with the help of rothmar2 we are going to
turn this into a monster.it will be slow but we may get there.
its big,its heavy,no gears ,no ball bearings
plan "a" c/f drags, power handle, double dog it
here its stripped
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2306_zps32c0a6e0.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2306_zps32c0a6e0.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2311_zps453bae1e.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2311_zps453bae1e.jpg.html)
my friend called in yesterday and dropped 3 reels off,"whatcha doin wit the alvey"
I told him and he said give it to me
so today,"whatcha think"
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2312_zps7f756659.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2312_zps7f756659.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2313_zpsc2602883.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2313_zpsc2602883.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2314_zps8265b44b.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2314_zps8265b44b.jpg.html)
the little black knob is the one that was removed,the white compressed plastic knob is 1/2 the
weight of the original, feels comfortable.
to be continued ::)
Good luck with this one Wallace. Will keep an eye out for some bronze for you to make the extra dog from. Will get it to you with the other parts I'm sending you (nudge, nudge). I say bronze, as it looks like the sleeve is brass and a stainless dog would probably batter it. Let me know how thick you require the bronze.
Cool. I need to update mine. My Aunty gave me a rod and reel when my uncle past away.
you can cut drag washers to fit this.
Hi Wallace, what is the ID, OD and thickness of those drag washers?
hi bryan
brass ones?
id 14.27
od. 32.1
thickness 1.19
on the latest 651c5 the fibre washers have been replaced with
TYGAFLOR. any ideas anybody.
i googled it,fg/teflon both sides
also its a lever drag reel
quite possibly, Penn #6-975LD would be the best fit, with the reduction of the OD. Thank you. I'm going to look into doing mine soon.
when I went to the schematics for this reel
a later model one is a lever drag,i sent an email off to alvey today,
to see if I can upgrade.thats the way ill go if possible
in the meantime I made up some c/f washers
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2315_zpseba889b1.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2315_zpseba889b1.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2316_zpsc4698de5.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2316_zpsc4698de5.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2317_zps66be3808.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2317_zps66be3808.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2318_zpsa81ead6b.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2318_zpsa81ead6b.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2320_zpsd5538381.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2320_zpsd5538381.jpg.html)
I drilled 0.8 c/f,laminated, ,cut roughly with scissors,put 5 in a stack,screwed together run lightly against a disc.
nut,eared washer, c/f 5 stack,eared washer,nut,used an old screw driver as an axial inside the tube,worked fine
to be cont;
just got word back from alvey
i can convert to a lever drag for $36 aud
trial run for the monster knob,felt good
ill paint it underneath and inside,loctite,
i think the spool will take 1000m+80lb
there is 500m 80lb hollow on it now
cheers
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2323_zps825e10d3.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2323_zps825e10d3.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2322_zps9a311d19.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2322_zps9a311d19.jpg.html)
only 17lb of drag at the moment,want 20lb min;25lb would be perfect.havent tried anything yet.
merry xmas to all
Very nice Wallace. That reel appears to be huge, what are the dimensions and how much line per crank?
Sal
Is that a Door Knob?
Nice
hi sal, the dia; is 6" there has been a correction.
i just added another 500m and its 18 1/2" per turn,spool is nearly full,take 200m more
no gears,its 1 for 1.
hi daron,yep its a door knob,cost $6aud,(metal)they have some really
nice alum;ones at $30, but it,s just trial and error at this stage
the original handle was some sort of compressed rubber,i ran a bolt
through it,put it in the drill press(no lathe)and with a wood file
turned it down,so its a tight fit in the door knob.no need for glue.
cheers
This reminded me of the same one I have/had. I bought it in 1993 and decided to respool the old mono with some nice fresh 30lb Berkley big game. I thought I was doing a great job putting 500m or so of line on the reel nice and tight. I sat the reel down next to me and it was not long before I heard some cracking sounds coming from the reel. Yep...... I spooled that sucker too tight and the mono was contracting and crushing the fiberglass spool completely destroying it.
Will that knob interfere with line coming over the spool lip?
hi michaelc,there is a warning from alvey not to use mono unless it is non strech.
line catching on the knob
never thought of that,i havent got that far
thats another reason why you cant use a t-bar
i cant see a problem,the bottom of the knob is sitting below the lip.
