yet another reason not to imbibe

[sdlehr]

Steve, you may be one of the most resourceful people I know. Excellent work!

Sid

[David Hall]

Clever shade tree engineering at its finest!

[mo65]

   Bravo Steve!

[wfjord]

That's fascinating, Steve.  Now you've got me playing around with my old Wondereel.   I opened it up and took some photos of its internals, then greased & lubed the few essential parts.  Will post the pics as soon as I can edit through them and figure out how to store them in this forum's photo base. 

Took it out in the backyard and did some casting with it, which was somewhat of a revelatory experience --and I had fun doing it.   I threw a plug close to 100 feet fairly consistently with relative smoothness, which impressed me, considering the spool momentum during a cast is also moving the level wind and turning the crank handle backwards.  It does require considerable thumb control to avoid backlashing.  I'd need a pair of pliers to tighten down the small spool tension knob further.  It cranks line in relatively smoothly, too.  I could catch fish with this.  How do you deal with a bonefish run on one of these reels?  Mine has a fairly large diameter cork in the arbor.  The old black line (nylon braid or silk?) on it is in remarkably good shape.

[oc1]

To determine if it is silk or nylon, just burn the end.  Nylon will bubble up and dry in a hard lump.  Silk will leave an ash that can be flicked away.

I need to throw a light jig so I forfeit the levelwind.  But, to level the line manually and in comfort I have to be able to palm it.  To palm it, it has to be small.  Most 100 yard reels are too big. 

The spinning main gear and handle may be negotiable.  Sometimes I cast the old free spool reels with the clutch engaged; either intentionally or by mistake.  It is handy when you need to cast over your shoulder or directly into a stiff wind.  The spooky part is that I have accidentally forgotten to put the clutch in free spool on what was to be a long downwind cast and the distance is about the same with the handle spinning backward.  The trouble is, you can't depend on it and if the lubrication is not just right it will either bog down or make a horrible squalling noise.  Making consistent casts with a free spool is much easier than making consistent casts with a spinning handle.

-steve

[wfjord]

Here are some pics of the '39 Shakespeare 1920 model Wondereel.  There's not a clutch on it that I can see, but so far this is my only experience disemboweling a reel this old.  Removing the level wind would be easy enough, but I'm not sure how you would disengage the reverse turning handle when casting.

[handi2]

Steve that stuff is amazing. I have a bunch of them old reels and you using them is just cool.

[oc1]

Thank you Keith.

The Wondereel is sort of interesting and puzzling.  The tail plate bushings is not fixed and can be removed.  Is that a removable bushing on the shaft next to the pinion gear too?  Shakespeare was advertising bushings that can be replaced about that time.  From the photos, it looks like the bushings are not brass or bronze.  Are they steel?  A soft metal? Could they be graphite?  Modern industrial bushing can be powdered bonze and graphite bonded inside a steel casing.  But, I don't know what they had to choose from in 1939.

It could be modified with a clutch the same as the reels above.  Since there is a removable bridge, most the work is already done.  I wouldn't start cutting on a reel with sentimental value though.  It doesn't take long to find a used one for cheap at the auction.  Looks like you're using yours as it was intended.  They can be a lot of fun.

-steve

[mhc]

A bit late to the party, but your work on the Tru-form '40' is inspirational Steve. I had a good laugh as you worked your way through the reel, laying to waste any part that looked remotely surplus to your needs and then turning what was left into a fully functional reel - great stuff! Thanks for the commentary and detailed photos.
Mike

[oc1]

There are no 'before' photos for this because I didn't really think it would work.  But, the 'before' was a 100 yard spool from a late depression era Shakespeare Criterion baitcaster.  They are pretty common and inexpensive.  Also, the same spool was used in many models for many years.

The clicker ratchet was heated and twisted and pulled until it was worked off.  They are just press fit in place.  Then a peened lip under the ratchet was ground off.  More heat, more twisting, more pulling and the two-piece flange was worked off.  The shoulder piece where the flange meets the arbor is shaped like a mushroom.  The shoulder you see is the mushroom cap and the mushroom stem is a sleeve that slides onto the arbor.  The flange itself goes on over the mushroom stem and then the end of the stem is peened down to secure it all.



On the arbor you can see a ridge that the shoulder stops against when it is slid into place.  A section of arbor was shaved down so the shoulder and flange could slide further into the arbor.  



After the shoulder and flange were slid farther onto the arbor they were brazed into place.  



The pinion side spindle was put in the chuck of my new precision lathe.



The piece of arbor sticking out on the clicker side was turned against a mill bastard file and emery paper until it was the same diameter as the original spindle




I'll cut the spindle to lenght and shape the end after the frame is built.  The flange shifted while being brazed and is a little crooked; about five thousandths.  But the spool is balanced and the spindles are straight.  The flange will be drilled eventually and I think it is going to work fine.  The spool capacity is about half what it was.  For me, this changes everything.
-steve

[mhc]

Great work Steve, you're on a roll with innovative modifications! Great lathe as well, I've filed a few round things in a drill press without using a 'tailstock' and it hasn't turned out as neat as that. Did you use a rest of some sort to keep the file level?
Mike

[Alto Mare]

Vintage reels and vintage tools, it doesn't get any better. Good job Steve!

Sal

[sdlehr]

Resourceful innovation should be your middle name, Steve. Very impressive!

[oldmanjoe]

    "reason not to imbibe"    Ha    It`s the mother of invention.   Love the multi tool adapter you made.....     keep up the good work...
       A hat rack you do not have.....        joe

[swill88]

Is that an old Porter Cable or Rockwell 'lathe'?