A post to show the generosity of the Ohana. It will come as no surprise to many who the pivotal person is here though. I would have liked to have added some pictures, but I currently am unable to, due to some problem with uploading onto the site galleries. But this post is a well due "Thank you", as you will see....(edited this first post thanks to Mike (mhc) kindly uploading some photos last night)
About a month ago I gained a new client, who had a whole bunch of reels in need of various servicing and repair. Amongst them a Shakespeare X-terra spinner, which had a broken 1/4" hex brass drive shaft that goes through the main drive gear. This shaft had been twisted and had snapped. Now this particular model of reel is a typical budget reel, actually not worth the trouble, as you could buy a replacement for $60AUD. But the client said it was his son's favourite, and that he was really devastated when the drive shaft broke. The client had tried to buy a replacement through distributors out here in Australia, but typical of the industry as whole out here, had no luck or help. I said leave the reel with me, and I'll see what I can do.
My first thought was to check the reel internals out, just to see if it was going to be worth a repair. Surprisingly the drive train was actually in good condition, and only having one ball bearing supporting the pinion, with the rest of the reel utilising brass bushes, it was a simple robust reel, that definitely had plenty of life left to give. I decided it would be worth putting some time into it. I looked through my stocks of salvaged parts, but had nothing the right size.
I felt there was no point just replacing the shaft with another brass shaft, if I'm going to make a whole new shaft, it might as well be stainless. So I started my search for some 1/4" SS hex stock. I soon realised that this wasn't going to be as easy as I first thought. After searching online sites and making some calls locally, the only option I was left with was to purchase a whole 1 metre length of 404 SS stock, which would cost $70AUD by the time it was delivered from the mainland!
I had a look at Mc Master Carr's website, and it was possible to purchase a 6" length of the same stock, for the princely sum of $4USD. I reached out to Sal, to ask if he would be willing to accept delivery for forwarding onto Australia. He duly ordered and received it, then was generous enough to pay for the postage all the way to Tasmania, Australia! Despite a few PM's from me nagging him to receive renumeration for this, he has stubbornly refused to give me any details to repay him!!! Anyway, I have his address, and something will arrive in the mail in the future. The stock arrived at my place within 2 weeks.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/27/7995_22_02_19_4_29_16.jpeg)
I was then able to make a new drive shaft to suit the reel, and now a child in a far off land, can fish with his favourite reel, thanks to the generosity of a man from the other side of the globe. The child and the man will almost certainly never meet, but will share the spirit of angling with a bond of unconditional generosity.
To Sal, a sincere "Thank You" from me, to allow me the opportunity to repair this reel for this kid. I big "Thank You" from him and his father as well.
The AT Ohana, is a shining light, in an increasingly un-sympathetic world!
Good on both of you.
-steve
Well done Sal. Restores one's faith in mankind !!
Cheers,
Terry.
Amazing guy, Sal is top-notch! Great story, thanks for sharing! Ohana lives!!!
Hello Chris, I'm glad I was able to help with this.
The young man will get many years of enjoyment from that reel, especially after you've been in there.
We really should be focusing on what you have done, this is a very good upgrade and Shakespeare should be giving you a call :).
All my best Chris, anything else you might need, don't think about it twice, you do a lot for our site.
Cheers!
Sal
This puts a big broad grin on my face, the Ohana ;D
Quote from: Tiddlerbasher on February 22, 2019, 11:19:34 AM
This puts a big broad grin on my face, the Ohana ;D
X 2 - even more so knowing Chris has trouble finding time to work on his own reels and I'm sure Sal would have a few projects he could spend some time on as well. Thanks for keeping it alive.
Mike
Well said Chris, I am surprized Sal had any spare time, with his projects he has on, yes the tani forum is full of OHANA good people, well done Sal, cheers Don.
Sal is a top notch guy for sure!
Love reading this! Nice way to start the day!
Andy
:) :) :) "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," Amen
Paying it forward once again. ;)
Nice!
