1946 French Helion full stripdown and restore/ Completed!

[Woodbilly]

More pictures

[Woodbilly]

Final pictures

[MACflyer]

Looking good...that sure is a lot of pieces parts. Looking forward to seeing this jewel when you get it all back together.

[Woodbilly]

Thanks

Looking good...that sure is a lot of pieces parts. Looking forward to seeing this jewel when you get it all back together.

Thanks!

She is all back together, Rick! The final assembly pictures start on the previous page.
Enjoy!!

Tight lines!

[MACflyer]

Can see it now: beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing. Really enjoyed seeing the entire process you worked bringing this jewel back to life. Hope you fish it soon and catch some great fish and memories.

[Woodbilly]

Can see it now: beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing. Really enjoyed seeing the entire process you worked bringing this jewel back to life. Hope you fish it soon and catch some great fish and memories.

Yes.sir!

It's the size of an Altex no.3, so just at the maximum size of a reel I would use.
 I am mainly UL or medium size reel user, but occasionally use one step up from those, if it's one of my recently restored reels.
 I gotta use it a few times, right!?

[Midway Tommy]

Well done, Billy! 👍 Quite a tedious ordeal you took on and conquered.   

[Gfish]

Wow! Metal, and more metal. I love it. Great pictures/detail. All those ball bearings and roller(needle?) bearings. I want one! It really looks like a well constructed machine!

[Woodbilly]

Well done, Billy! 👍 Quite a tedious ordeal you took on and conquered.   

Thanks, man! Quite the task, but really not too difficult with the grease to help hold all in its place!

Working on the getting the rub spot out of the flier, now.
 Using peen hammer and both metal and wood dolly w/ leather for pad.
 This is slow and precise, but getting there.
 All top rotation rub gone, but still slight scrape at bottom of stroke of spool.

[Woodbilly]

Wow! Metal, and more metal. I love it. Great pictures/detail. All those ball bearings and roller(needle?) bearings. I want one! It really looks like a well constructed machine!

I haven't seen too many out there in the selling world, but figure they'd fetch a pretty penny. IDK?

Yes. Those needle bearings were a task.
You definitely had to make sure they were all in line and properly seated in race, before sliding body shell or handle bushing down onto them.

 If any protruded even a bit, from race, the sleeve on the body or bushng will hit the bearing and pull it out or  several.
 Ask me how I know. Set a couple hundred bearings by the time it was done. Lol

[Donnyboat]

Thanks for posting, very interesting reel, great photos, thanks for the tip on the grease, Now that it is back together, I would be tempted to drop a little synthetic oil, that would help to allow it to rotate a little easier, I apply it through a serynge, with a needle, so it does`nt make a big mess, cheers Don.

[Woodbilly]

Thanks for posting, very interesting reel, great photos, thanks for the tip on the grease, Now that it is back together, I would be tempted to drop a little synthetic oil, that would help to allow it to rotate a little easier, I apply it through a serynge, with a needle, so it does`nt make a big mess, cheers Don.

Don,

Yes. I always fully oil all my reels with light sewing machine oil.
 It, in combination with the valve grease does a superb job.

[Donnyboat]

yes helps them to yurn easier in cold conditions, ay, cheers Don.

[Woodbilly]

Yes.
The plumbers valve grease, I use, will not harden or dry out and is waterproof.
Actually,  any valve grease will have these qualities,  so that is all I have ever used, in combination with the light machine oil.
Never an issue and we fish year round. Dead of winter my favorite time!

[Swami805]

Beautiful reel, I think my hair would catch on fire if I tried installing those roller bearings.  That's next level patience