Who Made Me??

[reeltackle]

Can anyone help with the maker of this unusual fly reel?

The side-plates are hard rubber.
The arbor is caged.
The throw on the back-plate adjusts the drag
The reel is a two to one multiplier.

[Steve]

Anon, any chance we could see the guts? Has the crank screw been replaced? In image 3, there's a dark rectangle on the left end of the arbor. Is that where the line is tied, or is it something else? Bored mask wearers want to know.

[klonder]

For sure hard rubber? Can't tell from here.
Maybe Bakelite and of Aussie origins?
How big?

[reeltackle]

For sure hard rubber? Can't tell from here.
Maybe Bakelite and of Aussie origins?

Yes, upon further inspection I believe it is Bakelite. It could very well be from Down Under but, I would just be guessing at this point.

Anon, any chance we could see the guts? Has the crank screw been replaced? In image 3, there's a dark rectangle on the left end of the arbor. Is that where the line is tied, or is it something else? Bored mask wearers want to know.

I'll endeavor to crack it open Mr. Pie, I suspect it may have planetary gearing. Everything looks original to me but I have never seen another to compare it to. The arbor was made flat near the end on opposing sides of the round. Yes it was done to make it easier to tie the line on and keep it from slipping ... what keen little eyes you have popping up above your mask.

[reelsmith.]

Holy foot screws Batman !

That's some beefy construction right there.

Dean.

[reeltackle]

Okay .... I just found out this reel was made by the same company that came up with Pandora's box. Once opened there are about five hundred ways to try and get it back together again. YIKES! Not a practical reel to have things go wrong with while out on the river and then have to try and field strip it, best to have a back-up reel.

Yes indeed-dy-do, planetary gearing with the planets held in place with screws that go through the head-plate and into collars in the center of the two planet gears. The drag and anti-reverse are kind-of a thing of beauty.

Holy foot screws Batman !
That's some beefy construction right there.

Quite right Robin, that foot is not leaving the Bat-Cave anytime soon ... but it might scratch up your reel seat just a tad while tightening it down.

[bamboocollector11]

I saw the reel on ebay and just loved that throw on the back plate. Even had it on my watch list for a while, but your pics are much better than the listing. My guess is a British or Australian manufacturer. Truly a unique and highly complex reel. Thanks for sharing!

[reeltackle]

Yup, I saw it on eBay and was intrigued as I had never seen one like it before. All the room inside the raised side-plates got the better of me and my imagination and I put in a low bid. A nice little surprise.

[klonder]

I'm thinking a salt water trolling/trotting reel, beefy to stand up to big fish as evidence by the foot attachment, where all the "pull" would be. Is a 4"er? The throw shaft is cam'd to allow tighting of the leather? spool break. The only adjustment ? Looks belt driven
Just thoughts and questions.

[Midway Tommy D]

Interesting reel, Ed. Are those A/R parts pot metal? That's an interesting "double dawg" setup, too.

[Steve]

Looks as if some gear shifting is possible. Two speeds?

[john elder]

Same thought re last… does the crank handle pull out to put in another gear?? Certainly a more interesting beast than i first thought! It’s gone from a funky one-off to a RN article!

[reeltackle]

I'm thinking a salt water trolling/trotting reel, beefy to stand up to big fish as evidence by the foot attachment, where all the "pull" would be. Is a 4"er? The throw shaft is cam'd to allow tighting of the leather? spool break. The only adjustment ? Looks belt driven
Just thoughts and questions.

Perhaps a salt water trolling reel but my guess would be a salmon fly reel. Yes, it is 4 inches in diameter. Yes, the drag switch on the rear side-plate tightens up the leather band to create drag. There is also a set screw coming in from the side of the side-plate that might be used to help with the initial setting. the leather belt does not turn if that is what you mean by belt driven.

Interesting reel, Ed. Are those A/R parts pot metal? That's an interesting "double dawg" setup, too.

I did not analyze the material that made up the A/R parts but they were made of a light material. The A/R piece that fits inside the inner toothed circle has a spring loaded pin that pushes up against the shaft to keep it in contact with the teeth on the inside of the toothed circle. The spool had three posts coming off the bottom any one of which could fit into the notch on the previously mentioned A/R piece. When the handle is turned the post on the spool turns with the spool moving the A/R piece around in the inner toothed circle.

Looks as if some gear shifting is possible. Two speeds?

Two speed - If so its not working and I haven't been able to figure out how to make it work. Any suggestions Mr. Pie?

Same thought re last… does the crank handle pull out to put in another gear??

I pull up on the crank handle and nothing happens. I'm a bit afraid to try and force it up. Would you like for me to send it to you for closer inspection? Let me know and if you want to try and unlock its secrets I will pop it in the mail to you.

