Does anyone know how I can open the Paul Diamond reel so I can get the string out?

Thanks in advance.

Isn't there a small notch on one side?

Be careful! If you remove the "insides" wrong, the spring may unwind, and you'll have a mess. Paul and P&L used to repair reels for a nominal fee. --Not anymore. A dentist friend (and magician) used to fix my reels, before he died.

I don't know who, today, does.

Perhaps Bill Hegbli does!

PS It aint "string"! It's silk thread, or sometimes today more modern filaments.

Paul Diamond explains how to open his reel in his teaching video from www.llepub.com .

Check out my detailed distribution here:

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/viewt......&forum=4

Dick - Thanks. You're right. I meant the thread....

Plink - Yes, I see the tiny notch on the bottom. Do I just pry it open? I don't want to damage the reel.

Bill - Thanks!

"Never - Never - Never pull the line out and let it snap back on it own."

Wish I had read this....

What tool should I use to open up the reel's (tiny) notch to get my line out?

Get one of those mini screwdrivers to do this. The entire face of the reel will pop out (it fits like some coin gimmicks do).

It will be necessary to lift the entire spool out in order to retrieve the end of the line and be able to feed it back through the tiny hole again. There are usually also some small discs cut from playing cards. These act as bushings and buffers. Don't lose or damage them. Lifting the spool from the case also requires detaching the spring from the center post. Do this carefully. The spring itself is under tension inside the spool. But while the line is broken, there is no tension in relationship to this center post.

DO NOT ALLOW THE SPRING TO COME OUT OF THE SPOOL!! You'd end up with a bird nest of metal on your hands. This is a real pain to reset. Just work carefully and you'll be fine.

Once you find the end of the line, feed the free end through the tiny hole in the side of the reel.

Place the entire spool back in place, being sure that the spring connects with the center post again (there is a slot in the post for this). Be careful while doing this that the line doesn't jump off the side of the spool and end up UNDER the spool. This is a common mistake. If it does, just start over. Put the discs back in place, too.

Once everything is back inside, put the metal cover back on. It's just a friction fit, so gently push it until it seats properly.

Now, you must pull out a short length of the thread in order to tie the bead back on. This is necessary so that the thread has a bit of tension even when it is fully retracted. This task in itself can be a bit tricky. A second set of hands makes this easier, but if you are by yourself, just wind the thread around something like a pencil several times, and this will lock the thread while you tie the bead to the end.

All this is said with the assumption that you have plenty of thread still on the spool. If that is not the case, you will need to replace it with a longer length.

Good luck! I've fixed more of these than I can count. You can do this.

Thank you, Michael. Very informative.

Never fixed a reel before but I will give it a try.

I fixed some of them but I haven't worked on a diamond in a few years. Just keep your thumb over the spring or you will have a major job. Another trick is to engage the spring and then pull out some string. Now loop the string around the drum and let it retract. This will increase the tension on the string.

Richard

Thanks for the advice, Richard.