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El Duco Swedish Reel - MetalWriting
I’ve got something unique for you all today. I’m going to take you behind the scenes to see how a product is made. And this is not just any product–it’s the best product of its kind.
I have always been a big fan of the silk through microphone stand effect. I vividly remember seeing Michael Ammar lecture it at a convention back in 2012 and being blown away by the visuals. I went out and got a basic reel to start playing around with, and while it was fun to mess around with, it wasn’t fast enough to make it as deceptive as it should be. I heard about the “El Duco” reel, but they were nearly impossible to find, and when they did pop up for sale, they were very expensive.
Well, a few years ago, Adreas Sebring received the rights to the El Duco line including the Swedish Reel. And even though there were no instructions left for how to make this very precise reel, Andreas got to work creating a method that not only matched the original El Duco reel, but in many ways, surpassed it. Andreas uses a thinner and stronger thread, added a rubber bead at the end, smoothed out the opening that the thread comes through, and developed a braking system which also makes the thread go straight into the hole without bending over the lip of the opening. All of these things may seem like small details, but these details go a long way to prevent the thread from snapping meaning the pro can feel confident using this reel day in and day out.
The tutorial covers many routine ideas and methods. It also goes over how to adjust the tension of the reel, how to attach the silk to the reel (a silk is provided), and how to rethread the reel. Adreas has even added several new tutorial videos that teach more ideas as he comes up with them. Even if you know nothing about using a reel, by the end of his tutorials, you'll have many great ideas that you can go out and use immediately.
I’ve been using the reel for two months now, and it is by far the best of its kind. If you’ve ever wanted to do a silk through microphone stand effect, there is literally no better reel. And it’s not limited to microphone stands. It can penetrate wine glass stems, coffee mugs, arms, legs, necks, and just about anything you want. The reel has a unique spring that keeps the tension the same no matter how far it gets stretched out which allows you to penetrate thicker objects than usual. It operates incredibly smoothly, quickly, and virtually silently.
Now, since I knew the review would be a quick one, I asked Andreas if he would share a little about his process of making them. I’m happy to share this information and pictures with you all.
First of all, every unit is precision-machined in his workshop in Sweden by hand.
The process begins with him sawing the metal disk that will be the main unit
Next he uses a metal lathe to perfect the outer shape.
Then he uses CNC-technology to achieve tolerances that simply weren't possible in the past, which is why the reel operates with an incredibly smooth and silent action.
He mills the holes (notice that the hole is milled at an angle to prevent snagging.)
And once the unit is powdered coated with a flesh color, he gets to work assembling the reels by hand.
For all of the work and craftsmanship that goes into these, it’s hard to believe it’s just $225
If you want the absolute Rolls-Royce of reels, you can get one (or two) at the link below:
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