Super Week! — So Far…

[foakes]

Had eight Dam Quick Super 270 reels to do for various clients this week. 

One old Line Counter took all day Monday.

The other (7), including a 275 2-Speed were finished up yesterday and today.

Tomorrow I'll start on,(9) DQ 265 Microlites for various clients.

It is easier for me to try and do a bunch of the same types of reels one after another —- the parts bins are just laid out on the bench —- each reel is disassembled, cleaned with 3 types of cleaners —-  some get repainted, some don't.

Each Super 270 generally takes 15 to 20 parts to bring it back to a very capable fisher.

The trick for me —- helps to steel myself for whatever may be inside the reel.  These are used in salt water —- and generally have considerable salt burn, rust, broken pieces, crud outside and inside.  They are 60 years old, and have seen considerable use.  The only clean ones are the ones that have always been stored and never fished.

These reels weigh 23.1 ounces, retrieve ratio is 1:3, metal spool, excellent materials.

All aircraft grade aluminum, bronze, steel.  Only plastic is the crank knob and the pick-up arm cover cap.

Overbuilt and brutally simple as well as clever.

These reels are cheap to buy and as tough as they come.

Here is the last one done this afternoon.  Before and after.

Best, Fred

[Midway Tommy]

Looks nice, Fred, as does that 2 speed. All new external parts on that last one? Curious, is there a different manufacturing time line for the rotors with and without the ridge on the side?

[foakes]

Looks nice, Fred, as does that 2 speed. All new external parts on that last one? Curious, is there a different manufacturing time line for the rotors with and without the ridge on the side?

Yes, mostly new parts on the exterior of the last one, Tom —-

Paint was bad —- and I don't have a perfect match for the factory green wrinkle paint as of yet —- plus running out of time trying to get the backlog down —- so I just put on a new frame, foot, sideplate, rotor, and crank handle.  Got plenty of NOS parts —- so some day I will strip the old exterior parts —- and repaint them when I find, or have made a perfect match in the wrinkle green.

As for the ridge around the circumference on some of the rotors —-

It seems to be a mid to later version.  I have around 45 of these reels in the bins —- and some have the ridge, and some don't.  The latest version is the 275 2-Speeds —- and all 10 have a ridge.

So I think it is a mid to later version.

These reels started production around 1954 —- and went on for about 10 years —- 1964.

Best, Fred

[Milan S]

It's not the same reel anymore. 

Perfectly done work, Fred...

Is there any solution for reparation of paint on the spool?

[foakes]

Is there any solution for reparation of paint on the spool?

Yes, Milan —-

I just Chuck the spool up on my drill press for a quick sanding job with 150 then 320 Emory tape.  This knocks down any loose edges or bad spots —- but does not remove all of the old paint.  Then a couple of light coats of gloss black enamel spray paint —- bake in the oven at 200 for 15 minutes.

If wanting to completely strip the spool —- the blast cabinet works very well with soda or glass bead medium.  Then either spray paint as described —- or powder-coat.

I have good spools —- but the 3 separate individuals that these eight reels belong to —- are going to fish them in the salt —- and they will be filled with line —- so it didn't warrant the extra time and expense.

Best, Fred

[Milan S]

Fred, thanks for the reply. I got some ideas...

[oldmanjoe]

Nice to see a 275 pop up from time to time !!!

[ClintB]

These older reels are classy!

New reels are like new tennis shoes, gaudy and synthetic.

[foakes]

These older reels are classy!

New reels are like new tennis shoes, gaudy and synthetic.

Good points, Clint!

We can all run out to buy the latest Mandarin Marvel reel made out of Tupperware —- every 5 years.

Or, some of us can fix up these proven vintage quality spinners from the 50's through the 80's —- for much less —- do a few things to restore them —- and use them for another 50 years.

The fish haven't changed in the last 10,000,000 years —- so these reels should do just fine.

Plus, for me and many others —- there is a lot of satisfaction in bringing these classy, vintage, strong, and overbuilt reels back to life —- and catch fish very easily and capably with them.

Best, Fred