Okay, so you have seen the 3D model that has been made, now to make it a reality, or in other words...here comes the hard part.
Here are some pics of what I have started. I figured I would start with the front ring and back plate. I am using yellow brass for the material. The reel foot prawl and hardware will be out of 7075 aluminum and anodized black. I will attempt to make a green glass handle...we'll see how that goes.
My backplate will have a radial pattern of half inch holes, with 1/4 or maybe 1/8 inch slots in between. My drag system will be a simple spring and prawl with an eccentric hex mechanism to allow for 6 different drag settings.