It was a victim of Hurricane Sandy in a bucket for months in a boat. Sat around for three years. Recently I was able to rescue and rebuild internals with parts from Mystic. The frame and body is horrible looking but got a 20lb stripper on it. I guess i could live with this or should i re anodize or paint
nice save !!
I would use it like that, it has a great story behind
Speaking of the anodized redo,I see good Ambassadeurs that could use it.I haven't a clue on the process or what can be done for scratches or adding color,would it be obvious so not worth the trouble?
I would keep your reel as is for its history, like a "rat rod" or reel,a sleeper...
Imagine how big of a stripper you might lure in if you painted it lol? Sorry I couldn't help myself lol!
Looks to me like the foot is riveted on. You won't be able to re-anodize without removing any non-aluminum components.
I also think that you should keep as is. The reel has a story.
-J
When i fish.. on party boats. My equipment is always in great shape and looks new .. just bugs me to fish an ugly reel. Anodizing is expensive. Perhaps paint it?? Thoughts on painting?
Fish it the way it is , it has mojoe ..
Leave it as is. I doubt you could anodize it with pits in the aluminum like that
You could make up a good story about how the reel got that way for entertainment value
It's a sleeper,,,, ;) I got a 4/0 all new upgraded parts inside but looks like junk,,,if you're fishing on a public pier nobody is going to steal it and you don't have to worry about scratching it,,,sometimes I let my girlfriend use it and that's ok,,,,, ;D
Strip off the rest and polish it?
Quote from: Fishgolfman on July 10, 2025, 11:17:02 PMWhen i fish.. on party boats. My equipment is always in great shape and looks new .. just bugs me to fish an ugly reel. Anodizing is expensive. Perhaps paint it?? Thoughts on painting?
Quote from: jurelometer on July 10, 2025, 10:47:18 PMLooks to me like the foot is riveted on. You won't be able to re-anodize without removing any non-aluminum components.
-J
Price is not your main problem. You can't anodize it because the foot and rivets are not aluminum. The foot and rivets will be damaged or completely destroyed. No mixed metal assemblies when anodizing.
Not to mention the deep pitting, which is also going to make painting it not fun/ inexpensive, and pretty much rules out powder coating.
-J
Painting doesn't work unless you invest in a set-up that will cost much more than a restored reel is worth. I agree with the others. Embrace it's history and life experiences. Rub it down with oil now and again to keep it from getting any worse.
Benni3 has a point, especially for a party boat experience; easy to recognize and not desirable to steal. Perhaps passenger vehicles in high-crime areas are best left dented, scratched and with faded paint.
For real though as far as shapes go that would not be a hard one to polish. EZ-off oven cleaner will remove the rest of the anodization in a few minutes.
Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on July 11, 2025, 11:25:35 AMFor real though as far as shapes go that would not be a hard one to polish. EZ-off oven cleaner will remove the rest of the anodization in a few minutes.
You might want to zoom in on the photos if you haven't yet. The pitting is substantial. He would end up with a shiny pitted reel. Not sure that that is an improvement.
IMHO. a refinish job that does not come out really well ends up looking worse than what was started with.
If I was offered a chance to fish with one of two equally well maintained outfits, I would take the one with this reel over a brand new shiny one. I wouldn't have to worry about scratching it, and it just plain looks cooler to me.
And as a bonus, I am probably going to get more deference at the rail than the guy with the quiver of all shiny gear that looks like the price tag was just removed. 8)
Totally fair if the OP feels differently. But in that case, it is probably better to move on from this reel and find a nice shiny one. This one does not look like a cosmetic restoration candidate.
-J
The only reels I've ever polished were quite pitted to start with. Just use some 120 grit. What you end up with us a reel that weighs a bit less. The frame is beefy enough to lose a lot more meat without missing it. Or if you didn't go that far you'd have a pitted reel that was at least a uniform color. And would still see the same rail-side-respect effect. And the process is very zen-like. I enjoyed it. And this is an easy collective n of shapes to work with.
Not my reel not my sandpaper, just an opinion.
I try to take care of my reels,but I don't fish with my shelfies.
If I was on the boat & saw that reel I would think,this guy fishes a lot,he will probably out fish us all !
Rat rod beats the shiny new Corvette 8)
Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on July 11, 2025, 04:53:23 PMThe only reels I've ever polished were quite pitted to start with. Just use some 120 grit. What you end up with us a reel that weighs a bit less. The frame is beefy enough to lose a lot more meat without missing it. Or if you didn't go that far you'd have a pitted reel that was at least a uniform color. And would still see the same rail-side-respect effect. And the process is very zen-like. I enjoyed it. And this is an easy collective n of shapes to work with.
Not my reel not my sandpaper, just an opinion.
When I'm fishing in Florida like fort peirce at night,,,, ;) you don't want to take anything that looks to nice,,,, ;D
I kind of like idea of stripping with ez off and polishing on a wheel. Then put a clear coat. Sounds like a winter project but its summer fishing! The ugly reel will have to wait and catch more bluefish and porgies. Resume thus discussion winter time!
It's now a real with a lot of character. A great conversation starter and a feel good reel every time you use it.
This Abu 6500 was dredged up from the bottom of the Ottawa River. Holes in the side plates, arms corroded off the star drag among other things. I cleaned it up and used all original parts. It has been fished and caught fish. Has its own personality.
You could have it powder coated i filled the deep scratches with panel bond,,,,but jb weld might work,,,, ;D
Quote from: Benni3 on July 13, 2025, 04:05:43 PMYou could have it powder coated i filled the deep scratches with panel bond,,,,but jb weld might work,,,, ;D
You need special filler with metal in it, or the powder coat won't attach. Lab-Metal is one such product. The powder coating is lightly held in place by an electrostatic bond until it cures in the oven. The coating will fall right off sections covered with Bondo or other typical filler products. Plus these other products can crack or outgas during the powder heat curing, as the part surface has to get up around 400F.
I haven't tried using filler when powder coating, but have heard that it can be tricky to get right, even with the right product.
But is it worth it? I saw a clean looking 975CS just went for under $200 on the auction site.
-J
Spray paint for cars?