Senator 117, 117-LH, 117L, 117-LH (14/0)

thorhammer · May 05, 2016, 07:31:58 PM

Here it is

Tightlines667 · May 05, 2016, 07:37:05 PM

Looks to me like that is a later version second gen. Version reel with the 14/0 gear set/bridge assembly. Gear is likely steel, 3-piece spool (with a mushroom pin on the arbor?). Some numbered parts might put it in the 1948-54 range. Handle appears correct for late 40s model. It is definately in te ca. 1947-54ish period.

thorhammer · May 05, 2016, 10:17:10 PM

Nailed it on spool and gears.

thorhammer · May 05, 2016, 10:25:15 PM

The build: new Tib Tbar, drag stack courtesy of Daron, which I hope brings him good karma on his own 117 next week, new 130lb, and a Thorhammer late night brace set because I'm impatient to order another. Bent flat stock to proper curve around a shovel handle, radius drawn off nearest wd40 can, cut to proper size with sawzall then file and 1000 wet/dry. I have a guy that will powder coat my aluminum bits for free, may get them blacked out and get a new black clamp to match. Turned out pretty well for what John dates as a 70 year old reel...

Shark Hunter · May 05, 2016, 11:17:14 PM

Beautiful John!

thorhammer · May 05, 2016, 11:29:46 PM

Thanks brotha, and thanks again for the help!!! This one's been hanging on the wall getting dusty for a long while, and looking at your heavy metal I figured she deserved a facelift and a new dress.

Tightlines667 · May 06, 2016, 12:04:20 AM

Those are some serious rod braces there!

Be carefull spooling straight mono of those 3-piece spools thoigh. They were designed for linen line and will spread/warp under pressure with mono lines. I have heard they can be fished with Dacron though I would upgrade to a single piece spool from a bushing model if I was going to fish it myself.

John

Alto Mare · May 06, 2016, 12:10:59 AM

John, those rod braces look better than stock, great idea.
About that counterbalanced handle, I checked all my catalogs, mine start at catalog#8 and up.
All show no counterbalanced handle on the 14/0 and 16/0 $:-\$

Sal

thorhammer · May 06, 2016, 12:25:34 AM

Thanks folks!

John I did think about the mono situation; I despooled 1400 yds of 80 Dacron off of it yesterday. If I happened on a one piece spool I'd replace it. Keep your eyes out. Aluminum would look nice with the powder coated bits...

Shark Hunter · May 06, 2016, 01:49:39 AM

That's going a tough find John. I bet you could find someone here to trade you for that three piece though.
Scott's list price for an aluminum one is $250.

thorhammer · May 06, 2016, 04:24:49 AM

I saw that price...I paid roughly $100 when I bought the reel so I'll take my chances; I'm going to bust a gut before I bust that spool in all likelihood.

Sal, I'm 240 but will be face down, drug in the sand before those braces even breath hard....

Tightlines667 · May 06, 2016, 04:27:32 AM

Quote from: Alto Mare on May 06, 2016, 12:10:59 AM
...

About that counterbalanced handle, I checked all my catalogs, mine start at catalog#8 and up.
All show no counterbalanced handle on the 14/0 and 16/0 $:-\$

Sal

Good point Sal.

Here are some pictures from Catalog 06&07 (1938&1939) same thing, maybe it's one of the oversize handles that were offered separately (starting in 1939ish?)though I notice the 14/0 advertised length is less then the 12/0.. Likely indicating the 14/0 and 16/0 size handles were not offered in counterbalanced versions...

Its all very confusing since the early 14/0 & 16/0 reels had 12/0 guts, yet the catalog suggests they came with non counterbalanced handles. The 12/0 was listed as having a 6 1/4" overall length..
is that the same as your handle?

BTW, the early nonnumbered 14/0 I owned from the same period, had a German silver non-counterbalanced handle, which I promptly transferred to my first gen 14/0.

Clear as mud. More then likely it's a 12/0 handle that has been made to fit the 14/0.

Shark Hunter · May 06, 2016, 04:30:12 AM

Thor,
What is up with those turnbuckles? They look aluminum too.
First pics and last look different.
We need to talk.

thorhammer · May 06, 2016, 03:42:20 PM

Good eye, they are indeed aluminum

the first pic is the stock brace kit.

I built up the whole brace package; eyehooks are SS!!!! I'm talking to my powder coat guy today and will do the turnbuckle sleeves as well as the brace itself in black; getting black anodized aluminum rod clamp to match. Unless Ted has one of his new clamps this size, that would kill it. As I said I'm impatient so I hunted aluminum and SS turnbuckle bits (took a couple different ones to get the assembly I wanted as far as these buckles came with eyes instead of hooks and the hook style had larger, open buckles, so I Franken-buckled it lol) from local hardware stores and fabbed up the braces. That was actually a piece of bar stock I had for handle blanks to replace an Area Rule blade that stripped, but it was late and I couldn't find the 1/8" stock I got for the brace. I actually like these better, big boy toy for big boy reel. They scale to the reel nicely. I'm no machinist by any stretch and sometimes I try to do things just to see how simply they can be done with rudimentary tools, skill and local materials. no science to rounding a piece of stock but I learned the polishing right here on AT, and probably would never put in the time with the files and wet grit had I not seen the craftsmanship you guys do.

Ya'll will laugh but Thorhammer rods are built with a spool of thread sitting in a little cast iron skillet I used to melt lead in back when; I hand tension and lay every wrap. I use a lot of Trimar thread and it's very twisty on a wrapper.

handi2 · September 26, 2016, 08:52:36 PM

I just received this 14/0 from a frien who found it in a barber shop in Alabama.

It has a 6'9 Hammel custom built rod. It's a neat find. It was used for trolling with a spool full of what looks like 60lb monofilament line.

I'll get into the reel when I can pick it up to get to get it off!!

Keith