Calculation for copper or leadcore and backing

[skipper19]

I know there is a spread sheet out there. I wish I had an up to date works program to make it work....but I don't. So I use the ole noggin for this. Hope it helps some poor feller..HUH?.not you Ray...I know your answer is 14!

Anyways here is some cipherin fer yer copper/ lead core/ backing/ leader riggin! ..nightmares!

Or...just order a prerigged shiny new one from A-TOM-IK..

First must use known data from the reel that shows amount of yardage of a particular lb test. That lb test has a thickness of thousands of an inch. To do this convert the yards to inches by multiplying yards by 36. Now you have total linear inches of capacity of the reel. Now for the volume of the reel you must find the number of linear inches per cubic inch. To do this, use the known thickness in thousandths of an inch for the lb test line you want to use. imagine strands of line exactly one inch long laying stacked in a cubic inch. Now how many strands can lay across is the same as how many will stack to the top of the cubic inch based on thousandths of an inch thickness. The cube is 1.000 inches. To find how many 1 inch strands lay in the cube divide the thickness of the line into 1.000 and to find the total number of 1 inch strands you square the value of the thickness that divided into 1.000 to get how many linear inches of that line thickness in one cubic inch. divide that number of strands into the linear inch capacity to get the filled volume of the reel in cubic inches. Multiply the number of cubic inches you found for the reel you are using by the number of linear inches per cubic inch. That value will be the total number of linear inches of that particular line lb test based on its known thickness. Now divide by 12 for feet or 36 for inches to convert to yards.

Example. (taken from the reel specs) Capacity 350 yards 30 lb. We will use Big game line @ .022 in.

350 yds to inches equals 12,600 inches (350x36)

Find Linear inches in a cubic inch. 1.000 cu in. Divided by line diameter of the 30 lb. Line then squared...

1.000 / .022 = 45.45) x 45.45= 2065.7

2065.7 is the number of one inch strands of 30 lb .022 line per cubic inch. Or 2065.7 linear inches. Divide this value into the linear inch capacity of the reel you converted from 350 yards. This reel converted to that capacity of 12,600 inches we found first.

12,600 / 2065.7 = 6.09

The volume of the reel is 6.09 cubic inches! ...Jeeeze that would be some useful info on every reel now wouldn't it! Every reel has a volume of full capacity. The amount of full LINEAR capacity is governed by the thickness of the line that fits in that volume. In this case 6.09 cu inches volume of 30 lb big game @ .022 diameter equals 2065.7 linear inches per cubic inch times 6.09.

2065.7 x 6.09 = 12580 inches linear capacity 12580 / 36 = 349.4 ...close enough to 350 yards of big game 30 lb line.

Ok...you are wondering why we did all that just to arrive back at the factory specs we started with for that reel. It really wasn't MEANT to be useless brain buster..but what we learned is the value we all want to know about that particular reel, or any other for that matter. The one that would be nice if the factory put it right on there. THE CUBIC INCH VOLUME OF THE FULL REEL! ...6.09 cubic inches....for THIS reel. What can we do with that you say?...well maybe you want to put some copper wire on there and backing, and flouro leader and you just don't know how much it will hold of all the segments. Now with this important piece of info about the volume you can calculate the capacities for each segment in the setup. You just need to know the line diameter in thousandths of an inch, and your new found volume info.

Example. Let's say you want to put some 32 lb blood run copper on this reel. You go look up the spec for line diameter. It says .030 thousandth of an inch. You predetermined a 400 foot copper with backing. You don't know how much backing yet, and you don't want to overdo it or underdo it either. You DO know you want 400 feet of 32 lb copper on there...

Convert 400 feet copper to inches multiply by 12 equals 4800 inches How much copper strands will fill a cubic inch?

1.000 / .030 = 33.33) x 33.33 = 1110.89 now divide this into 4800 and you get 4.32. That is the cubic inch volume of the 400 feet of copper that will go on this reel. The reel volume full is 6.09 so there is room for backing in what's left. Same deal with that go find some specs on the braid. Let's say 30 lb power pro...we find it is .011 diameter. We have 6.09 total volume on this empty reel and going to use 4.32 of it for copper. That leaves 1.77 cubic inches for backing. Let's reduce it 10% for the flouro and some wiggle room for the spool. Make it 1.59 cubic inches for the backing.

1.000 / .011 = 90.91) x 90.91 = 8264.63 8264.63 LINEAR inches in a cubic inch times 1.59 cu in. reserved for backing = 13140.76 inches of backing

13140.76 / 36 = 365 yards / 1095 FEET of power pro 30 lb backing.

Now you have a choice. Since that is a lot of backing you could reduce the backing and decide to opt to throw on another 50 or 100 feet of copper, but I personally don't want less than 700 feet of backing on a copper. I have seen energetic early season kings run over fast! Last year 908 off a downrigger in June.

The flouro leader should fit easily on the top shot. This example was taken from a Penn 309 line capacity specs. Any reel will work with this formula. You just need the linear line capacity and lb test and the diameter of the line. Some manufacturers put the diameter of the line lb on the reel. In the end you will have the best knowledge of the capacity for your reel and that is the cubic volume of its filled capacity. Hope this is useful for some who have labored over the idea of how much will fit on this reel I have. I know I have...whew... I think the lab called...must be my brain is ready! Mark

Sent from my PC36100 using Lake Ontario United mobile app

[Legacy]

Heres a link to a reel fill calculator on GLF! http://www.greatlakesfisherman.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16491

[John E Powell]

The problem with the spreadsheets is they don't factor in how loosely or tightly the line is spooled onto the reel nor do they factor in how slowly or quickly the levelwind travels back and forth across the face of the spool. Each is a factor in how densely a reel gets packed when filled.

 

Spooling a reel in reverse and transferring it to a second reel (or two spools if you only have one reel) is a little more work, but the best way to assure a perfect fill every time.