Earliest Ambidex nuts

[Keston]

This might well be the case John; My very early "Duco" reel has an offset, cranked winder, retained by a brass domed hexagon nut (not open), but I bought this second-hand from the original owner so cannot verify that it was the original part-though cannot see any reason why it should not be..?

A couple of pictures..





wm+

Hi WM+
This Hex nut does indeed look more like what we should expect . It would be unusual I think to expect to see a Hex nut one side and a slotted nut the other as original to this reel ?

I have early Duco's too , Tomorrow I will try and post some images of the nuts on my early reels .
John

[Wallys-Cast]

The first reels had chromed hex nuts then a slotted nut was used until finally a slotted screw was standard, this was also when the shaft became internally threaded as opposed to the very early externally threaded version.
Here's an early Duco (reel number 89) with the chromed nuts. (The chroming seems to come off very easily on the handle side nut.)



An early Ambidex with the slotted screws.


Wal.

[Keston]

The first reels had chromed hex nuts then a slotted nut was used until finally a slotted screw was standard, this was also when the shaft became internally threaded as opposed to the very early externally threaded version.
Here's an early Duco (reel number 89) with the chromed nuts. (The chroming seems to come off very easily on the handle side nut.)


An early Ambidex with the slotted screws.


Wal.

Thank Wal .
What you have described was my impression of the order , but I wasnt sure .
This group of three are my earliest Ambidex/Duco ,all three have engraved numbers inside , as you can see the Duco at the front appears to the have
the correct hex nuts the Ambidex left slightly later slotted nuts and the Duco right has no correct nuts .
I had intended on putting the Duco's hex nuts on the Ambidex because to me it appears the better reel , however the larger hex nut does not fit as well , at least unless there were originally spacers ?

I'm guessing its going to be mission impossible finding correct hex nuts for all , unless I get very lucky at a tackle fair .

John

[Wallys-Cast]

When you think about it, these nuts unless really tight would be very easy to lose whilst fishing and is probably the reason so few matching sets remain with the reel.

I have another strange nut on my No9 reel but many of the parts on this reel are probably parts bin items from Youngs workshops and never made it to production reels.

[Keston]

When you think about it, these nuts unless really tight would be very easy to lose whilst fishing and is probably the reason so few matching sets remain with the reel.

I have another strange nut on my No9 reel but many of the parts on this reel are probably parts bin items from Youngs workshops and never made it to production reels.

You're probably quite right Wal .
I would imagine especially so for the smaller nut that goes on the handle as its only a couple of turns and quite small to find if it drops into grass somewhere or bankside vegetation .

John

[Wallys-Cast]

When you think about it, these nuts unless really tight would be very easy to lose whilst fishing and is probably the reason so few matching sets remain with the reel.

I have another strange nut on my No9 reel but many of the parts on this reel are probably parts bin items from Youngs workshops and never made it to production reels.

You're probably quite right Wal .
I would imagine especially so for the smaller nut that goes on the handle as its only a couple of turns and quite small to find if it drops into grass somewhere or bankside vegetation .

John

Yes John, I think the later screw types would be more noticeable if it was coming loose and then simply nipped up with a screwdriver or small coin.

By the way John, not sure if you know this but these later screws are the same as the ones used to hold the spools on Youngs Condex fly reels and used to hold 1950/60 versions of the Trudex, Rapidex and Aerial spindles in place.

Wal.

[Keston]

When you think about it, these nuts unless really tight would be very easy to lose whilst fishing and is probably the reason so few matching sets remain with the reel.

I have another strange nut on my No9 reel but many of the parts on this reel are probably parts bin items from Youngs workshops and never made it to production reels.

You're probably quite right Wal .
I would imagine especially so for the smaller nut that goes on the handle as its only a couple of turns and quite small to find if it drops into grass somewhere or bankside vegetation .

John

Yes John, I think the later screw types would be more noticeable if it was coming loose and then simply nipped up with a screwdriver or small coin.

By the way John, not sure if you know this but these later screws are the same as the ones used to hold the spools on Youngs Condex fly reels and used to hold 1950/60 versions of the Trudex, Rapidex and Aerial spindles in place.

Wal.

Hi Wal
Perhaps they realised this early on and swapped the hex nuts for the slotted type , makes a lot of sense to have something that could be nipped tight with a coin .

I didnt know that about the later screws Wal , I tend to like early post war reels including the J.W. Youngs Centrepins , have a few ambidex /Duco but dont think I have any of the later screw ones .
John

Edit to add , I just tested the slotted nuts with a range of period coins , penny , h'penny etc dont fit , a silver sixpence fits , but I would have thought it too weak to be used to tighten nuts .

[Wallys-Cast]

Probably a perfect for a half sovereign haha.
Looking at most of the old screw slots, i think a penknife blade was the favourite multitool of the day.
Owners just didn't care about things as we do today. They were just reels to hold and retrieve line.

Wal.

[Watermole+]

[quote

I'm guessing its going to be mission impossible finding correct hex nuts for all , unless I get very lucky at a tackle fair .

John

quote]


Nuts such as these are not difficult to duplicate, either in stainless steel (which can polish up like chrome), nickel silver or brass, providing you have one as a pattern to copy.

Pardon me for saying this but if these nuts secure the crank handle to the shaft, it’s not something that either comes loose or needs to be removed at the waterside…but is the sort of thing that gets swapped around at the work bench!

[Keston]

[quote

I'm guessing its going to be mission impossible finding correct hex nuts for all , unless I get very lucky at a tackle fair .

John

quote]


Nuts such as these are not difficult to duplicate, either in stainless steel (which can polish up like chrome), nickel silver or brass, providing you have one as a pattern to copy.

Pardon me for saying this but if these nuts secure the crank handle to the shaft, it’s not something that either comes loose or needs to be removed at the waterside…but is the sort of thing that gets swapped around at the work bench!

Hi WM+
Fair comment re the nuts not working loose. it was conjecture on my part , I had no experience at all of Ambidex reels back in the day and wouldn't know how well they functioned back then and little nowadays either .
I appreciate your gentle challenges over all things mechanical .
Best wishes
John