Hey, all!
I'm back with another vintage French beauty!!
I've aquired a broken down, but complete, 1946 French Helion spin reel.
I gave $100 for her due to condition. Seller thought bail arm spring ball cover was cracked, but turned out to be only a surface scrape. Phew!
What a looker!! Wow! The bronze and brown scheme are very similar to my Mepps Baby Vamp.
This old girl is non working and bail arm is sprung, but not broken anywhere.
Reel turns smoothly, but has catches and is cantankerous, yet.
I gave her a full stripdown and am in process of cleaning and polishing all parts.
I could not separate the bail arm roller assembly and since it can be cleaned assembled, I left it, as not to break anything.
This reel is a bearing filled beast!
40 needle bearings on the handle shaft and 45 needle bearings on the flier worm gear assembly, plus 9 ball bearings!
A grand total of 94 handset loose bearings!! WTF!?
I took many pictures before disassembly and still am not 100% sure on full function of parts. e.g. anti reverse and bail arm trip mechanism.
I will delve deeper as reassembly happens, as this particular reel is like none I have ever worked on.
If anyone has any info or documents they'd like to share, much appreciated!
Fun! Fun!
Stay tuned!
More pictures
More pictures
Final stripdown pictures
It looks like there might be some gear damage on the main gear at the 10 O'clock position in photo ending in 614. I hope that's not the case.
Quote from: jtwill98 on September 23, 2025, 04:44:44 PMIt looks like there might be some gear damage on the main gear at the 10 O'clock position in photo ending in 614. I hope that's not the case.
No sir. Just massive amounts of old caked grease giving that impression.
All looked good with wipedown. Full cleaning will reveal it nicely.
Wow, in great condition for 80 years young! Looking forward to seeing her all clean and pretty.
Quote from: MACflyer on September 23, 2025, 05:04:38 PMWow, in great condition for 80 years young! Looking forward to seeing her all clean and pretty.
Agreed! Larger reel than what i normally use, but couldn't pass on her for $100.
Ready to get those bearings set! Lol
Great looking reel, and a nice restore thanks for sharing. Not a reel I have ever seen or heard of. Bet those needle bearings were fun! (Coming from a guy that has rebuilt MANY driveshaft universal joints). Question (not criticism, just my own OCD) in the early photos is the sideplate/medallion supposed to be clocked that way? It looks like the sideplate screws are equidistant 120 degrees, and in my mind I would have it clocked "upright" but I also am quick to be one to say "this is the way it came from the factory". Still a beautiful reel glad everything was "there".- john
Quote from: Brewcrafter on September 23, 2025, 05:28:55 PMGreat looking reel, and a nice restore thanks for sharing. Not a reel I have ever seen or heard of. Bet those needle bearings were fun! (Coming from a guy that has rebuilt MANY driveshaft universal joints). Question (not criticism, just my own OCD) in the early photos is the sideplate/medallion supposed to be clocked that way? It looks like the sideplate screws are equidistant 120 degrees, and in my mind I would have it clocked "upright" but I also am quick to be one to say "this is the way it came from the factory". Still a beautiful reel glad everything was "there".- john
John,
These are all pre stripdown pictures and reel not reassembled, yet.
I am giving all parts a thorough cleaning and brightwork a polishing.
Badge will be rotated when I put it back on and the needle bearings are yet to come! Joy!
Stay tuned!
That's a hard one to find, especially in decent condition! Looks like you have your work cut out for you and a fun time ahead. ;)
Quote from: Midway Tommy on September 23, 2025, 06:02:05 PMThat's a hard one to find, especially in decent condition! Looks like you have your work cut out for you and a fun time ahead. ;)
You know it!! Pumped for this one!
Beautiful reel. Very French--I'm not sure what half the parts do that you show.
Frank
Quote from: happyhooker on September 25, 2025, 07:52:38 PMBeautiful reel. Very French--I'm not sure what half the parts do that you show.
Frank
Haha! Me either. It appears non rotating shaft can be removed easily,via single holding screw at butt end of reel body cap, to allow access to bottom of flier.
Once flier is exposed, 3 holding screws can be loosened and a ring can be rotated and screws tightened back. I have no idea what this does, but think it is anti reverse function. We'll find out...
You can see this set up in my stripdown picture of the flier after the non rotating shaft is removed.
This ring also rotates on 3 of the 9 ball bearings present on this reel.