a Kipp's Apparatus to turn copper oxide into pure copper, it just wasn't spectacular enough to my teenage mind.

I'm fairly confident she got her sight back quite quickly.......

I wasn't asked to help out in any further Open Days............

[MHC]

The auxillary brake on BB's reel is very similar in shape and function to the Hardy Fortuna big game reels of the 1930's, though theirs had a somewhat larger diameter brake drum. It could be a useful feature for slowing a fast running carp, though it would have to be very smooth in operation to do so, I would have thought. Any comments on how it functions in the heat of battle so to speak.

Thanks for posting pictures of this reel which I read of so long ago.

[Len Arbery]

Oh, Nobby, that's priceless - I love it! Len.

[Len Arbery]

Hello MHC.

As far as can be ascertained, 'BB' was the only person to catch any carp using this reel. I have already confessed to never having it used it myself; my Redmire common, seen with the RW/'BB' MkIV and reel earlier in this thread, being caught on a differing outfit. (To answer a previous enquiry, no, I don't think 'BB' ever saw this particular photo.)

I must say, some of the comments in this thread, including yours, are encouraging me to try and land a carp using 'BB's' reel; only then, of course, could any personal assessment be formed. But I can't think of a suitable local pool. Anybody? (Might make a good story.)

Besties,

Len.

[DaceAce]

Two solutions to measuring volume of the reel using the1 litre jar; 1, cut the reel in half... or, 2, fill a shallow bowl that is deep enough to accommodate the reel to the brim with water, immerse the reel, collecting the displaced water, measure the water in the 1 litre jar.