Australian SURFMASTER 2/0

[The Great Maudu]

Be careful. Steve will want it for his modification surgery, ;-)

[handi2]

I call it a "knock down clutch". The handle knocks it down into gear when its turned. I have a few reels like that. Mostly Ocean City.

[basto]

I call it a "knock down clutch". The handle knocks it down into gear when its turned. I have a few reels like that. Mostly Ocean City.

Yes, or you can just turn it down with your fingers. A bit like flipping a bail wire on a spin reel manually. I have always thought it to be gentler on the reel.
Basto

[oc1]

Be nice Mike.  I'm changing my ways.  

Basto, one more question about the yoke on that first reel.  Are those the ends of four posts we see around the screw that connects the yoke to the clutch lever?  When the yoke moves in and out do four posts move with it for stability?

I like the idea of not having a jack.  Really nice reel.
-steve

[basto]

Yes Steve. The yoke is sprung on the two posts closest to the pinion and moves up and down on these posts and the two unsprung posts. To me, this seems like a very reliable and robust mechanism. The difference between my Ocean City 112 is that the yoke and jack are two separate parts in the OC.


Basto

[Penn Chronology]

I call it a "knock down clutch". The handle knocks it down into gear when its turned. I have a few reels like that. Mostly Ocean City.

Pioneered by Ocean City in the early 1930's. It was called an Automatic Free Spool Lever. The lever pulled a plate up and down engaging or disengaging the clutch.

[Penn Chronology]

The drive train of this Aussie reel is a close copy of the Early 1920's Ocean City Ike Walton model. All of these designs are basically knock off of vom Hofe reels. Interesting to see these designs on an Australian reel.

Here are the internals of the Ike Walton model from the early 1930's. The key slot cut into the anti-reverse sprocket sleeve aka drag pressure plate with its matching little piece key stock is there to lock the sprocket sleeve to the handle shaft sleeve. It is not a shear key. Material of the key matches the material of the shafts. The keyway is there to keep the handle shaft and anti-reverse drag pressure plate solidly engaged to each other. The main gear is driven by the compression pressure placed by the fisherman tightening the star wheel onto the pressure plate sleeve.
           The vom Hofe connection was even more obvious on the early Ike Walton reels (seen in the last photo on the left). That small drag wheel was replaced by a more commonly seen star very soon, making the reel on the left a rare find.

[basto]

Hi Michael
Interesting to see the square top on the gear sleeve. I always thought it was a more functionaly effective design than the classic Penn curved end.
I see Penn employed it on their Baja Special and first gen Torques.
I can`t wait to get home in a few more weeks and pull my Ocean City 112 apart to see inside. It arrived just before we left for our trip and I did not get a chance to look at it much.
Basto

[Penn Chronology]

Interesting to see the square top on the gear sleeve. I always thought it was a more functionaly effective design than the classic Penn curved end.

The square drive is (in my opinion) more time consuming to manufacture. It needs to be broached to create. The Penn handle drive hole can be done with a round bit. I suspect that is what caused Penn to get away from the square drive. I believe most reels were square broached holes before the Penn reels. Off hand, I know that Ocean City and Pflueger used the square hole in the handle. It may be stronger than the Penn design. Don't know if a comparison was ever done about the differences of the strength of the square verses oblong hole. I would think the tendency to crack would be greater with the square hole, although, I have never seen a handle crack at the corners. I always feel a square corner is weaker than a rounded corner depending on how the weakness or strength is being judged, but the rounded corner may have more of a tendency to slip.

The Ocean City designs, especially on a model like the 112 that almost completely spans the existence of Ocean City, is going to go through changes. Be interested to see the internals of your 112. Ocean City was a complicated brand. Penn had a simplicity that Ocean City did not have. A 1934 Penn Long Beach is pretty much the same reel as a 1994 Penn Long Beach, not so with Ocean City models.

[basto]

Hi Michael
The only difference I can see between my 112 and yours is the position of the dog spring. I quite like it as it makes for an easy takedown and assemble.



cheers
Basto

[Penn Chronology]

The only difference I can see between my 112 and yours is the position of the dog spring. I quite like it as it makes for an easy takedown and assemble.

The clutch is also different. One of the quirks of OC is the continuous little changes using the same Model #. I call it the "Confusion Aspect" and I believe it was one of the factors that caused OC to sell out at a time when it should have been thriving. Just too many designs. Only my opinion, I am a believer in the "KISS" factor.

[TheBoatlocker]

These are great, I just picked up 4 and have one in excellent condition. The others need a little work and I ma slowly getting them in shape.
Can you get parts and does anyone want to buy the working one or the others for parts?