Reel Restoration Tips

Brendan · January 08, 2018, 02:02:18 AM

Very nice transformation.
Tight lines, Brendan.

foakes · January 08, 2018, 02:09:32 AM

Good job, Mike --

You are right on all counts!

Best,

Fred

Bill B · January 08, 2018, 02:32:20 AM

Good write up brother,,,,what cleaner did you use for the side plates? Bill

Yogi_fish808 · January 08, 2018, 12:24:20 PM

Mo that's a damn good job you did on that green monofil! I would've written it off as a ~6/10 at first but that thing is looking minty now!
Aloha,
Kyle

Tiddlerbasher · January 08, 2018, 12:33:59 PM

Great job MO - she sure looks purrrty now

Alto Mare · January 08, 2018, 12:38:47 PM

Good job Mo, the reel came out great! Thanks for showing us your techniques.

Sal

conchydong · January 08, 2018, 01:01:00 PM

Great post.
Lots of good information.
Beautiful reel BTW.

Scott

mhc · January 08, 2018, 01:14:02 PM

Great write up Mo, thanks for showing how simple cleaning neglected reels can be. I like the hand 'tumbler' technique with the posts.
Mike

mo65 · January 08, 2018, 01:33:54 PM

Quote from: Bill B (Tarfu) on January 08, 2018, 02:32:20 AM
Good write up brother, what cleaner did you use for the side plates? Bill

I mentioned using toothbrushes on the side plates...but It looks like I didn't say what was on the toothbrush...glad ya asked Bill! The side plates get the same dish soap/baking soda mix, unless they are seriously faded. For faded plates you'll need to bump it up to rubbing compound so as to get down past the surface. I've heard many folks say shoe polish is an easy effective solution too.

Also I'd like to thank everyone for the nice comments, and I hope this thread helps those that are new to all this.

happyhooker · January 09, 2018, 04:34:19 AM

Very helpful info & end product speaks for itself.

Frank

Midway Tommy · January 09, 2018, 05:43:04 AM

Great transformation and explanation, Mike. It's basically unrecognizable, now!

Shark Hunter · January 09, 2018, 06:30:08 AM

I will be trying that baking soda dishwashing detergent trick,
It has to be quicker than chrome polish.

mo65 · January 09, 2018, 02:56:21 PM

Quote from: Shark Hunter on January 09, 2018, 06:30:08 AM
I will be trying that baking soda dishwashing detergent trick,
It has to be quicker than chrome polish.

Daron, I'm not sure if it's quicker, but it's definitely easier. It also has the added bonus of completely cleaning your hands after the previous degreasing steps.

Decker · January 09, 2018, 04:06:08 PM

Thanks for this post, Mo. I need to try the baking soda and dish detergent. Usually I use Brasso for that, but your mixture looks good and cheaper.

I've used WD40 for cleaning too, but sometimes I run into grease that has turned to varnish that won't budge. I'm thinking of trying carborater cleaner for that. Someone with chemistry knowledge could probably tell me what is the right solvent to use. Something safe that doesn't require gloves, I hope.

P.S. My favorite eBay reels are the dirty ones. Seems like sometimes dirt protects against corrosion. Most people don't distinguish between dirty and corroded, so the reels tend to be cheaper

mo65 · January 09, 2018, 05:21:25 PM

Quote from: Decker on January 09, 2018, 04:06:08 PM
I've used WD40 for cleaning too, but sometimes I run into grease that has turned to varnish that won't budge. I'm thinking of trying carborater cleaner for that. Someone with chemistry knowledge could probably tell me what is the right solvent to use. Something safe that doesn't require gloves, I hope.

Hi Joe. Try letting the fresh squirt of WD-40 sit on the varnish awhile...it should loosen it then. You can even add a shake of the baking soda and use the toothbrush too. I've found carb cleaner doesn't really cut stiff varnish any better than the WD-40 unless it sits also. Forget brake parts cleaner...it evaporates fast...and is chemically vile...ha!