Oh my! Look what I found!

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Paul Roberts
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Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Paul Roberts »

I didn't know these even existed: a narrow-spooled, chromed, Pflueger Supreme. I got it from an antiques dealer for $40. I haven't looked inside yet, but it looks nearly unused. As an angler, who's looking for fishable vintage reels, I feel like I've hit the jackpot. I have a standard 1573 also in fine condition and it's one of my most functional casters (ease and quiet, plus it's large enough to fit my hands well). I can't wait to go through this one, to get it purring even more, and then take it for a test drive. Not much to do on the exterior of this one, outside of a dust rag. Gotta make sure my screwdrivers fit perfectly for this one though.

Last edited by Paul Roberts on Thu Jan 21, 2021 11:24 am, edited 2 times in total.
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40fordflathead
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by 40fordflathead »

Nice looking reel, should fish really well.
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Bill Sonnett
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Bill Sonnett »

Paul I had one of these and was able to fit a cork arbor to it by taking a standard 412 Pflueger arbor (the one made for the standard Supreme) and grinding each end equally on a slow wheel grinder until it fit perfectly. There is a Pflueger cork arbor that will fit it that is numbered 411 but it is hard to find and should not be confused with an earlier, discontinued Pflueger cork arbor that was also numbered 411 and was a large arbor made for small saltwater reels.
I love to get old reels, work on them until they run as smooth as silk and the take them fishing using pre-1960 plugs, mostly surface fishing for Largemouths after dark.
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john elder
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by john elder »

Paul, nice find yet again! All us Crustys that have been collecting for awhile are really enjoying your new-found enthusiasm for old reels and remembering that same path was (is) taken by all of us in the early days! Keep it coming!

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Paul Roberts
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Paul Roberts »

Bruce, if it's anything like my standard-spooled 1573, it'll cast like a dream.

Hi, Bill. I've been making arbors for the reels I'll be fishing with using 3/8" ID cork rings. Once I get the pattern down, they are pretty quick to make. Need to keep them even, and tight-fitting.

John, I can see that plenty of exuberance has preceded me! I'm very pleased to have found you all. I can see that this new/rekindled love affair is going to last, regardless of how my fishing with these reels turns out. I'm already thinking about a way of displaying my new, old, made-new-again, reels. My modern reels sit in a gear bag. That won't do for these old reels.
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Midway Tommy D
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Midway Tommy D »

Paul Roberts wrote: Thu Jan 21, 2021 11:52 am
Hi, Bill. I've been making arbors for the reels I'll be fishing with using 3/8" ID cork rings. Once I get the pattern down, they are pretty quick to make. Need to keep them even, and tight-fitting.

John, I can see that plenty of exuberance has preceded me! I'm very pleased to have found you all. I can see that this new/rekindled love affair is going to last, regardless of how my fishing with these reels turns out. I'm already thinking about a way of displaying my new old -made 'new' again- reels. My modern reels are all stuffed into a gear bag. That won't do for these old reels.
You're probably already doing this but if not make yourself a cheap drill lathe to smooth out your arbors after you've glued your cork rings together. Some 600 grit emery cloth will smooth those puppies right out.

As JE mentioned, your enthusiasm is quite enjoying! Keep up the good work! You might, though, consider shifting some of that energy to some of the extraordinary tools of the trade. :jester

As far as your display quandary, take over your wife's curio: :mrgreen:
Love those Open Face Spinning Reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco)

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Paul Roberts
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Paul Roberts »

Thanks, Tom. Yeah, sanding has been the time consumer. Wheels are turning! :idea: (No pun intended -really!)

:lol: Oh my, I don't need that much room! Yet, at least. My wife doesn't have a curio; She's not a collector. And she's getting a little worried about me. :) Then again, she doesn't understand the gravity of that narrow-spooled Supreme! :lol:
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john elder
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by john elder »

It’s only thursday, Paul! Check back in another week :D
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Midway Tommy D
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Midway Tommy D »

Wheels are turning! :idea:
A tip. If you are gluing cork rings together make sure you are using a waterproof glue.
Love those Open Face Spinning Reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco)

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Paul Roberts
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Paul Roberts »

john elder wrote: Thu Jan 21, 2021 1:38 pm It’s only thursday, Paul! Check back in another week :D
I can be a patient man. :)
Midway Tommy D wrote: Thu Jan 21, 2021 2:02 pm
Wheels are turning! :idea:
A tip. If you are gluing cork rings together make sure you are using a waterproof glue.
I'm using Tightbond.
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Midway Tommy D
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Midway Tommy D »

Paul Roberts wrote: Thu Jan 21, 2021 2:05 pm I'm using Tightbond.
Ultimate III, I hope. None of their others are actually waterproof, just resistant. I'm still a little skeptical on III, but time will tell.
Love those Open Face Spinning Reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco)

Tom DeLong, NE
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RAM
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by RAM »

Great find! Not many out there, even fewer that look like that. Keep looking-and fishing!

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Paul Roberts
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Paul Roberts »

Tom, I'm using III.

