Smoothing Out Edges of Shooting Line Hole?

[TriggerNJ]

Whats the best way to smooth out the hard edges of the shooting line hole on shafts? I'm thinking dremel with some sort polishing bit? I'm wondering how you guys are going about that or if your even running into an issue with it?

Why I'm thinking about it.....

I use chaffing tubes on my shooting line for fish that really fight and haven't noticed much of issue but recently I was in situation where I had to rig up the night before with limited options. I tied up a dynemma shooting line in a pinch from some line off a reel and we got into situation where you had to horse any fish shot up as fast as possible due to sharks. I shot ~20lb tuna and horsed it in. Thankfully I noticed after landing it that my dynemma was hanging by a thread. There was a hard unrounded portion of the shooting line hole towards back of the hole and it had nearly sawed off the shooting line. I'm home now really inspecting the shooting line holes and man they are not real consistent throughout. Definitely some hard sharper edges that concern me. I'd like to get in there and nicely round out those edges.

[SEATUX]

use a counter sink to relieve that sharp edge ( or a drill bit larger than the hole, but be careful to only take off the amount that a counter sink would) then buff it smooth.

[TriggerNJ]

Yeah, you can see where the countersink was used on them but parts have not been done real well or buffed out smooth. I'm wondering what exactly to use to get in there and buff them out completely. I'm thinking has be a dremel bit that will do it. Just figured someone probably has done this million times before I started tinkering.

[popgun pete]

A grinding paste might work using something like a wooden peg to work back and forth in the hole by twisting. Like the stuff used for grinding automobile valve seats to get the valve to close fully. Dremel tools have tips that can carry that stuff used for polishing in tight places removing very little metal.

[armandozx]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldgSsfm0clw

Here yall go.

[TriggerNJ]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldgSsfm0clw

Here yall go.

Fantastic! Thank you, I knew someone had to be doing it already and have it all figured out easy.

Looks much easier than I thought it would be as well. Easy enough I can actually throw that stuff in luggage and do the shafts I already have stashed at a buddies house.

[Behslayer]

Dang haven't been on here in ages. Sure I done this many many times. Not a million.. but many.

A more common issue is that you want to use chafe tube and you need to increase the diameter of the Hole, but in any case what you want to do is.

-Countersink the hole with a larger bit, this will take off the hard edge.

-Using a buffing wheel with the Black/Grey Buffing compound for stainless, hit both sides and from as many directions as you can with a Buffing wheel.

-If you want it to be perfect.. then follow up with a buffing wheel with a White Compound for Stainless Polishing..

[spearq8]

I use abrasive cord and just pull it through severa times at angles. If you really want to you can drop the grit and even finish it with just cotton string with polishing compound and get a mirror smooth finish. If you have a big enough hole and are using a shark fin hole, adding a pvc or nylon sleeve before putting your crimp also dramatically improves the strength of that line segment.

[Marco]

Dremmel first and bicicle brakes cable later. Have done it many times.

[TriggerNJ]

Thanks all good stuff!

I just was looking at some shafts I have laying around from a different maker. Still the same hard edges but like what was mentioned above some of the holes are also too small for a chaffing tube. Looks like I'm gonna have to drill out a hole larger on a couple of them to fit a chaffing tube. Seems crazy to me all shaft makers don't always go large enough for a chaffing tube with shafts that are most likely going to be sent at large quarry. I picked up some buffing bits for the dremmel and valve paste should be quick enough.

[popgun pete]

Basically you just need to aris the periphery of the hole on both sides, even twisting a large drill bit will do it, a high speed steel one, not a wood drill, as they are too soft. Manufacturers just drill the hole and be done with it. As little as they can get away with.

[spearq8]

Originally Posted by TriggerNJ

Thanks all good stuff!

I just was looking at some shafts I have laying around from a different maker. Still the same hard edges but like what was mentioned above some of the holes are also too small for a chaffing tube. Looks like I'm gonna have to drill out a hole larger on a couple of them to fit a chaffing tube. Seems crazy to me all shaft makers don't always go large enough for a chaffing tube with shafts that are most likely going to be sent at large quarry. I picked up some buffing bits for the dremmel and valve paste should be quick enough.

If you plan to drill out your holes ... remember that you are drilling very hard to drill stainless steel. The secret is to use slow rotation speed and some oil or cutting fluid. If possible, use a cobalt drill bit as that works much better. As for how companies make their shaft fins ... there is now a general migration towards MIM shark fins. This allows for really optimized shaping and much larger holes.

[TriggerNJ]

Yeah I have drilled some stainless etc. before for other things so I'm ok on that end. I'm hoping just a little opening up of the holes will do it. Just by eyeballing a few it looks like that's the case and it won't take much at all. My dive season is basically over now until spring so I'm going to just wait until I know I have a decent chunk of time to do what needs to be done to each all at once.

[renepotvin]

I simply put a 3 foot nylon line through the hole, sometimes with abrasive paste, and I go back and fort many many many times. It will be smoothed out within 5 minutes.

I might break the string 3 or 4 times if the hole is really sharp before it's smoothed out.

[TriggerNJ]

I just bought a bunch shafts so I have quite few to do. The majority of what I got has a large enough hole for chaffing tube and is well buffed out in comparison to some of the larger brand name shafts I have so that's nice.

I picked up some abrasive cord, grinding paste etc. and tested it out on few to see what was easiest. The abrasive cord works phenomenal. It's well worth the couple extra bucks. Very quick and easy to get a great smooth finish when you just have to get the hard edges off.

I got the 51 120grit @ .055''....little thicker may be even better but this worked fantastic.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Mitchell+Abrasives