Malleson with Maladies
- john elder
- Star Board Poster
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- Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 2:44 pm
Malleson with Maladies
Our Secretary Treasure, Roger Schulz checked in with a neat little Conroy reel made by Frederick Malleson. It is supposed to be a 2:1 multiplying fly reel, geared so that the crank resides in the center as with a single action fly reel, and gears are set to maintain retrieval of line under the spool. Trouble was that Roger's reel was acting as a single action 1:1 geared fly reel. So, the mission was figure out why and see if the problem could be resolved.
Here is an ad for the reel, touting it's features and highlighting that "minute hand" clicker control found on many Malleson reels:
Roger's reel showed its age and had lost most of its plating, but was still clearly badged for Conroy and the outside was intact:
Taking a look at the gear stack revealed that the critical drive gear was missing. However, the drive shaft was totally frozen up in the spool so that the spool still turned:
Here is a video of my Malleson with similar gears so you can see how it should behave:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/oitittgatazak ... 2.MOV?dl=0
So, I put some Kroil on the drive shaft, then heated the spool with a torch. A few good raps with a plastic hammer on the drive shaft liberated it from the spool:
Give the degraded condition of the end of the old drive shaft, it was necessary to turn a new steel shaft, making the faceplate end compatible with the handle and the back plate side suitable to wed to a drive gear. I squared off the latter end similar to how the shaft in my Malleson as well as drilled and tapped that end to receive a 2-56 retaining screw:
After riffling through my stash of gears, I found only one candidate that might work. It was an aluminum gear, rather than brass and the center hole was too large, but I threaded and plugged it with brass,
fixed in place with JB Weld@. I drilled a hole in the center, then squared it off to fit on the new drive shaft:
Given the difficulty of getting gears to mesh properly, I had primal doubts this was going to work....but amazingly, it did, and yielded a 2:1 gear ratio on to of that! I doubt I'll ever get that lucky again...twas stupid luck to get that gear to mesh with Malleson's!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uvs2p57crikrs ... 5.MOV?dl=0
Here is an ad for the reel, touting it's features and highlighting that "minute hand" clicker control found on many Malleson reels:
Roger's reel showed its age and had lost most of its plating, but was still clearly badged for Conroy and the outside was intact:
Taking a look at the gear stack revealed that the critical drive gear was missing. However, the drive shaft was totally frozen up in the spool so that the spool still turned:
Here is a video of my Malleson with similar gears so you can see how it should behave:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/oitittgatazak ... 2.MOV?dl=0
So, I put some Kroil on the drive shaft, then heated the spool with a torch. A few good raps with a plastic hammer on the drive shaft liberated it from the spool:
Give the degraded condition of the end of the old drive shaft, it was necessary to turn a new steel shaft, making the faceplate end compatible with the handle and the back plate side suitable to wed to a drive gear. I squared off the latter end similar to how the shaft in my Malleson as well as drilled and tapped that end to receive a 2-56 retaining screw:
After riffling through my stash of gears, I found only one candidate that might work. It was an aluminum gear, rather than brass and the center hole was too large, but I threaded and plugged it with brass,
fixed in place with JB Weld@. I drilled a hole in the center, then squared it off to fit on the new drive shaft:
Given the difficulty of getting gears to mesh properly, I had primal doubts this was going to work....but amazingly, it did, and yielded a 2:1 gear ratio on to of that! I doubt I'll ever get that lucky again...twas stupid luck to get that gear to mesh with Malleson's!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uvs2p57crikrs ... 5.MOV?dl=0
ORCA member since 1999
Honorary Life Member
Specializing in saltwater reels...and fly reels...and oh, yeah, kentucky style reels.....and those tiny little RP reels.....oh, heck...i collect fishing reels!...and fly rods....and lures
Honorary Life Member
Specializing in saltwater reels...and fly reels...and oh, yeah, kentucky style reels.....and those tiny little RP reels.....oh, heck...i collect fishing reels!...and fly rods....and lures
- Midway Tommy D
- Star Board Poster
- Posts: 3141
- Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2013 11:23 pm
- Location: Eastern NE
Re: Malleson with Maladies
Amazing, JE! You are become quite a proficient machinist with that lathe!
Love those Open Face Spinning Reels! (Especially ABU & ABU/Zebco)
Tom DeLong, NE
ORCA Member - 2027
Tom DeLong, NE
ORCA Member - 2027
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- Advanced Board Poster
- Posts: 482
- Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 2:21 pm
- Location: Alpharetta, GA
Re: Malleson with Maladies
John
You did a fantastic job. We are lucky to have someone like you to help us with these beautiful, but challenging reels. I will try and make it look better on the outside, but I will not take it apart. Thanks again John.
Roger
You did a fantastic job. We are lucky to have someone like you to help us with these beautiful, but challenging reels. I will try and make it look better on the outside, but I will not take it apart. Thanks again John.
Roger
Re: Malleson with Maladies
Now that is professional level restoration! Amazing
-James-
New to reel collecting so bear with me please. I like reel deals!
New to reel collecting so bear with me please. I like reel deals!
- john elder
- Star Board Poster
- Posts: 8553
- Joined: Mon Sep 22, 2003 2:44 pm
Re: Malleson with Maladies
Thanks for the comments, guys. The good thing is that if an appropriate brass gear should fall from the sky, it would be a simple matter to sub it in for the aluminum one and make it “original”. I still have to set up and learn to hob gears.
ORCA member since 1999
Honorary Life Member
Specializing in saltwater reels...and fly reels...and oh, yeah, kentucky style reels.....and those tiny little RP reels.....oh, heck...i collect fishing reels!...and fly rods....and lures
Honorary Life Member
Specializing in saltwater reels...and fly reels...and oh, yeah, kentucky style reels.....and those tiny little RP reels.....oh, heck...i collect fishing reels!...and fly rods....and lures
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- Advanced Board Poster
- Posts: 351
- Joined: Wed Dec 05, 2007 6:59 pm
Re: Malleson with Maladies
Just incredible John! A piece I’d be proud to own! Tight Lines Nick
Wanted Ultra rare salt water reels including big game as well as unknown rare surf reels!
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- Super Board Poster
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- Joined: Mon Dec 14, 2020 1:35 pm
Re: Malleson with Maladies
I’m amazed at what you are able to do, John. So nice seeing old reels come back to life.
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