DRAG.
i changed the red fibres for c/f, 0.8, 4 in the stack.will be 0.5 in the reel deal
delrin under the a/r ratchet,another on top of the ratchet
another delrin on top of that,that was silly,i cut 2 so i put it in
there is a lot of room when you build your stack
delrin,inner eared, c/f,outer ear,c/f,i/e,/c/f,o/e,c/f,i/e,rubber,red fibre,ss flat washer.43lb of drag.
single a/r dog,i stopped, this is not what the final stack will look like,its all for fun
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2324_zps69d0a67a.jpg)[/U
i had to tie a bimini,palomar,125lb snap,its getting serious,notice the tooth pick on the scales,its serious.cheers
CORRECTION!the stem of the knob is below the lip,i had 20 drops with 6 0z sinker,5ft rod 6 casts,no probs,i wont be casting it thats for sure
to be cont;
(http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2324_zps69d0a67a.jpg.html)
Hi Wallace, I was in contact with Alvey several years ago about buying a replacement spool and to my surprise a reply came from the owner of the company. He said that there was only a couple of cases of this happening and being the deep spool version any effect is increased by much more line capacity, the recommendation as I recall was more about spooling tension than anything else. These reels were designed before low stretch mono or braid was made and no such warning was issued until more recently.
Line twist is one issue with the Alveys but this is fixed with a swivel above the rig.
the lever drag parts arrived today from alvey
just a quick put together(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2329_zps94fc0228.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2329_zps94fc0228.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2328_zps3dbb3049.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2328_zps3dbb3049.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2327_zps97c46495.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2327_zps97c46495.jpg.html)
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2326_zpsccd6164c.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2326_zpsccd6164c.jpg.html)
6th from right is the drag lever,it has a clicker bar,1st pic;
7th is the tygaflor washer .3mm,very slippery,
8th is the clicker
bottom row
shaft tube with large delrin washer,interferes with nothing,ratchet is under.
delrin washer?next
inner eared washer
large tygaflor washer,.3mm
eared /w
.5 c/fwasher
correct order is right to left(top)
then, left to right
other 3 pics is position of the drag lever
off,1/2, full drag.20lb at this stage
5 clicks=4lb 15 clicks=10lb 25clicks=22lb
you always have freespool with this reel
no matter what the drag setting,its just the design
to be cont;
sry about the pics
had a little play around with the drag
got 33lb at full,i can get more,still got freespool.
at 33lb when you engage you start at 8lb drag
another few weeks of testing still to go
sent the reel off to rothmar2 for
double dogging.he is going to keep it a while
and maybe fish the tuna season
be interesting if he gets the reel smooth and working
To bad about the pics, would love to see it. Keep up the good work! Love to see the finish project.
Awe, darn Photobucket. come one...we want to see pics. :(
I can add pix when I get the reel. This will be interesting for me as I haven't touched an Alvey for over 20yrs.
Will be taking this one to work with me, hopefully will really make this a brute of a reel.
The pics use to be there. I only see the very first one now.
Ok, so I got the reel mid January. I didn't get a chance to have much of a look at it prior to going to work, just a quick look to ask a couple of Q's to Wallace for the direction to take this.
He wanted synchronized dogs, to up the strength of the set-up. In the following pics you will see how I am going about this, but there are a couple of caveats I will point out. Firstly, the main shaft is bronze/brass or similar. So too is the Sleeve with the A/R gear. This A/R gear has 5 teeth, so it was going to be impossible to place the second dog directly opposite the original one to balance the the side load on the main shaft with the drag slipping. Will this have any long term effect? It remains to be seen.
Wallace claims 33lb at this stage. I'm not sure I'd be too keen to put this amount of drag through this reel on a hot running fish. I'm confident, with the extra dog, and a slight resultant un-balanced load on the main shaft, it could take sustained 20lb. Still plenty of stopping power regardless.
Anyway onto some pics.....