Great story! 8) Sal is truly a stand-up guy! I know from personal experience. ;)
Just another day in the Life of the Alan Tani Ohana...
This is what makes this site special and unique from all of the others.
After one joins up — then it is up to each to take it further if they wish to...
True respect is never free — it is always earned.
Thanks, Sal & Chris!
Best,
Fred
Huh! And someone said there is no such thing as a free lunch. Obviously they did not know Sal. Dominick
QuoteJust another day in the Life of the Alan Tani Ohana
Well put Fred.
Thanks for perpetuating it Sal and thanks for sharing Chris.
Would also like to see the upgrade!
All the best lads, Justin
Nice! 8)
There are some great people on this site.
Those who not only help each other but sacrifice their own time and money to help a young boy preserve his childhood dreams.
Well done, Chris and Sal.
~
Thanks to Mike who uploaded the photos after I emailed them to him last night, unfortunately the orientation has not been sorted on account of these photos coming straight from my phone. I didn't take many, as I was aware that the site is currently having problems with photo uploads. I have edited the first post of this thread with a picture of what was required with the Stock piece Sal had sent me.
It was then a simple matter of chucking the Hex bar into the mini lathe and skimming the end to 5.7mm diameter to tap the shaft M6.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/27/7995_22_02_19_4_30_14.jpeg)
(http://alantani.com/gallery/27/7995_22_02_19_4_32_13.jpeg)
I then tapped the plastic cover from the non-handle end to M6 as well to screw onto the end of the shaft. At final assembly, some Blue Loctite was added to these threads to prevent the cover from easily unwinding.
I then cut the bar to length, and then filed the flats to take the handle. The final step was to drill the shaft to accept the pin which passes through the handle and the shaft to join them. I actually machined a little point onto the end of the pin, to make a centre punch to get the hole located accurately. You can see the pin raised and ready in this pic....
(http://alantani.com/gallery/27/7995_22_02_19_4_33_00.jpeg)
That's all I have to show. The pin was 3mm in diametre, so simply drilled the shaft through the filed flats to accept the handle. I was actually quite pleased with the fit, there was no slop in the final assembly.
The reel was fully cleaned and serviced along with this part build. I polished the main spool shaft with the dremel to a high shine where it passed through the bushes. I also swapped the felt drag washers for some carbon ones which I made as well, not that they were needed, as the drag was adequate as it was.
So there you have it. Many thanks Sal!
Chris you are a good man for doing that. Dominick
Sal set us a good example of how to live and love life right up to the end. He will be missed by all.. Peace Sal.
Quote from: gstours on October 11, 2020, 02:01:04 PM
Sal set us a good example of how to live and love life right up to the end. He will be missed by all.. Peace Sal.
Yup, the site won't be he same without him, but is better for having knowen him.
Well one night I was watching jaws and my girlfriend got me a 12 pack and the next day I was a proud winner of a 16/0 ,,,,the first thing I wanted to do is trick it out and kieth introduced me to "uncle sal" and he built the shark tank,,,,,he said it was a group effort of members here who make the best custom parts and when randy got the 20/0 kit,,,he helped me give uncle sal a surprise for when he installed it,,,,,uncle sal always did incredible work,,,,I never could thank enough for what he did.
Hello,
Please forgive me, this is my real first time of being on the website (for longer than one minute as I just break out in tears every time I try) and so I am not quite sure where to post this message so I suppose that I will post it on every page that is listed under the In Memory of Sal Ciarlante. That is the only way that I know that I will reach everyone who commented, left lovely messages of condolence, or wished my family comfort, in any way.
