Have an old spinning reel, Daiwa Silver Series, and the aluminum spool has some minor nicks and scratches. Nothing too serious. Looks like they could be polished out with a lot of rubbing, but wondering if there's a better way. Searched, but didn't see any info in old posts, but if there's a post, please let me know. Thanks, Rick
Some spool that are not anodized can easy polish,reduce scratch by using cordless drill with an extra spool shaft then use Mothers Mag,aluminum polish . the one that anodized aluminum can't do that
If the reel is used in fresh water the anodization coming off isn't an issue. If used in salt it's a big issue.
Some have mentioned in the past that if you sand it down just leave it a few months to let oxygen in the atmosphere re-cover it in aluminum oxide. Or supercharge the process by putting it in a more oxygen rich environment.
But the alternative is a useless spool. So by comparison these options aren't so bad.
Depending on the depth of the nicks, I've started with a fine mini file, moving on to a fine (320) foam sanding block and finally buffing with a green or white scotch pad, but I only fish fresh water, so that process works out OK. If the nicks or gouges are deep I've cleaned them first and filled them with JB Weld (with some added (hard) clear regular epoxy) and then did the smoothing process. That process works pretty good if looks aren't an issue.
Looks like there's some type of clear coat on the spool. Is that the anodized coating? If it is, it seems softer than I expected.
first thing to consider is if the reel is used in fresh or salt water. if fresh water you should be fine.
If saltwater i would take a different approach. i would rub down the spool with wet or dry grade 800 or finer then i would put the spool in a slow drill using the spool shaft then apply 4 coats of bondaseal to the spool to protect the metal. DO NOT put any line on the spool for at least 4 days as you need to give it plenty of time to go hard. this method works especially well on multiplier reels
May give the bondaseal a try. I mainly fish saltwater. How much time between coats? How long does the seal last? Thank Kevin.
So maybe there is a + to plastic spools; the lip is easier to sand down.
Quote from: MACflyer on October 28, 2025, 08:58:20 PMLooks like there's some type of clear coat on the spool. Is that the anodized coating? If it is, it seems softer than I expected.
Anodize is not a coating. It is a transformation of the surface of the aluminum. It is a result of a process that makes a thicker almuninum oxide layer than the one that would naturally form when bare aluminum is exposed to oxygen in the air. Although it is possible to paint or clearcoat over anodizing, it is not that common. Aluminum oxide is super hard. It is the stuff used to make sandpaper, not to mention some gemstones such as ruby. The thicker the layer, the less it matters that the underlying aluminum is a soft metal.
Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on October 28, 2025, 02:30:10 PMIf the reel is used in fresh water the anodization coming off isn't an issue. If used in salt it's a big issue.
Some have mentioned in the past that if you sand it down just leave it a few months to let oxygen in the atmosphere re-cover it in aluminum oxide. Or supercharge the process by putting it in a more oxygen rich environment.
But the alternative is a useless spool. So by comparison these options aren't so bad.
I have some well-used aluminum saltwater reels with some pretty decent chunks of rash where the anodize layer has been lost to abrasion. Since these are areas are exposed, they have access to oxygen and heal right up with fresh aluminum oxide. It is not pretty, but ongoing corrosion has not been an issue for me. Line packed tight on the spool (especially braid) can also create an oxygen deprived environment with some salt and moisture, so ongoing corrosion deeper into the spool is more of an issue.
I just flood the reels with freshwater regularly, dry well, and do not coat or otherwise treat the damaged surfaces.
The aluminum oxide transition starts immediately, and from what I have read, the thickness of the aluminum oxide layer on bare aluminum will not increase much after a few hours when exposed to air. This layer is very protective against corrosion, but is not very deep, so it does not protect well against further scratching when compared to the much deeper layer from anodization. So I would be inclined to leave as much as the original anodized surface as possible.
When I was attempting (mostly unsuccessfully) to learn aluminum welding, we had to wire brush down the surface immediately before laying down a bead of weld. The oxide layer forms that fast.
If the part is painted or clear coated, the same self-healing process will occur on any bare aluminum that is exposed, but there is higher risk of saltwater creeping under the remaining coating. This will be an oxygen deprived environment, preventing a fresh aluminum is oxide layer to form and allow significant corrosion to spread under the coating.
Hope this helps,
-J
Thanks J. Your info is very helpful.