[jr.evansii]

Both sets of intermediate gears appear to have the same number of teeth. That would mean that they have the same ratio and are working together/in tandem. Load sharing to reduce gear thickness? Balance/stabilization of the crank? Interesting.

J.

[Richard Lodge]

What he said!

Same thought re last… does the crank handle pull out to put in another gear?? Certainly a more interesting beast than i first thought! It’s gone from a funky one-off to a RN article!

[Steve]

A couple of features make me wonder if hardened grease is preventing crank/clutch movement. First, that "line tie flat" looks as if a pin (arrow) extends from it, as if it's a pin in a slot.
Second, the gearing doesn't make sense if there's no crank/clutch movement. In this pic, gears 2 and 4 are meshed, right? And if the gears were stacked on those posts extending from the headplate, 2 would also be meshed with 6, right? But that would leave gear 1 with no apparent function, unless it could slide inward and mesh with 3 and 5. Meanwhile, the arrow hints that the disc supporting gear 2 may be meant to slide into a circular recess in the spool flange. Possible? And if so, the imagined pin in the arbor would have a function. (There's something to be said about the advantages of holding a reel, rather than peering at pics.)

[klonder]

Innard pics 4&5 appear to show the end of the cluch pawl sheared off. Maybe why unoperational?

[john elder]

Is there enough room to flip the two gear stacks over so bigger gears can mesh with one another? If so, that would make for 1:1 ratio. The 5/6 stack appears to be farther from center so may mesh when flipped. 3/4 may be too close to do that. Play around and see… if works, compare ratios.

[Midway Tommy D]

Same thought re last… does the crank handle pull out to put in another gear??

I pull up on the crank handle and nothing happens. I'm a bit afraid to try and force it up. Would you like for me to send it to you for closer inspection? Let me know and if you want to try and unlock its secrets I will pop it in the mail to you.

That sounds like a heck of an idea.

[reeltackle]

OK ... Mr. Pie has has taken the liberty to name all the gears on MY reel, however, I don't like the names so I am going to rename them myself.

Gear 1 is Sally
Gear 2 is Bobby
Gear 3 is Jane
Gear 4 is Ollie
Gear 5 is Mary
Gear 6 is Tommy

So..........

Jane, Ollie, Mary, and Tommy are just sitting on the spool and are not where they would be in relation to Sally and Bobby if the reel was assembled. Also, Sally is raised up in the photo and not in her normal position where she would be when assembled. When the reel is assembled Sally sits directly on top of Bobby.

Jane, Mary, and Sally all fit together when assembled and Ollie, Tommy, and Bobby, all fit together when assembled ... my best guess cause I can't see through the side-plates. Remember, Jane, Ollie, Mary and Tommy all fit onto the two posts attached to the head-plate while Sally and Bobby sit on the spool arbor and ... you just can't put all the pieces on one side of the reel and close it up. Some parts go on the spool while the rest go on the head-plate and you have to try and get everything to match up when you are trying to put this gear sandwich back between the two slices of side-plates ... and ... at the same time you have to get one of the pins on the other side of the spool to match up with the hole in the A/R dog in the toothed circle.

I think that jr. evansii is correct when he say -

jr.evansii » Fri Jan 07, 2022 11:09 am
Both sets of intermediate gears appear to have the same number of teeth. That would mean that they have the same ratio and are working together/in tandem. Load sharing to reduce gear thickness? Balance/stabilization of the crank? Interesting.

Here's why - Ollie and Tommy mesh with Bobby. Jane and Mary mesh with Sally. Bobby is smaller than Sally. Ollie and Tommy, who are larger than Jane and Mary, could not be pulled up to mesh with Sally because Sally is larger than Bobby and, Olie and Tommy being large themselves, would just bump into Sally's big bottom. Right???

Thoughts???

[klonder]

So it's a "cluster impairement", yes?
What's the tail end of the spool look like?
Don't believe it's been shown.

[Steve]

LGBTQ gearing?

Thoughts???

Never again!

[reeltackle]

What's the tail end of the spool look like?
Don't believe it's been shown.

If you think I'm gonna open that can of worms up again.......

LGBTQ gearing?

No, just boys on top of girls or girls on top of boys depending on which way your holding the reel.

Thoughts???
Never again!

Don't be so pessimistic, you'll have thoughts again, we all count on you for them.

[klonder]

What's the tail end of the spool look like?
Don't believe it's been shown.

If you think I'm gonna open that can of worms up again.......

LGBTQ gearing?

No, just boys on top of girls or girls on top of boys depending on which way your holding the reel.

Thoughts???
Never again!

Don't be so pessimistic, you'll have thoughts again, we all count on you for them.

Over my head I think??

[Midway Tommy D]

Sounds like a complicated organism...........or something like that, anyway.