I cannot express how much the love and support, that my family received from AlanTani.com, has meant to us! There really are no words to express my deep, deep appreciation and very sincere gratitude for your continued support! This past month has been just so devastating and painful for me, Alyssa and Anthony and grieving in the time of a global pandemic has just made it even more difficult. It is still very surreal and I wake each day thinking perhaps it was just a bad dream. I must admit that I have not yet found the courage to be in Sal's work area (where he did all of his custom reel work and repairs) for even a whole minute, yet. On the one time I walked back there, I saw that he still had a small paintbrush in some sort of gel and his tools were spread out all over...it must have been what he was working on the day we left for the hospital, so long ago. I walked back there, and I could just see him sitting on that chair, with a beautiful smile on his face, doing what gave him such satisfaction and joy! It was all I could take, but I am working up the courage to go back there again, some day soon. The kids and I do spend time in Sal's mancave, each night, and it's comforting to be surrounded by his things.
I would have liked very much to have the celebration of Sal's life, that I believe he deserved, but I felt very strongly that we needed to respect the pandemic and do everything in our power to keep our family, friends and loved ones safe! As you read in his obituary, we are planning a post-Covid 19, late-springtime memorial service, God willing. I will be sure to post all of the details, at that time! We had an immediate family funeral and laid Sal's remain to rest on a stormy Friday (October 16) and I felt as though the heavens were crying for my Sal. As I told you all before, not only did the Alan Tani family get mentioned in Sal's obituary, but Alyssa (our daughter) mentioned it in his Eulogy, as well.
I am so sorry that this first post of mine was so long but I just wanted to be sure to express my gratitude and to let you all know how important you are to me and the kids!
I wish you, and your families, a blessed Thanksgiving holiday!
All my very best,
Cathy Ciarlante & Family
Thanks, Cathy —
For keeping us up to date!
Sal's not far from any of us either.
Let us know if there is anything that you need.
The "Ohana" family is your family forever.
We wish you, Alyssa, and Anthony — better days, and a peaceful Thanksgiving.
All the Best,
Fred & Sue
Thank you Cathy for reaching out. We love long posts here at AT.com, especially from you. Sal was spcial in many ways. We will continue to keep you in our thoughts and prayers....Bill
It's great to hear from Sal's family. I miss his input here immensely. What you said about Sal's tools still being spread across the table...that so reminds me of my father I recently lost. Pop's effects are also still right where he left them...when I took him to the hospital. I too haven't had the power to disturb any of it...I guess in some way it helps me to deal with it all. Wishing you and the kids a Happy Thanksgiving.
Hi Cathy and Family,
Strength for the time ahead. Thanks for openly expressing your feelings. I wished I could have met him. As you can see from this thread he touched the lives of many, even those who are on the other side of the planet.
Thoughts with you,
Chris
Never met Sal... I miss the random early morning conversations through pm's. Nothing to say except this hurts & sucks !! mostly to blame for my not be around much... Jeff
Quote from: Rivverrat on December 24, 2020, 01:32:40 PM
Never met Sal... I miss the random early morning conversations through pm's. Nothing to say except this hurts & sucks !! mostly to blame for my not be around much... Jeff
Yes I loved uncle sal,,,,,,,, ;) got a message from hem this week just a reminder,,,,,,, :) but it was from uncle sal and it was the best,,,,,,,,, ;D
Sal was a good friend, although we never met face to face. We met on eBay in 2008 after he saw me selling some new old stock penn parts. He kept nudging me to join this forum, but life was too busy for me(new boat) and I did register as a member, but didn't post on the forum until a few years later.
Sal and I sometimes butted heads because I would send him NOS obsolete Penn reel parts and I refused his attempts to pay for them. Somehow he always managed to twist my arm and repay me with a part or offering to fix a reel. I would often pick his brain for help on an issue with a reel. He could somehow fix a reel via email. Not easy to do, but piece of cake for Sal.
