Pflueger Akron model 1892

Started by Lingwendil, July 26, 2020, 02:15:37 AM

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Lingwendil

Picked this rough one up for very cheap not too long ago, and cleaned it up. It casts extremely well, and is a great little reel.

Not too much to it, very similar design in these direct drive models, and they share most of the same running gear, posts, etc. The handle on this was thrashed, but I had also picked up a cub handle for it, so no problem.









Nice minty cub handle to replace the stock one-



The bearing/cap on the levelwind is a bit borked, but functions fine.



Thick black grease inside, but otherwise clean.





Cleaned up well! The worst part is the line guide crossbar.







It's not perfect, but it's butter smooth and casts beautifully. Good working reel until I find a really nice one.
Levelwind Lunatic! Cheap Bastard!

Penn and Pflueger nutjob!

Eyes out for: Pflueger Rocket, vintage 4-1 ratio or better spinning reels (especially metal-bodied and ultralight!)

Gfish

#1
Nice! I have several of that vintage that my brother picked up at flea markets and they are missing the handle nuts.
Fishing tackle is an art form and all fish caught on the right tackle are"Gfish"!

oc1

#2
Quote from: Gfish on July 26, 2020, 03:28:26 AM
they are missing the handle nuts.
If the gear post looks like it would fit the oblong hole in the Cub above, then I have some handle nuts for you.  Handles too if you need them.
-steve

happyhooker

Nice--she really sparkles.

Frank

Gfish

#4
Quote from: oc1 on July 26, 2020, 05:30:39 AM
Quote from: Gfish on July 26, 2020, 03:28:26 AM
they are missing the handle nuts.
If the gear post looks like it would fit the oblong hole in the Cub above, then I have some handle nuts for you.  Handles too if you need them.
-steve

Thanks Steve! Lemme get my reels back here from the mainland and I can get exact needs identified. I remember a couple of Pflueger's, a Shakes., a JC Higgins and at least 1 more...
These nuts seem to be hard to find.
Fishing tackle is an art form and all fish caught on the right tackle are"Gfish"!

ddselvig

Really like that new crank handle. Don't know why there are so many old reels with most of the plastic gone on the crank spindles. I had one where the plastic literally crumbled between my fingers. I feel fortunate that the Pflueger Akron I got off eBay a couple months ago had a crank handle that is mostly pristine. Paid $8 for the reel.

Donnyboat

A couple of years ago, Fred Oakes had about 1300 of them, he could`nt give them away, there is four Akrons to a set, green handle,white, black, Brown, I think the green model has 1893 on it, I think that was when they aplied for the pantent, I think they started producing them in 1916, made from german silver, cheers Don.
Don, or donnyboat

mo65

Quote from: ddselvig on May 28, 2021, 03:04:45 AM
Don't know why there are so many old reels with most of the plastic gone on the crank spindles. I had one where the plastic literally crumbled between my fingers.

   I think they probably made those handle knobs from the same plastics used in the old lures that deteriorate so bad.  8)
~YOU CAN TUNA GEETAR...BUT YOU CAN'T TUNA FEESH~


Wompus Cat

Quote from: mo65 on May 28, 2021, 12:53:03 PM
Quote from: ddselvig on May 28, 2021, 03:04:45 AM
Don't know why there are so many old reels with most of the plastic gone on the crank spindles. I had one where the plastic literally crumbled between my fingers.

   I think they probably made those handle knobs from the same plastics used in the old lures that deteriorate so bad.  8)


It is a dillema as I have some NEW Handles in some of the old Repair Boxes that PFLUEGER  and other companies use to make that are still Pristine and I have boxes with New Plastic Handle Tips that are still like new .Then I have a lot of reels that have been stored in boxes out in my  shop some great shape and some deteriorated all to hell.
I have some in Tins and they have a Funky Smell to them and a lot of those are going to pot plus as old as these are you never know what some one has used on them to clean, break loose, or lube over the years which may have contributed to the decay. 

I know it is not good to store any of these in an air tight container as the actual makeup of the plastics used on them seems to last longer if allowed to Breathe .

Suffice it to say between the chemicals used to make them and the treatment of the surfaces in relation to other types of chemical exposure we use to keep things nice and soft over the years  we could very well be causing the disintegration  our selves in our endeavors to keep them preserved.

Rubber products seem to suffer the same Fate .
Pflueger use to make kits that had Rubber Edges that you removed a few side plate screws to install them and this would protect the edges from getting banged up and had Rubber Caps to go over the Knobs on the handles  .
All of those went to pot pretty quick  but I have a Brand new set still in the original package still soft and pliable .
Go figure  ::)
If a Grass Hopper Carried a Shotgun then the Birds wouldn't MESS with Him

oc1

#9
Ebonite, AKA hard rubber was the first plastic used in reels.  Ebonite was used mainly for side plates while knobs were still made of wood or ivory.  Celluloid plastic came into use in the very early 1900's.  Celluloid replaced ivory for handle knobs.  Celluloid contained natural cellulose, often cotton, and most of it has degraded by now.  Bakelite is completely synthetic and began replacing celluloid for many applications in the 1930's.  It does not degrade nearly as fast and some objects are still usable a century later.  Celluloid and Bakelite are thermoset plastics that do not melt when exposed to heat.  Nylon came along in the late 1930's.  During the war and immediately thereafter there was an explosion of new plastics including polyester and polyethylene.  Most of them are thermoplastic and will melt when heated.