I spent a fair bit of time just looking at where I was going to place the extra dog which Wallace has sent me. In this photo, the ratchet is on the left (triangular piece) and this operates on a plastic wheel which presses onto the underside of the spool, and can be removed. It sits slightly higher than the A/R dogs. There is a "tygaflor" washer that separates the ratchet and A/R wheels. There is a lever on the reverse side of this backing plate which slides the A/R trip bush to lift the dog off the A/R wheel. This allows the spool to spin freely backwards should you wish to feed a live bait to a fish, or run a lure out behind a boat etc etc, without turning the whole spool to the casting position. Just watch your fingers on the crank knob! I will get more pics of the assembled reel later.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/21/10783_29_08_17_3_15_59_214742136.jpeg)
Fine tuned the position on the dog post, centre pop the location and drill.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/21/10783_29_08_17_3_14_45_214732203.jpeg)
I was limited to where I could position this post. There is a flatbar frame support which you can see on the reverse side of the backing plate. It's 3mm thick. I wanted the post to pass through this flatbar for strength. The hole drilled is 4mm.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/21/10783_29_08_17_3_17_56_214782270.jpeg)
Machined up a post. The spigot going into the flatbar was a slightly over sized for a press fit.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/21/10783_29_08_17_3_17_10_2147631.jpeg)
Line up post.....
Then drive it home pressing it in with a dolly and a bench vice
(http://alantani.com/gallery/21/10783_29_08_17_3_18_55_21480735.jpeg)
Now rough mark where I need to file the extra dog back to, to get them to drop in synchronized. The dog just clears the nut with plenty of clearance over the A/R wheel, so it will still allow free spool.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/21/10783_29_08_17_1_53_38_21471353.jpeg)
Begin filing the new dog to shape
(http://alantani.com/gallery/21/10783_29_08_17_3_19_19_21481947.jpeg)
Take it easy, with frequent checks between filing strokes until both dogs drop in together.
Now I wanted to maintain the reel's ability to Freespool. I've started on making a joining piece that will connect the dog lifting bush with the ability to lift the new dog. I've had to remake the slider piece that the lever
acts on to move this bush, out of stainless. The original chromed brass one was not going to work for me and I had to drill it out. I will be able to re-use the brass bush though.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/21/10783_29_08_17_3_17_40_2147743.jpeg)
I know to those that are not familiar with these reels, you may be wondering what I'm doing where at the moment. Bear with me, you will eventually see what the outcome will be. To those that do know these reels, you probably wondering "why bother doing this to one of these?".
Only answer I have; someone asked, I said it could be done.
More to come......
Great idea!!!
I would change out the brass drag washers for Stainless Steel and get some new Teflon washers cut. I worked with Glenn Alvey to get my 650 & my 500C's upto scratch drag wise, my 500C is something of a whiting / bream specialist reel - drag is absolutely indescribable TBH.
This project looks interesting.
A mixture of Nickle Anti seize and Inox MX3 works wonders on the shaft on Alveys!
My biggest issue is with Mono and putting line onto a Alvey from LBG or similar under too much tension, spools splitting down the middle... Soon after a fish is caught you need to cast the line and put it back under normal pressure.
Quote from: Slazmo on February 10, 2015, 01:02:01 PM
Great idea!!!
I would change out the brass drag washers for Stainless Steel and get some new Teflon washers cut. I worked with Glenn Alvey to get my 650 & my 500C's upto scratch drag wise, my 500C is something of a whiting / bream specialist reel - drag is absolutely indescribable TBH.
This project looks interesting.
A mixture of Nickle Anti seize and Inox MX3 works wonders on the shaft on Alveys!
I'll leave Wallace to decide if he wants to go all stainless on the drags, but it would be the way to go.
I'll be lapping all the brass washers at this stage as the drag is a little lumpy. I have also machined a delrin washer to go under the sleeve to replace the fibre washer that was there. Not sure if the fibre was standard or not.
hi rothmar2
i think i left everything in its original form as
far as i can remember.i wanted you to have a free go.
not be burdened by my thoughts.i cant do what you can.
drag,handle, line,rod,etc;etc; we can toss around on AT site.
everyone on here can participate if they want to after
you have finished.
salzmo has already started with the ss washers
thats a given,i think the 650 will fit the 651
where did you get them salzmo? i have the c/f washers
they may still be in the reel
there will be no mono on this reel
i already have 1000mx80lb. 20lb of drag seems about perfect
there is no hurry and chris can test the reel when its done
its a good project that may or may not work
but we are trying
cheers
Quote from: wallacewt on February 11, 2015, 05:22:30 AM
salzmo has already started with the ss washers
thats a given,i think the 650 will fit the 651
where did you get them salzmo? i have the c/f washers
they may still be in the reel
I would just order the washers from Alvey themselves and get them shipped wherever in the world you are.
trying to cut eared washers.... nah i'd rather go out and do gardening work...