Thanks, Bob. That's the plan!
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Paul Roberts
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Paul Roberts »

Midway Tommy D wrote: Thu Jan 21, 2021 12:57 pm You're probably already doing this but if not make yourself a cheap drill lathe to smooth out your arbors after you've glued your cork rings together. Some 600 grit emery cloth will smooth those puppies right out.
Tom, I was able to use my drill press, and a piece of 11/32" wood arrow shafting. Thanks for the reminder. Doh! The older I get, the more I forget. Esp when diving into something new. The first couple arbors took a while with dremel and sandpaper. :roll:
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Midway Tommy D
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Midway Tommy D »

Good idea, Paul. You could also use a piece of 5/16" or 3/8" all thread as a mandrel with a nut & washer above & below the cork to keep it from spinning. Then raise table so the bottom of cork is just above the table. That would give you something to rest your hands/forearms on. :wink: I'd be settin' on a chair, too, as I always look for the easiest way to accomplish a task. :D
Love those Open Face Spinning Reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco)

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Paul Roberts
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Paul Roberts »

Thanks, Tom. I'm going to be 'turning' a reel seat insert here soon -sans lathe. Going to try the drill press and will take all the advice I can get. Luckily I've found a few insert blanks that are already cylindrical, rather than squared, so I shouldn't have to take all that much off. I'll do the boring first, in case that does it in. However, it's already close to correct bore. This is for one of my "faux vintage" glass builds. Wish me luck.
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Paul Roberts
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Paul Roberts »

Well, this beautiful little reel has turned out to be a bit of a whiner -a bit of a noisy thing. I isolated every component and finally found the culprit: the face-side end of the levelwind worm gear, the bushing that it rides against is worn, cupped. Obviously, this reel had been cared for, but well used too.

The schematic shows the bushing as recessed in the center, fitting the worm gear end. But this one looks excessively "cupped"/grooved and is not replaceable. It grinds, which resonates through the faceplate. I've polished it with steel wool, but haven't tried buffing with a Dremel. The noise is tolerable, if only bc it's such a pretty little reel. And it casts well, so I'll take be taking it fishing and see if it remains tolerable.
Last edited by Paul Roberts on Mon Mar 01, 2021 2:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Robin Sayler
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Robin Sayler »

Hey Paul, most of the parts on this reel are interchangeable with the parts on a normal supreme. If you have another supreme around you could probably change out the worn part. Or shoot me a picture of the part you need and I know i have some around.
I would like any unusual pflueger casting reels!
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Paul Roberts »

Hi, Robin. Thanks so much.

It's a bushing, and is appears non-removable? I believe I would need the entire inner side-plate, and a chromed one in good condition to boot.

Close up of where the worm gear contacts the bushing. Does this look normal? I am assuming that the thin raised edges are causing the noise. I'm still hoping that polishing it with a Dremel and polishing compound might smooth it out. But taking off those raised edges might make it worse. Again, I see in the schematic that the bushing appears to be recessed at some level.

Other side of the bushing.
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Paul Roberts
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Paul Roberts »

Fixed it! :D

This little chromed/polished narrow-spool Supreme -that I was so thrilled to find- turned out to be well used/abused (Possibly run, a lot, without lube?). It shrieked loudly when put through its casting paces! Took a bit to isolate the cause: The bushing for the levelwind worm gear, on the face-side inner plate, was deeply worn causing the worm gear to squeal against that bushing on every cast (See pic above).

Robin Saylor had suggested that many parts are interchangeable over the years that these Supremes were made. I finally got around to picking up a (standard finish, "Satin Nickalum") parts reel in good shape. The parts reel turned out to only need a pawl, but I needed its inner side plate.

My reel, was either chromed or simply polished. So I took to polishing the inner plate of the donor reel with a Dremel and Flitz. The result is passable, but did not seem to polish up as mirror-like as the recipient reel. Possibly I need a different compound, or, maybe the recipient reel was not "Satin Nickalum" to begin with? Anyone know what the chrome-like finish could be on this narrow spooled Supreme? Was it a factory finish? Curious.

The final result, though, is a nice-looking and very fishable reel. I took it out the back door to the pond and it casts very nicely, without protest! Yip-ee! It threw a 3/8oz. Rapala Shadow Rap as far as I could effectively fish it, on 15lb Mason braided nylon. Thanks to Robin for the head's up on the parts interchangeability.

Oh yes, a bit of troubleshooting was required to get this new plate to fit exactly right. Turned out the screws for the recipient reel bound the plate, and spool, too tightly. Swapping for the donor reel's screws solved the problem. They might have been of slightly different length? Couldn't quite tell by eye. But, they did the trick.
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Bill Sonnett
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Bill Sonnett »

How does it cast Pau? Noisy or quiet?
I love to get old reels, work on them until they run as smooth as silk and the take them fishing using pre-1960 plugs, mostly surface fishing for Largemouths after dark.
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Paul Roberts »

Bill Sonnett wrote: Sun Apr 10, 2022 11:23 am How does it cast Pau? Noisy or quiet?
Hi, Bill. It just whirrs. :fished

Bill, do you know if such a bright finish is just a polished "Satin Nickalum", or is it something else? Could it have come from the factory this way?
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Robin Sayler
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Robin Sayler »

Great job getting that one fishing again.
I would like any unusual pflueger casting reels!
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Bill Sonnett
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by Bill Sonnett »

my guess is that someone polished it Paul
I love to get old reels, work on them until they run as smooth as silk and the take them fishing using pre-1960 plugs, mostly surface fishing for Largemouths after dark.
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Re: Oh my! Look what I found!

Post by kyreels »

Both of my Supreme NS reels are the typical satin gray aluminum alloy that Pflueger called "Nickalum". Catalogs refer the the finish as Satin Nickalum. Yours does look particularly bright.

I have the model 1577 NS Freespool version as well as the older 1574 NS (Wide Spool was 1573). According to Robert A Miller in his book The History of the Pflueger Supreme the narrow spool version was given a number of 1574, but did not appear in catalogs and most frequently was a special order from tournament casters. Mine has the Pflueger Spinlite tournament handle.

Miller mentions the following caveat when collecting the narrow spool Supremes. You can take the spool, cross-plate, level-wind and posts from the newer 1577 and attach them to the face plate unit of a standard 1573. He notes that one should closely compare the end plate bearing cap as well as the finish of the end plate to the face plate if you want to determine the origin of a NS. The older 1574 reels typically command a good price, so caution is in order. If the plates are polished, it might be impossible to determine.
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