Penn surmaster 100 modification

[Semper Fish]

First off, let me say WOW! I found you, Alan, through a New Jersey website: MysticParts.com. They are great people, small family run operation....I buy Penn parts only through them. They have a link to a few of your rebuild tutorials....When I saw the tutorials, I thought: Holy crap! this guy's a penn wizard!  
Let us know when you're gonna be out this way (Philadelphia/NJ area)....in fact, come on out now....the blackfishing is good and the cod & pollack is heating up (but not the weather!). I'm hoping to shake your hand, buy ya a beer and bend your ear!

So here's my question: I'm getting my hands on a Surfmaster 100. I want to add a left side plate outer ring to it. My squidder (146L of course!) has it and I like the finished look of the outer chrome ring better than the plain, Jigmaster kind of look. I'm usually only interested in fully stock reels, but I'm willing to give this a try.
The 100 uses the same left side INNER ring as the 146 (2-155)so the screw pattern is the same. I'm considering machining a step into the outboard O.D. of the left side plate, screwing on a new left side ring (28-140-0) and Badda-Bing!... a sweet looking surfmaster 100! Do you have any experience with this kind of modification? Do you think there's any reason this wouldn't work? How about the 6 screws....Do they have they correct screw head (it should be a "semi-countersunk", oval head)? Any caveats or tips would be appreciated.
Thanks again for and awesome site and we'll see you "down the shore"!


"Edited as per Moderators to correct Scott's Bait & Tackle over to their new store name Mystic Reel Parts / www.mysticparts.com"

[alantani]

you know, that's a great idea!  you'd have to make a jig and have it turn pretty slowly.  then you'd have to turn it down so that the outside ring would fit.  the next longer size penn countersunk screw should work fine.   it's a 5-40 thread. can you take some pictures?  thanks!  alan

[Semper Fish]

Will do with the photos....I was thinking that I could circle mill the step (in the CNC mill) instead of turning it in a lathe...easier set up. I'll keep ya posted.
Thanks again Alan.

[alantani]

just go slow.  those old plastic bakelite side plates can be pretty brittle!

[Walter_Lars]

are the new sideplates bakelite ?
would he be better off using a new one or a new old stock side plate  from ebay ?
My thinking is a new side plate hasn't been exposed to salt water or sunlight  and probley hasn't had a chance to get brittle yet so it might machine better

[alantani]

sorry, i don't really know.  it's just that the old plastic swells and get's brittle over time.  alan

[Semper Fish]

No dice....turns out the Surfmaster LS plate is significantly thinner than the Squidder's ( it has LS plate envy!). There's not enough material thickness to machine a step into the OD and seat the Outer Ring without the inner and outer rings touching. Soooo...if I want to proceed with Plan 'B'...I'll need to fixture the outer ring and reduce it's overall length in a surface grinder...no biggy but, now I've got the whole esthetics thing to consider.
PLEASE NOTE: This project has been returned to the Engineering Department for re-evaluation.

[alantani]

sorry it didn't work out.  it sounded like it had great promise!

[Semper Fish]

I thought so too....maybe if I had some of those Purple Side Plates.....