Got the dog trip mechanism finished today. Still have one more post to make and press in for the extra dog spring. Wallace, I will be beefing up the spring wire a little to make for more positive engagement for the dogs, the original one does not always drop in with the wire provided.
The slide piece was made from 0.8mm stainless sheet. The guide from 3mm flat bar, with a carefully filed slot to keep the slide on track. There is no slack at all. The little tab has a hole to take one end of the new dog's spring.
I re-used the brass piece that trips the original dog, you can see I have left a little length in the new stainless
slider post. I will eventually drill down a little further and dremel the excess off, and give it a tap with a punch to flare the end to lock the brass piece in place.
Dogs engaged
(http://alantani.com/gallery/21/10783_29_08_17_3_18_35_214791174.jpeg)
Dogs tripped
(http://alantani.com/gallery/21/10783_29_08_17_3_13_33_214721400.jpeg)
The slider lever.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/21/10783_29_08_17_3_19_56_21482856.jpeg)
Had to carefully pry the end of the lever up high enough to clear the slider post to be able to swap them out. The backing plate buckled a little, but I was able to carefully level it all back out.
So far have put about 8 hours into this mod, but the tedious part is now over.
the spring wire was part of the package when the extra dog came
when i spring loaded my andros i used wire that was to stiff.
it worked ok but the noise from ss ratchet and dogs was unacceptable.
so i took them back out.i havent replaced them yet with a softer spring
brass is nowhere near as noisy.
i contacted alvey about the ss drag washers,should have an answer back today
now TEDIOUS,thats not a word
think of yourself,your on an hourly rate of $150 an hour and you just made $1200 :D
there you go chris,your better already
cheers mate,oh its lookin good ;)
ps. they DONT have ss washers
The extra dog mods are now done. You can see I have added another post to hold in the dog spring. The spring had to be shaped that way in order to remove some side thrust which was causing the new dog to hang up after it was dis-engaged. It now slips nicely.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/21/10783_29_08_17_1_52_19_214691784.jpeg)
The so-called Tygafor washer over the top before placing the spool back on
(http://alantani.com/gallery/21/10783_29_08_17_3_16_47_21475643.jpeg)
The rest of the parts laid out. Wallace this gave plenty of drag, and after greasing the carbons with Cals, it's actually quite smooth. Can't give you numbers, I've got no scales at work. I also suggest you keep the thin white washer between the drag lever, and the drag stack cover. Without it, if the spool spins backwards on the drag, it rotates the lever backwards, and reduces the drag pressure.
(http://alantani.com/gallery/21/10783_29_08_17_1_53_08_21470788.jpeg)
I will have to send the reel back as soon as I get home. I don't have a suitable rod to mount it on to fish it. A pity as I'd really have confidence that this reel could put the handbrakes on a SBT.
Would now make a very nice reef fishing winch as well.
Have fun with it!
Wally!
You are a lucky guy to have Rothmar Hot Rod your Alvey! ;D
I expect a full report! ;)
You have done amazing work, you are truly talented!
this sort of stuff is way above me.
solid f/g rod?
1000m 80lb hollow
i bought a new 2 piece stand up harness and thigh gimbal
ill put a pic up later,its to hot outside at the moment
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2366_zps8867f332.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2366_zps8867f332.jpg.html)
for the folks that dont know, bottom pic is thigh gimbal,with reverse padded side
top is kidney harness,thin section fits under your butt, other section around your kidneys
i had no trouble pulling 40lb hands free.
bent knees and sat on the harness so to speak
i need all the help i can get now.
last large fish i caught was a struggle
next monday 2nd march i leave for a week up north,taking justins tank
cheers
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2373_zps7a5df7a6.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2373_zps7a5df7a6.jpg.html)
pullin 20lb on justins tank,to hot to stand on the concrete in bare feet.
best photo i could do
That photo will do just fine Wally!
