1951 Rousek Stabil fixed spool spin reel stripdown and restore

[Woodbilly]

Hey, all!
Another rare beauty on the stripdown bench!

This go around it's a Czechoslovakian Rousek Stabil fixed spool spin reel.

This one appears to be a very early version with a stamp of 1951 on the reel foot.

Fixed crank arm, star capstan, Bakelite spool, and mechanical gear bail arm.

No check on the brass carrier, but it looks very Altex-ish, so I'm going to see if a Hardy brass check will retrofit, along with brass toothed spool bushing, as well.

Unique drag set up with floating aluminum ring and celluloid ring on underside of spool that make contact with tab on inside of flier.

 This tab also acts as the tension spring for the mechanical gear bail arm.

 Rotating capstan either pushes down spool, pressing the floating ring, to make firmer contact with flier tab, or loosening of capstan to put less downward pressure on spool and floating ring.

 Thus, less contact with the flier friction tab.

This old girl was stuck and non working, so I was able to get her cheap.

 $70 USD

Black textured finish with brass and chrome brightwork.

Full stripdown and cleaning before reassembly.

She was stuck good, so I have no idea of quality of function.

Stay tuned!!

[jtwill98]

That's a different design than I am accustom to seeing with the backing plates for screws, the recess screw pockets and the spool's outer trim mounted with screws.

It seems like this was constructed in someones backroom by a machinist or someone tinkering rather than engineered, designed and then manufactured. 

It's cool looking and looks simple enough that I have confident that you'll be able to make this reel a fine piece to add to your growing collection. 

[Midway Tommy]

After 1951 the Communist regime banned the use of Rousek so reels made after that only had the Stabil name, although a few of the earliest ones also had the fish logo stamp. The Czech companies were Nationalized and ended up being State owned and renamed Tokoz. Tokoz acquired the Sol, Tlustos and Rousek patents after WWII. Reels produced in that time frame have a lot of different names and keeping all the different names and manufacturing dates straight gets pretty confusing.

Is the "10" on the reel foot a manufacture/serial number?

[Woodbilly]

Is the "10" on the reel foot a manufacture/serial number?

IDK.
I thought a run number or month number.  ??

I've seen another mechanical gear bail and it was a, "6-50"

Weren't these hand made by Jaroslav Rousek?
If so, I would guess a run number, as he couldn't have churned out too many per year.

[Woodbilly]

Hey, all!
I finally got around and finished up the reassembly on the rare 1951 Czechoslovakian Rousek Stabil.

She had been on the bench ready for reassembly, for a bit, but I've been busy, so just now, getting to it.

Plus, I've got a couple upcoming stripdowns, I need the bench open for, so here it is.

Everything cleaned up nicely and I touched up some minor paint loss on body and cleaned up the paint line on the foot stem.

This reel was stuck good when I got her.
Couldn't even rotate the handle.

It had been stripped previously and incorrectly reassembled. Uggh.

The bail arm was bent and not nesting back into flat pressure spring after closing, thus, not allowing the mechanical gear of the bail arm to unmesh from the ring gear on dust cover. Luckily,  no broken teeth.

It took a several very nerve racking bends of the bail arm to get everything squared up, opening, snapping back closed, and rotating correctly.

The brass drive gear slider block was not adjusted correctly and causing a bind on the handle rotating, as well.
All corrected and smooth, now.

No anti-reverse or drag click on this old girl.
The Altex check carrier would not mount on the non rotating shaft of the Rousek, so she is 100% factory function.

The mechanical gear bail arm is smooth and quiet.

Spool pressure ring drag and capstan washers all set and working properly.

I included a close up of the Rousek signature makers mark. Awesome.

She's gonna get spooled with 6lb test and taken out on a date, real soon!
You know me! All queens are users!

Peace!!

[MACflyer]

That's awesome! Nice job getting her all cleaned up and back in service. Is the spool Bakelite?

[Woodbilly]

That's awesome! Nice job getting her all cleaned up and back in service. Is the spool Bakelite?

Thanks!

Yes, it is.

[Gfish]

Cool! Prolly a bunch of reels from the Slavic Eastern-block countries I've never heard'a. Looks real sturdy.

[Woodbilly]

Cool! Prolly a bunch of reels from the Slavic Eastern-block countries I've never heard'a. Looks real sturdy.

Definitely built good.

Stamped with 51 10.

All Hand-built, so thinking, no.10 of 1951.