Airex Bache-Brown Spinster... how does it come apart?

[jimbofish]

Cleaning and re-oiling an Airex Spinster to possibly use this summer after sitting on the display shelf for years. Have most of it disassembled and cleaned, but can't figure out how to get three sections completely apart to finish cleaning and re-oiling.

First is the spinner head from the body. It looks like it's on a hollow tube but appears it's pressed together. There's a propeller-ish part that doesn't look like it's meant to come off. It trips the bail.

Second is the spool from the main shaft and drag. There's a green plastic part that has the clicker teeth on one side. It goes through the center hole of the spool and has some 'fingers' on the other side. Does it just pull off? I don't want to break the 50 yr. old plastic.

Also having some trouble getting the main gear and crank apart. The gear is on the inside of the cover and the part that the handle goes through on the outside. Do they unscrew? If so, CW or CCW?

I'm usually able to figure out mechanical stuff but this one was so gummed up inside I can't tell if it's stuck or not made to be disassembled. I don't want to break anything. The parts are free and moving but there's no way to get any fresh lube in without further disassembly.

[g,h. block]

the handle turns off,i just hold the head and turn handle c.w. [thats a left hand thread]

spool pulls off the plastic center hub,those fingers will flex in a bit when you give the spool a firm pull , that spool hub is cross pinned to the shaft no need to remove unless some of those finger segments were broken off.

that tube shaft with the 2 trip arms on it has about an 1/8 inch of knurling on the inside end and is pressed into the frame.
I have had those apart but not an easy project, with the oscillation shaft out i put a small dia. about 1/2 long piece of rod against the end of the tube , bridged over the trip ends with some small steel parallels and used a c clamp to push that out.
I dont view that necessary to take apart,when the head and frame get soaked they will clean ok and you can get a drop of oil under the edge of the trip at the head end and a drop at the small end of that gear on the tube.

Bob Halver might have something to add to this, we talked about this at the convention 2 or 3 years ago.

gene

[jimbofish]

Thanks.

Where exactly is the thread for the handle? Is it on the handle end of the gear shaft? That round ball-shaped part that the handle goes through?

I'm still trying to get the folding handle end loose. I've had penetrating oil sitting in the end for 24 hrs. now and it's still won't come off by hand. I presume it's a normal RH thread? It all seems like pretty soft metal and don't want to snap it.

Was I correct thinking that the trip arm is permanently attached to a tube that the spinner head and bevel gear rotate on and the other end of the tube is pressed into the body? Is the bevel gear part of the spinner head casting? All in all, I think I'll just rinse that assy. out with alcohol and then oil it. It spins very freely.

Jim...

[g,h. block]

the big gear and shaft has the screw thread,the round ball with the handle shank thru it has the tapped thread.

the cone shaped nut on the handle shank is a right hand thread,there is no plastic there so i warm those a bit to get them loose if the corrosion is holding tight,but not too much muscle on them or that aluminum thread end breaks right off.

the bevel gear is part of the head,the trip lever is crimped to the end of that tube,if you take out the tube and lever you have a
1and 1/4 inch long blender or paint mixer blade.

only reason i had one out was to polish the whole frame and head.

gene

[jimbofish]

Thanks to Gene's advice I managed to get the reel disassembled, cleaned, and oiled. I took his suggestion to leave the spinner tube alone. It's an assembly method I haven't come across before. Definitely not meant to be taken apart on a regular maintenance schedule. I also cleaned an Airex Larchmont that had a similar arrangement for the spinner head.

I was kind of surprised that there were no metal bushings in the plastic cover where the main gear shaft goes to the handle. Just the plastic, but it still fits closely without any slop or play. IME even metal covers have at least brass inserts for bearings.

Also has an odd drag setup. In the center of the reel spool bore is a green plastic bushing with 'fingers'. Tightening the knob forces those fingers outward against the inner bore of the spool. The adjustment goes from loose to lockup in less than a turn of the knob. Well see how well it works on a fish.

I used Turtle Wax Chrome Polish to clean up all the exterior parts, including the black plastic parts. Came out pretty nice, IMHO. It doesn't show in the pic but the black reel cover is perfectly smooth and shiny. Some of the imperfections on the metal body are just reflections.

I've recently started cleaning and prepping as many of the reels in my collection as possible for actual fishing use. No longer will they all be allowed to live as "shelf queens". Those that are able will be put to use. The Spinster will be the first time I've ever used a half-bail reel. I may find out why they aren't made that way anymore.

I'm also digging out all the "obsolete" fiberglass rods that have been languishing in tubes and rod cases after being "retired" years ago. I'm looking to a summer of taking a different rod/reel combo or two out each trip. It should be fun, especially using one of my very first rods, a Wright & McGill "Green Hornet" spincast. Can't wait to use the line from 'Grumpy Old Men', "The Green Hornet strikes again!", each time it catches a fish.

[Smead]

Very nicely done!

I have a Model 2B Mastereel and was surprised at how well the half bail picked the line up by just cranking...no need to close by hand at all.

[jimbofish]

I may take it out this weekend as tomorrow is opening day for trout, pike and walleye here. Levels are still really high and with everyone and their brother out, catching anything is unlikely.

[Reel Geezer]

A spinster was my first spinning reel back in the late 1940s. It didn't take long to learn that line would wear off the chrome plating on the pickup finger and your line would break from the grooves created. I wouldn't recommend fishing one very much.