Goodonya! ;)
Welcome to the dark side of acid wrapped rod Wallace. :-)
it was one i built my self
just had a thought
i wonder if a spiral would work on the alvey monster,hmm.
nah thats out,stripper guide with 6"foot on it
hi rothmar2
gidday chris,ill build a rod for it
iasked alvey about a rod and they mention a 925 solid glass,about $90
if you are going to send it back ill pay the freight
no hurry
Home next week, will PM you and organise postage then
ok buddy
dont forget im off on mon; for a week
an update on the alvey
got it back today,loaded the 80lb braid
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2421_zpseez0fd9o.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2421_zpseez0fd9o.jpg.html)
the knob proved useless with a lot of tension
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2427_zps7hwb4nix.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2427_zps7hwb4nix.jpg.html)
with a lot of tension this was the best option.
about 2 minutes for 900m
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2426_zpssn2pmofo.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2426_zpssn2pmofo.jpg.html)
as i was loading got to thinking about lures to troll,
bottom lure is the finished job,should stop the spoon jumping out the water,treble hook is gone
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2426_zpssn2pmofo.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2426_zpssn2pmofo.jpg.html)
more later.
Ever seen a Alvey split in half? :-[
Quote from: Slazmo on March 31, 2015, 12:10:00 PM
Ever seen a Alvey split in half? :-[
Good question...... ??? I wondering about the same thing.
oh boy,all this negativity,
put a few hours work into the reel last night.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2434_zpsafxkypoh.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2434_zpsafxkypoh.jpg.html)
from right/ delrin ratchet(standard) delrin washer(me)lever drag,nut,handle,nut, belleville,screw cap
i had 2 belleville washers,to take up the slack,but when i rebuilt the drag there was no need for the 2nd belleville
which is good,they only act as spacers,dont effect the drag
new v8 sportscar,what can it do.i stopped ar 44lb in straight pull.
so back to fishing,i set the reel at 20lb,26lb at full,perfect.
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2428_zpsiikotqck.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/IMG_2428_zpsiikotqck.jpg.html)
this is the 20lb setting,can you see the red dot.by taking the handle off and moving
it around to the dot,push the lever,44lb!
i also put the tygaflor washer back into the stack to see how it stands up against the c/f
i can set the drag at 1lb,5,10,15,20,25 or free spool.
its fishable now,but still a lot of improvement left
new handle,knob,ss washers,rod,delrin under the stack,.05 c/f washers etc;
the drag is very smooth,dogs work perfectly,thanks chris ;)
more later,cheers
Quote from: CapeFishlink=topic=12374.msg138061#msg138061 date=1427805516Good question...... ??? I wondering about the same thing.
Yeh put too much pressure on those fiberglass spools with nylonor superlines and when they dry and contract they have a tendency to warp and or split right down the middle.
My mentor Peter has one on his company board out front of his house that split from the line...
Put line of firmly under hand crank tension but never by machine. My last spool up was 580 meters of 10kg nylon on my 650C5.
this reel is off to the great barrier reef
in about 6 weeks
i have been promised videos & pics
inspired by the tanks travel
rothmar2 ill keep you informed
cheers
Hi Wallace,
Was wondering recently if this beast had been given any use. Will be keen to see some real-life action on this reel, to see how it performs. Did a fair bit of fishing on the GBR growing up. Would love to get back there some day.
reel left for great barrier reef last friday
it will take a few weeks travel
cheers
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/unnamed_zps6ks2csc3.jpg) (http://s1200.photobucket.com/user/wallacewt/media/unnamed_zps6ks2csc3.jpg.html)
1st pic from GBREEF came today
dont know the details,he only sent the pic;
nice fish
cheers
Wallace, nice fish. It's good to hear from you, you have been a little quiet lately. I miss your humor humour. Dominick
Nice fish on that Alvey, can't wait to see some more pics.
Thanks for doing this Wallace.
I've been missing your daily participation here as well. You're the best!
Sal
Quote from: wallacewt on March 31, 2015, 09:29:40 AM
(http://i1200.photobucket.com/albums/bb326/wallacewt/IMG_2421_zpseez0fd9o.jpg)
Looks like the Bees Knees. How is it working out for you? Heard great things about that spool tensioner for the DIYers.
hi dominick
fishing and reel repair are out of the question
at the moment.doctors want a lend of me.
hi bryan
j paid $200aud when they 1st came out
way to much, now $120aud
you cant get big drag pressures,because
the spool that the line is on cant take it
there is a very handy extra piece for
taking old line off your fishing reels
are they worth $120 for me yes
lots of ss,very well made
had mine a couple of years now
with no problems,only thing i did was dip
the bearings in tsi301
cheers sal, i am moulting at the moment
Good to Hear from you Wallace. Don't be such a stranger. ;)