Hi all...... Up and til now I had only serviced my own reels and about a dozen of my Amigos reels in Barra de Navidad, Mex.
I acquired several old 30, and 50 internationals that were in terrible shape - heading for the trash bin for sure. I managed to make 4 reels out of the 7. The learning curve got steeper as I went. they're not the prettiest things to look at with their corroded and pitted shells but their guts are clean, in good shape and they work.
I'm not sure how to post pictures and then type, so I will try to explain, then post the pictures. .... Getting the side plate screws out was by far the most challenging. This is what I discovered - by accident.
After exhausting every avenue from soaking to heat on the stubborn ones, I resort to drilling them out. Not an easy job even with a drill press - which I don't have. I built a jig to hold the reel steady, then I center punch the head (or what is left of it ). Then with a 3/32'' bit I drill straight down thru the head to just below what I figure is the bottom of the head. Then with progressively bigger drill bits, I get as close as I dare to the edge of the screw hole in the side plate. When I start down the hole with that last drill bit, the head of the screw twists off clean. If it doesn't, I have the drill turning very slowly and just slightly tip it to the side of the screw head. It will bind and off comes the head.
Some of the screws are not corroded into the reel side place, so the sideplate lifts right off. Now I have some meat to get a visegrip and some heat onto. The screws that ARE corroded to the side plate must be drilled out deeper yet but at least I don't have the messed up head to go thru. It's gone and what's left of the screw is flat and smooth. I Center punch the screw again and start fresh, drilling. I've done 8 screws and I only messed up the 5th one (over confident and going to fast.) It is not easy , nor fast and deffinately not a cure all for all ills but it's working for me - so far.
You are right in saying the screws dont get corroded into the frame but into the sideplate. The holes in the sideplates are sized just enough for the screw to go thru. Most of the time when you remove a screw you can see screw threads in the plate holes.
I was lucky on that account. several were NOT corroded to the side plates, but that meant that the ones that were corroded into the treaded frame or posts - man they are a challenge.
Forgot the ''satisfaction'' picture of this particular screw in the above set of pictures
Nice save ;)
Yes that spacer with the head, drilled of, I managed to leave the head in the side plate, and unscrew the pacer, serviced the reel then placed it back together, that screw is still there, cheers Don.
Have you tried using left handed drill bits? The grab the broken screw and turn it out of the threaded hole as they turn.
You can get the left twist drills at auto parts stores or McMaster-Carr. Sometimes you get lucky and the screw turns out on its own. I like your method.
-Mike
Lefthand twist. Never heard of it but will definitely get some. Thanks for the tip.
Greg
Do you run the drill in reverse with a left hand twist bit? ..asking for a friend ;)
Yes you run the drill in reverse.