Fast forward to 2020 and I found myself in a rather embarrassing situation. I had a couple kits that needed assembly, but my crippled hand had gotten much worse and actually lost my thumbpad muscle and 2 fingers went numb. Yep it was my right hand, and my left hand cant run a screwdriver or pliers very well. I had chatted with Sal about these builds and he demanded I send the parts to him and he would build them. I told him I was still gathering internals, but he said no worries, just send what you got. I agreed only if I could pay for the parts that were missing. This was last April, in the midst of his cancer therapy. I was reluctant, but his stubbornness finally won and I sent him a Cortez jigmaster 99 kit, and a T60XN kit with Cortez plates. I wanted to do something special for him, so I had some custom stamps made and tossed in a bunch of hangtags. He is a proud man and doesn't boast about his work, but I was hoping he would use them on all future builds.
Sometime in July he sent me back the 2 reels, and both were built to the hilt and he refused any payment for all the parts. Mind you, I didn't even have a donor reel for either one, and the few internal parts I sent, he sent back in a ziplock. Sal had put complete internals in both and wouldn't let me pay. I was always one up on Sal, but he really got good me on these reels. Hard to argue with a guy that was fighting for his life. I sure miss his presence on the forum, but am proud to say I learned a lot from Sal. Reels, friends, family, and fishing, and state of mind.
Anyway, these 2 reels live in my glass display case where nobody gets to see them, so I figured I would share these gems with the Ohana....and a little note Sal put in the box with the 2 reels
My apologies for the long post, but just a few sentences wouldn't do
Ted
P.S. click on the picture for high definition
Quote from: Maxed Out on March 31, 2021, 06:45:04 PM
Sal was a good friend, although we never met face to face. We met on eBay in 2008 after he saw me selling some new old stock penn parts. He kept nudging me to join this forum, but life was too busy for me(new boat) and I did register as a member, but didn't post on the forum until a few years later.
Sal and I sometimes butted heads because I would send him NOS obsolete Penn reel parts and I refused his attempts to pay for them. Somehow he always managed to twist my arm and repay me with a part or offering to fix a reel. I would often pick his brain for help on an issue with a reel. He could somehow fix a reel via email. Not easy to do, but piece of cake for Sal.
Fast forward to 2020 and I found myself in a rather embarrassing situation. I had a couple kits that needed assembly, but my crippled hand had gotten much worse and actually lost my thumbpad muscle and 2 fingers went numb. Yep it was my right hand, and my left hand cant run a screwdriver or pliers very well. I had chatted with Sal about these builds and he demanded I send the parts to him and he would build them. I told him I was still gathering internals, but he said no worries, just send what you got. I agreed only if I could pay for the parts that were missing. This was last April, in the midst of his cancer therapy. I was reluctant, but his stubbornness finally won and I sent him a Cortez jigmaster kit, and a T60XN kit with Cortez plates. I wanted to do something special for him, so I had some custom stamps made and tossed in a bunch of hangtags. He is a proud man and doesn't boast about his work, but I was hoping he would use them on all future builds.
Sometime in July he sent me back the 2 reels, and both were built to the hilt and he refused any payment for all the parts. Mind you, I didn't even have a donor reel for either one, and the few internal parts I sent, he sent back in a ziplock. Sal had put complete internals in both and wouldn't let me pay. I was always one up on Sal, but he really got good me on these reels. Hard to argue with a guy that was fighting for his life. I sure miss his presence on the forum, but am proud to say I learned a lot from Sal. Reels, friends, family, and fishing, and state of mind.
Anyway, these 2 reels live in my glass display case where nobody gets to see them, so I figured I would share these gems with the Ohana....and a little note Sal put in the box with the 2 reels
My apologies for the long post, but just a few sentences wouldn't do
Ted
What a great story, thanks for sharing!!!! I think we should start replacing the word "Tanked" to Sal'd!!!!
Great story and good memories.....Sal was a good friend to many here.....miss the guy.Bill
Thanks for sharing that Ted.........
Col
Awesome Ted!!! Great story, about a couple of great guys.....
I would have a hard time not fishing them at least once ;D
Brett
Well, I'm new here. But as an avid reader of the site, I feel I know Sal a bit; At least share his interest and enthusiasm for older reels. Sal's contributions and inspiration certainly live on. Thank you, Sal.