The stumper

[Sir fishalot]

Has anyone seen this reel before?
Thank you, Mike

[Midway Tommy D]

It's a Langley Spinlite R810 with a modified clear sideplate. It might be a salesman sample, but if so it's the first one I've ever seen. Alan or Colby would know more about that aspect.

[Alan Baracco]

Mike,

Hard to know if the clear faceplate is factory. A "normal" metal faceplate was held on by the center screw only, the three small holes on the clear one you have would not mesh with anything inside the housing.

Alan

[john elder]

MHO, it’s a very nicely repainted Spinlite with that plexi sideplate added for artistic flair. It would certainly be a good piece to have if you were wanting to demonstrate how they worked!

J

[Alan Baracco]

Deke,

I agree, well said.

Alan

[Midway Tommy D]

I wouldn't mind seeing a couple more detailed photos of that clear cover. I doesn't look 3D recently made so I'm curious as to how someone could get a clear acrylic piece to fit an R810 that well. Those three screw holes are well out of place on a reel like that.

[Sir fishalot]

I agree with you Tommy D
Im not sure why the three holes were added to this side plate. I would think if it was a salesman sample it would fit just like an original side plate. I found another R810 buried in another box today.
Looking at the two reels side by side the finishes don't match, so it was a repaint. Not a bad job but you can see a few particles of dirt and the inside of the reel was painted as well. I am sending more details picks

Mike

[Sir fishalot]

[Sir fishalot]

If you hold the plate at the right angle to the light you can see the tooling marks.
The collector that had this in his collection was out of the game in the early 2000’s. So I don’t believe the it was done on a 3D printer. I could be wrong.
It’s very cool to watch the mechanics.
Guessing game for me.

I have a salesman sample of a martin reel and that plate fits just like the factory side plates fit with the martin engraving.

[Sir fishalot]

The last four pictures are in comparison to the factory side plate

[Midway Tommy D]

That's really weird. I would have thought a real factory SS sideplate would have been a spittin' image of the regular side cover. Looks like someone went to an awful lot of work. Are there any noticeable glue joints where the rim meets the flat portion?

[Sir fishalot]

No there are no glue joints.
It’s machined from one piece of acrylic.
It measures the same in length and width but it doesn’t fit the same as the factory side plate.
The mounting hole wasn’t drilled in the right location so there is a 1/8 inch gap at the top of the reel and it over hangs the same amount at the back of the reel.
Did you notice the small pin? I think it was put there to help align the hole in the center for the mounting screw.
I was thinking it was made as a replacement so it could still be fished. Maybe.
Mike

[Midway Tommy D]

Interesting, clearly not an original SS piece.