Need help with Dark washers on Oceanic drag handle

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Reelman2
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Need help with Dark washers on Oceanic drag handle

Post by Reelman2 »

Can someone tell me what the breakable thin washers on an Oceanic reel with a Williams drag handle are made of. What can one do if they break them.
Collect mostly Ky style reels; Meek, Heddon, Horton, Pflueger Redifor and Worth, etc.

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Brian F.
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Re: Need help with Dark washers on Oceanic drag handle

Post by Brian F. »

Hi Bill, I believe that material is laminated and compressed fiberglass, what they called Micarta or better known by the brand name, Formica. I'm not sure what you can use that's available today. I've heard of guys using thin leather. Maybe shaving down the Penn HT100 drag washers?
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seruga
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Re: Need help with Dark washers on Oceanic drag handle

Post by seruga »

can you post a picture of the drag handle. I have the model carrying patd. nov 16 '09. I have the same situation. This model drag had 2 drag washers that are listed as "fibre" washers in the schematic. If you are not too concerned with period material there is a company in the UK that makes a carbontex washer that is the same size as this model handle. Otherwise the leather option mentioned by the other poster sounds like a reasonable solution.
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Re: Need help with Dark washers on Oceanic drag handle

Post by Paul Roberts »

Leather drag washers are easy to make. Carbontex is easy to modify with sandpaper and/or fine needle files.
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seruga
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Re: Need help with Dark washers on Oceanic drag handle

Post by seruga »

I ended up purchasing the carbontex washers from the UK supplier. They took a while to arrive but when they were installed they fit perfectly and worked like a dream. The drag is responsive and very tight. Great solution to get this old drag handle working like new. it is not original but function over form prevailed in this case.
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RonG
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Re: Need help with Dark washers on Oceanic drag handle

Post by RonG »

Hey Bill,

Please send me the OD and ID of the washers and how many you need. I might have some that fit. The ones I have look like those in this photo that came from the Zwarg factory. They were used on the Maximo salt water reel drags.

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Brian F.
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Re: Need help with Dark washers on Oceanic drag handle

Post by Brian F. »

seruga wrote: Tue Feb 07, 2023 11:04 pm .....there is a company in the UK that makes a carbontex washer that is the same size as this model handle. Otherwise the leather option mentioned by the other poster sounds like a reasonable solution.
Could you please share company and size that you ordered?

Leather works ok if not fishing it but friend of mine that does says they turn to mush after a while. Maybe its the type of leather, don't know.
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seruga
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Re: Need help with Dark washers on Oceanic drag handle

Post by seruga »

I purchased them from Blak Dog Tackle
Blakdogtackle.com
2-Carbontex Drag Washer - 40.45 x 21.05 x 0.76mm

Don't let the name fool you. Blak is the correct spelling. There is a black dog tackle in the US but that is not the site I purchased the washers from

on the blakdogtackle.com site go to the <smooth drag carbontex washer> section and then select <loose carbontex washers>

I know the blak dog washers fit the earlier version of the williams drag handle.

Two carbontex washers are used in the handle. They are sandwiched in between the crank and the metal washers. One on top and one on the bottom.

Installation from the bottom up looks like this:

metal washer - concave facing up
carbontex washer
handle
carbontex washer
metal washer - concave facing down
star wheel

As a side note I recently purchased some other washers from smooth drag in the US. I thought I saw the same or similar size on their site. You will have to double check their site to confirm.

Both companies are very helpful and provide good customer service.

Hope this helps

Chris
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Brian F.
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Re: Need help with Dark washers on Oceanic drag handle

Post by Brian F. »

Thanks, Chris. Will check them out. I believe the handle you needed washers for might have been this Williams Drag handle, either the counterbalanced or double knob version.




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Brian F.
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Paul Roberts
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Re: Need help with Dark washers on Oceanic drag handle

Post by Paul Roberts »

A U.S. source for Carbontex is Smooth Drag (smoothdrag.com). Dawn is the contact person. Been with them for years. Very knowledgeable.

Can’t vouch for the leather. I’ve made some from various leathers, greased them, and they work on hand. Not sure yet how they’ll fare over time when fishing. For big fast long running fish, may not be the best choice. I do have some heavy “bull hide” that can be sanded down in thickness. Might be what was used back in the day?
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Brian F.
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Re: Need help with Dark washers on Oceanic drag handle

Post by Brian F. »

Thanks, Paul
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Brian F.
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Got a spare reel stamped "Pflueger" or a Montague Imperial?
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