Reel Modifications

[Kevanf1]

More from my currently overworked brain

I think we've all known of pins that have a wobble. Well, how about resleeving the central shaft? Or perhaps, rather than a full resleeve just a bush at the lower end maybe soldered in place simply to take up the slack?

[Estaban]

I believe the bushing would need to be placed at the top as well as bottom, if the original shaft and/or spool is worn or galled re-bushing only one end could make matters worse...in theory at least. At that point it might be easier to have a full length bronze bushing put into the spool and lap it (in the same manner an engine valve is lapped to it's seat) to match any imperfections in the shaft.

[Kevanf1]

Hmm, Estaban you could be right. However, I was thinking along the lines of the old childhood recreation ground 'witches hat' principle. If you know of the apparatus it was like an open 'cone' where children would sit at the bottom periphery. It was much like a centrepin at the top but totally open to wobble at the bottom. It was necessary to ensure it was spun straight and true otherwise it went all over the place. Hence my thinking it would only need the bottom rebushing on a reel in order to take this potential wobble out.

Come the Summer months I have some experimenting to do

[Estaban]

Explaining it as such makes sense to me now, it the wobble is caused by the inside end of the shaft opening being worn, then a bush on the bottom should right it. I was about to get all complicated and involve pouring babbit and what not......the places a mind will go when solving puzzles

[Nobby]

I'm told that the wear at the bottom of the spool that allows a wobble is actually only a couple of thou and re-bushing is not practical.


I had a Flick 'Em that was worn in this way and made enquiries about a repair. Two people told me they'd make-up a new centrepin, over-size in the appropriate area to allow for this wear. The hard part is getting the old 'pin out of a 70 year old aluminium casting, with no gaurantees offered that it won't crack.

The cost was £90.



Contrarilly, there's a feller in Sheffield who frequently offers re-furbished reels on eBay. He often fits a new 'pin, but lets his auctions start at 90 pence.................

[Kevanf1]

I would go about it in a different manner to making a new spindle. I would look to see if I could perhaps ream out something like a 1/4" (into the depth of the shaft not a 1/4" of material in thickness) out of the central shaft (at the bottom where the cog/ratchet is normally set). This way I could then look at that interference fit bush. This is of course assuming that the shaft wall could take light reaming. I would have thought most would though..

[DaceAce]

I can remember an engineer angler changing (early 70s) the pin on his centrepin (Rapidex?) to have a tiny ball bearing on the tip of the pin.

[Estaban]

I can remember an engineer angler changing (early 70s) the pin on his centrepin (Rapidex?) to have a tiny ball bearing on the tip of the pin.

That's what Watermole+ did on the aerials he built, the threads are in this forum (can't figure how to post the link from my phone, sorry)

[Watermole+]

Repairing/replacing worn bushes & spindles is quite a regular job on older centre pins-along with worn handles!
As has already been said, most 'wobble' occurs nearest the spindle boss, because 1. this is where most pressure is felt when winding, and 2.this is where lubrication drains from the easiest; that, together minute particles of grit & sand getting trapped there and grinding the metal away.

The best free-running centre pins are those with well-balanced line drums and the least spindle/bush contact area. The usual way of doing this is to have the outer end-where the end-float adjuster screw touches-of a much reduced diameter and to have the centre portion of the spindle relieved to retain oil and to lessen the friction.
Usually because of lack of regular cleaning & oiling, wear occurs here first and the bush becomes bell-mouthed or oval-hence 'the wobble'. In older reels, the metal (normally leaded bronze) used for bushing was quite soft and it has been my experience that the only answer is replacement. This is done by taking measurements of everything first, clocking the drum up on the lathe and carefully boring it out with very light cuts. It has to be bored and not reamed, for only by boring will the hole be true. I never, ever try to remove a worn bush by pushing it out..it's just asking for disaster! Likewise, trying to drill it out. Rather than risk damage by pressing in a new one, I make them a size-for-size push-fit and then permanently fixing in with a dab of 'Loctite'.
Sometimes-but not often-it is possible to re-turn the spindle true again and make the new bush to suit, but usually both have to be replaced.-if you wish to make a job of it.
Modern bronze alloys are far, far superior to anything our forefathers ever had and with normal use, it is unlikely that a new bush properly made of such, together with a spindle of 17/4 ph (precipitation hardening) stainless steel, would ever wear out in the reel owners lifetime..
There has been some very interesting posts on this and much food for thought..but that is how I normally do it.

Fitting a micro-ball in to the end of a spindle can only be done on a lathe because it has to be dead concentric. I have done this to other reels and it does work fine; but to be honest, if the spindle end is of good surface finish and polished, and the adjuster screw has a virtual point with just a tiny radius on it, then the difference in performance is negligible.

..Best regards to all,

wm+

[Nobby]

Thanks for that WM, always nice to hear from a real engineer.