Soldered reel foot questions

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Chad S
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Soldered reel foot questions

Post by Chad S »

1. How much does it take away from a reels value?

2. Has anyone had any luck removing it?
wrong99
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Re: Soldered reel foot questions

Post by wrong99 »

Depends on how clean or sloppy the job was. Depends on the reel, too, I suppose.
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Chad S
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Re: Soldered reel foot questions

Post by Chad S »

I am not going to mess with it just asking questions it is on my 40yd Patent Applied for Professional this is one early reel.

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Ron Mc
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Re: Soldered reel foot questions

Post by Ron Mc »

on many reels, they furnace-brazed the foot screws after they tightened them in the pillars.
Reelman2
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Re: Soldered reel foot questions

Post by Reelman2 »

I have had good luck on German Silver reels using a blow torch. It doesn't hurt the finish at all providing you plan to polish it. I am not sure what it would do to a plated reel.
Collect mostly Ky style reels; Meek, Heddon, Horton, Pflueger Redifor and Worth, etc.

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sdlehr
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Re: Soldered reel foot questions

Post by sdlehr »

I'd be afraid of applying high heat to a plated reel - the difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion between the two materials could possibly cause the plating to flake off. If I did anything at all it might be with a mini propane torch that could be applied directly to the screw head. Loctite is quite an improvement :)
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Don Champion
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Re: Soldered reel foot questions

Post by Don Champion »

I believe that reel is German silver but even if it was nickel plated brass then it would be easy to remove. Remove the foot and heat it up to the melting point of the solder (500 degrees) and brush it with a small stainless steel brush such as welders use. They have bristles about 3/4" long and 1/2" deep X 3/8" wide. You may have to polish it slightly after removing the solder using a good metal polish. This and many other tips are in the ORCA reel repair book available from ORCA.
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Midway Tommy D
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Re: Soldered reel foot questions

Post by Midway Tommy D »

You could also loosen & remove the screw by using an electric soldering gun on the screw. Enough heat transfer will occur to soften the solder so you can turn & remove the screw. Then you can have easy access to cleaning the solder off the foot.
Love those Open Face Spinning Reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco)

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Chad S
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Re: Soldered reel foot questions

Post by Chad S »

Thank You for the suggestions I may try it over the winter when I am really bored.
oc1
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Re: Soldered reel foot questions

Post by oc1 »

I have an 80 yard Standard of about that same vintage. When it arrived it would hardly crank because the spool was rubbing the side plate rings. I thought it was twisted and would never be able to go fishing again. The problem was that the two foot screws were loose. Not sloppy loose, but about a quarter-turn of the screw loose. After being disassembled and put back together, starting with tight foot screws, everything is aligned and it runs smooth. Soldering those screws in place sounds like a pretty good idea to me. I'm wondering if it was a factory job.

Any idea of the ago Chad? There is no model number. I notice the gears are not as finely cut as the usual (later?) Shakespeare brass gear. The pinion is crudely made too and there is a pinion-like gear under the tail plate instead of the usual clicker ratchet. Finally, there is factory solder securing the steel shaft inside the brass spool. Not made like a watch.... in my opinion.
-steve
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sdlehr
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Re: Soldered reel foot questions

Post by sdlehr »

Steve, I'm not doubting your observations, just your scientific method :). Did you tighten the foot screws before disassembly and cleaning and find an improvement? Take-down, cleaning, and reassembly could have changed many variables. I guess I'm just not seeing how those two screws, loose by 1/4 turn, could have such a drastic effect on function..... if the pillar screws were also loose that would be understandable.
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oc1
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Re: Soldered reel foot questions

Post by oc1 »

Hi Sid. As received and before disassembly I could tighten the foot screws a bit. The give-away was that the foot was not at a right angle to its posts. Assuming everything was drilled correctly, this meant that all the other posts and the whole frame had to be twisted.

You can sort of see that the foot is not square with the posts in the photo. In my exuberance, I started tearing into it before taking photos so the photos with the red background are from the auction listing.

After getting the frame straight I made some.... uhhh.... shall we say.... "user modifications" and would be embarrassed to show the reel in its present configuration here with collectors looking on. I knew it was old and just hoped the age did not make it worth more than I paid for it. It would be a good candidate to test soldering the foot screws to see if the plating pops off. Maybe I'll try that.
-steve
Chad S
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Re: Soldered reel foot questions

Post by Chad S »

Your reel is pre 1910 nice reel in any condition

My opinion a factory solder job would cost a man his job, these reels were advertised as built like a watch and some of the finest reels on the market.

No way would Wm. S.Jr. allow that type craftsmanship in his shop.
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sdlehr
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Re: Soldered reel foot questions

Post by sdlehr »

OK Steve, thanks, I understand it differently now.
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SilasTerry
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Re: Soldered reel foot questions

Post by SilasTerry »

One caution: If it is silver solder, the temperature to cause it to flow enough to remove it may also be high enough to negatively affect the reel material. Don't assume it is low temperature lead-based solder.
oc1
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Re: Soldered reel foot questions

Post by oc1 »

.... and making the solder flow does not remove it. It just spreads it around. There is braided de-soldering wire designed to wick up molten solder and there are little suction devices, but none of them work very well. It would be much easier and neater to remove the solder by burnishing.
-steve
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