Bringing back a 99 year old Hardy to life
- Barbellina
- Roach
- Posts: 261
- Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2018 7:42 am
- 5
- Location: Derbyshire Dales
Bringing back a 99 year old Hardy to life
I recently acquired a 1920 Hardy Perfect FWK Wallis Nottingham rod in pretty poor shape. After discussion and encouragement from "James" and "Paul F" I decided to have a go at restoring the old girl back into some useable shape.
The cane looked reasonable although a break 6" from the tip ensured that she became an 11 footer when completed. The ferrules were well fixed and just needed blackening, the cork came up pretty well with a good scrub and the end wooden button needed filling and shaping before painting. The original jappanned rings were unfortunately beyond help, so I coaxed/pleaded with a mech engineering guy at work to make me a new set out of stainless steel welding rods which were then powder coated and oven baked to ensure a nice finish. Paul F kindly sent me the some whipping silks in the correct colour and some excellent Mylands No 8 lacquer.
Filled with trepidation I set to and started the whipping. Paul F luckily was always on hand to offer encouragement and advice as I went through trials and tribulations, repeatedly whipping and removing said whippings, as I tried to produce an acceptable end result. I knew I had to get a move on as this heatwave was causing my Mylands to turn to treacle before my eyes even though I was storing the pot in a container of water in a cool dark place.
Well here are the before and after piccies. To be honest I am relieved not to have completely wrecked the rod because at one point I envisaged having to send it to a "proper" restorer. However I do feel an enormous sense of achievement and looking back I did enjoy the whole process.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/SBRdyQ9.jpg
I may keep my eye our for an old Corbett to restore for use on the Trent for Barbel!
The cane looked reasonable although a break 6" from the tip ensured that she became an 11 footer when completed. The ferrules were well fixed and just needed blackening, the cork came up pretty well with a good scrub and the end wooden button needed filling and shaping before painting. The original jappanned rings were unfortunately beyond help, so I coaxed/pleaded with a mech engineering guy at work to make me a new set out of stainless steel welding rods which were then powder coated and oven baked to ensure a nice finish. Paul F kindly sent me the some whipping silks in the correct colour and some excellent Mylands No 8 lacquer.
Filled with trepidation I set to and started the whipping. Paul F luckily was always on hand to offer encouragement and advice as I went through trials and tribulations, repeatedly whipping and removing said whippings, as I tried to produce an acceptable end result. I knew I had to get a move on as this heatwave was causing my Mylands to turn to treacle before my eyes even though I was storing the pot in a container of water in a cool dark place.
Well here are the before and after piccies. To be honest I am relieved not to have completely wrecked the rod because at one point I envisaged having to send it to a "proper" restorer. However I do feel an enormous sense of achievement and looking back I did enjoy the whole process.
[img]https://i.imgur.com/SBRdyQ9.jpg
I may keep my eye our for an old Corbett to restore for use on the Trent for Barbel!
"Angling is a refuge from competitiveness, from rat-racing, from status-seeking. So let it remain."
Bernard Venables
Bernard Venables
- Barbelseeker
- Brown Trout
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- Joined: Fri Mar 16, 2018 6:28 pm
- 6
- Location: Glorious Nottinghamshire
Re: Bringing back a 99 year old Hardy to life
Well done Sal, any Engineer would be proud. Betters my febble attempts.
- Liphook
- Barbel
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- Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2018 6:21 pm
- 5
Re: Bringing back a 99 year old Hardy to life
Very nice indeed I particularly like the fact that you had rings made to suit - that's dedication to the job
- Fredline
- Tench
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- 8
- Location: East End of the City
Re: Bringing back a 99 year old Hardy to life
That is a great job, well done. Next!
If you have no grease with you, and your rings are full of ice, do not cut out the ice with a pen-knife but get your man to put the rings one by one in his mouth, and so to thaw the ice.
John Bickerdyke.
John Bickerdyke.
- LuckyLuca
- Barbel
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- 11
- Location: Oxfordshire
Re: Bringing back a 99 year old Hardy to life
Very nice indeed. Your engineer friend deserves a pat on the back to. The transformation once the old varnish is of the cane is remarkable.
I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete.
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete.
- Harry H
- Rainbow Trout
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- Joined: Sat Sep 01, 2012 10:04 pm
- 11
- Location: Rayne, Essex
Re: Bringing back a 99 year old Hardy to life
Nice job well done, there will be more sense of achievement to come when you land your first fish with it.
There are three things that improve with age: wine, friendship and water sense, and there's no short cut.
Anthony Shepherdson
Anthony Shepherdson
- Barbellina
- Roach
- Posts: 261
- Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2018 7:42 am
- 5
- Location: Derbyshire Dales
Re: Bringing back a 99 year old Hardy to life
Thought I'd add a picture with my favourite reel too.
Thanks for all your kind comments
Thanks for all your kind comments
"Angling is a refuge from competitiveness, from rat-racing, from status-seeking. So let it remain."
Bernard Venables
Bernard Venables
- Northern_Nomad
- Arctic Char
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- Joined: Wed Nov 27, 2013 8:10 pm
- 10
- Location: Wales
Re: Bringing back a 99 year old Hardy to life
A job well done there
"We knelt side by side looking at it. I knew it was big, and suddenly it dawned on me it was more than that. It was tremendous!" - Richard Walker
- Cat
- Chub
- Posts: 1112
- Joined: Wed Oct 03, 2018 8:27 pm
- 5
Re: Bringing back a 99 year old Hardy to life
Lovely...well done!
- Gone Fishing
- Dace
- Posts: 159
- Joined: Tue Nov 14, 2017 8:12 pm
- 6
Re: Bringing back a 99 year old Hardy to life
Like a metamorphosis. You have done a very good job. The result is great.
Markus.
Markus.
Scholars have long known that fishing eventually turns men into philosophers