Thanks for letting me join this great resource!

A bunch of years ago I built a couple fishing rods......Haven't built one since. My 40yo son decided he wants to take up fishing. So instead of buying him a rod. I decided top buy a kit from Jann's Netcraft and build him one. I used the cardboard box method to wind the thread and an old BBQ motor to dry the epoxy. It came out rather nice!

And the bug hit!

I just put in an order at Mudhole for a few blanks and a bunch of supplies......

But I wanted to build my own wrapping machine.

I have a bunch of motors in the shop but a 800W / 36V DC motor got the nod. It was originally bought to convert a Honda Trail 90 to electric. But the Honda was just too nice to butcher so I reconditioned it to its original gas motor.

So I have the motor, the DC controller and the "gas pedal" ........I'm going to run it off a DC power supply I currently have.

Today I built and installed the chuck on the motor....and modified a few "No-Mar" casters I had hanging around by removing the wheel and slitting them in half on the lathe. Nice soft rubber to touch the pole.

That's it for today......More to follow!

Cool! I am doing the same with a trolling motor! Someone just gave me a MotorGuide 71 digital saltwater version- with completely smoked electronics as usual. So I rewired the motor, bypassed the smoked electronics and relays and wired direct to the brushes. And now I am using a similar to yours but bigger variable speed pulse width modulated power supply with reverse switch. Rated at 70A and 0 to 60 volts is perfect for this 24 volt motor I am rebuilding now with all new seals. Total cost out of pocket so far about $20. And I am presently looking for a used guitar wah wah type of pedal so I can install the correct potentiometer and use the wah wah pedal for my custom trolling motor speed control.

They simply do not build these trolling motors to last in saltwater. They intentionally used a metal in the motor shaft seals that rusts. They could have avoided this but did not on purpose. So the new seals I am installing have plastic inserts that saltwater can never harm. And, when I looked at the MOSFETS in the chinese power supply, they used a hodge podge of mismatched MOSFETS, so I am considering replacing all of them with matched MOSFETS and with increased current capacity before installing it in the boat. Love playing with motors and electronics, so what you are doing is interesting to me.

Can't beat a 71lb thruster for free! And what you are doing is awesome as well. Nothing like homemade and custom. Welcome to the forum!

Sorry, don't mean to hijack your thread with other projects... so bring it back around with your updates and I'll keep mine out of it! lol The things we have to do just to go fishing... look at these motor seals! Destroyed with saltwater... so why did Motorguide use rustable metal KNOWING this would happen? Built in obsolescence.







Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 01/23/2021 07:11PM by Kent Griffith.

Love the HiJack! I have an old trolling motor I was going to use also. Great minds think alike. But this set up was much more controllable with the foot pedal. The motor is 36V and it will not operate with anything under 31.5V.....Luck would have it that my variable power supply , rated at 30V, actually does 31.5! Perfect! Lots of torque and can go down real slow. I installed a bolt in the foot pedal to limit the top speed. You can see it in the picture. I'm sure, once I'm using it, too fast will become an issue.

Keep us informed on your build

RoyB
South of Boston

Roy and Kent,
I am surprised Roger Wilson has not joined your party yet; the three of you are like peas in a pod = you’ll have great fun.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Got up early and continued the wrapper build....





RoyB
South of Boston

I just ordered a 110V to 36V DC / 5A power supply so I don't have to use the variable PS......$14 on Amazon!

RoyB
South of Boston