The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Hi all, need some help, a handle on my speedia has snapped off( threaded type), I have managed to extract the broken screw from it and save the handle, however I am now unable to screw it back on, does anyone know how to replace the spindle or aware of specialist who could help ?
Regards, lawrence

Garry Mills at the mill tackle company

is it this type of speedia handle ,and the threaded bit has snapped above the spool face ,the handle and linelay are a one piece item ,later models had a separate handle arrangement with riveted fixed handles.



easyiest solution would be to remove the other handle and cut off the threaded post level with the face of the spool ,drill it with a 1mm drill and flare the end out to form a rivet head ,then drill new mountings and fit replacement handles
either get garry mills to do this ,or if your confident to carry out the work do it yourself ,you can get some nice handles from kingpin reels or if you can find one get a cheap old duracast centrepin off e-bay as they have nice black removable handles like these

Thanks everyone for your help, it is like the above pictures. The handle had been wobbly for some years but came away last weekend when having a scrap with a little carp.
I have contacted Garry Mills as recommended and he has given me the same advice as above, the cost being £35.
One query however I forgot to ask was, are the new handles positioned in exactly the same place or slightly to one side of the original threaded bar?
Regards,
Lawrence

if you look at the two pictures above ,yours is a origanal 1950's model (top picture) the second picture is a mk4 version of that model and came with fixed seporate handles & thicker linelays ,like the later "improved model" speedia's and the handles are set a couple of millimetres back ,giving a little more depth to the spool and the handles are slightly smaller ,see below



as i've recently brought a old model mk1 speedia ,(top picture other post) it seems (and i've herd rumours to the effect) that these origanal models suffered line lays buckling & the ones that retain the handles breaking off as the threadded bit is wider than the lower line lay bit creating a weak point where it comes through the face of the spool ,and having seen how thin they are ,i'm not suprised .on the one i have they're all bent ,some have been replaced with nails ,and one of the handles is missing ,so i'll be making some new thicker linelays (same as on later models) and doing away with the handles altogether or fitting seporate ones ,i'll be having mine adonised i think wile i have it apart .

i currently have four speedias (only the silvered one is fishable) i like them ,the later ones are the more reliable ones but the earlier ones look better .

i've had a think :think: ,and as i intend to sell on the silvered (stripped) speedia once i've rebuilt the mk1 model to my liking i'd be happy at this point to live without a fishable speedia (i've plenty of other centrepins to play with) so i will make you a offer ,i'd be willing to do a strait swap for my stripped speedia ,the very same reel in the other postting with its shiny foot and black handles for your busted up one ,this is no selfish act as i'll be stripping mine to bits ,i might as well do two and refurbish both at the same time and have a pair .

if intrested just pm me ,i'm hapy to send you mine to inspect for yourself & if you like it send me yours ,if you don't send me mine back .

Hi there, my model is the early 50s one, my dad let me use it in 1969 when I was just eleven due to the fact that I had spent two days in the summer holidays making a rod from a broom handle which I drilled out and stuck a garden cane in. I had whipped some rings on in a fashion and used two jubilee clips to hold the reel. It recieved a good coat of gloopy old varnish.I used it to fish on the River tees, a couple of hundred yards from my back garden.
It is such a shame to see it like this and to be honest the last few days have not been good due to the breakage.
I will contact you shortly,
Regards

On a related note I have a MK1 speedia which spins pretty well but has an ever so slight wobble. The spool is also very slightly loose when fitted in. Is this sort of thing easy to repair?

I'm guessing that you mean the spool can be wobbled sideways on the spindle?

If so it is not easy to repair at all and is a job for a specialist like Steve Boncey or Gary Mills. What has happened is that the brass plain bearing , a tube effectively, in the spool has worn allowing an excess of movement. Replaceing these is impossible apparently as they cannot be pressed out. I'm told it's more usual to repalace the spindle with an over-size one to take up the play.

I'm presuming that you have the spool end play adjusting screw in the middle of the spool set correctly? It should allow a tiny 'up and down' movement...so often these have been over-tightened by owners causing the screw and the tip of the spindle to wear away at one another as well as wearing the spool retaining arm and its groove.

Thanks, I'll have a look tonight. It was an ebay purchase.

sounds like all the speedia's i buy of e-bay ,but then i like seeing if i can fix them ,these days though you need a mortgage get even a scrapper for spares