Hey Ole Lionel Engineer,
When I was a kid I fished an Airex reel cause that's what my dad bought me -- an Airex Larchmont 'till it just won't go any more and caught some very memorable fish. Seems to me this is one of the very first Rear/Lever Drag Spinning reels ever built.
So now I've decided to try and bring an old Larchmont back to life. I'm struggling big time with the bail spring assembly. The one I have the spring in broken in. Bit I have bend a new one that the spitting image of the old one. Now if I could just figure how to get it back together.
There's just the piece that turns that the bail mounts to, the spring and a hood that has a screw that seems to be part of the hood itself.. Hmmm...?
I'm hoping someone out there knows a few secrets.
Cordially, Rich
Airex
you will be reciving all of 2006 reel nres!!!!
cool-thumb jump jump usa Halecon, as my memory recals, I just done a repair artical in the REEL NEWS this year on The larchmont #3 reel, how to repair it and a good pictorial digram of the reel. I belive new members get all the mags for the year they join! If you donot recive your copies , email me at () and inclose your mailing address so I can mail you a copy of the proper diagram. I will need the model # like a #3? also did you know the 3s had 2 drags on them? Your Ohio conection on lake Erie, Col. Milton lorens aka SWIM JIG epiphany
Thanx for the input,
Well, on the way home from work I had an epiphany about how the bail spring assembly must be arranged. Low and behold I was right. Now I have an some what worn --on the outside-- Larchmont that works as good as new with a hand wound bail spring. -- not over powered but nice and snappy.
Time to spool it up with 4lb and have some fun. I sure am fond of that lever drag adustment on the back of the reel -- seems strange no one ever built a reel with more sophisitcated drag materials. It makes a great bait runner!
Good Fishin' & Better Catchin', Rich
Well, on the way home from work I had an epiphany about how the bail spring assembly must be arranged. Low and behold I was right. Now I have an some what worn --on the outside-- Larchmont that works as good as new with a hand wound bail spring. -- not over powered but nice and snappy.
Time to spool it up with 4lb and have some fun. I sure am fond of that lever drag adustment on the back of the reel -- seems strange no one ever built a reel with more sophisitcated drag materials. It makes a great bait runner!
Good Fishin' & Better Catchin', Rich
Airex Larchmont bail spring
Rich, Making a spring took some real patience. I commend you. The Larchmont had three models and believe it or not each model had updates and improvements. They each have a different bail spring part number and are different. I have more parts bins dedicated to the Larchmont than any other reels. I do have new parts and used parts reels if you are ever in the need of something. I was just in Canada and took three modern reels along and one model 3 Larchmont. I used it to cast spoons for Northerns, (Jacks in Canada), and I hooked into a large fish. I was using 8 lb. line with a steel leader. I set the drag lever and let it tire the fish down where I could get ahold of it and unhook it along side the boat. It measured about 40". One thing I have seen when using the new line ie. Spider wire etc. it can wear a groove in the line roller. I see that roller seized up on most that I have worked on, so make sure it spins smoothly. Which model do you have? Take care, Bob
Larchmont questions
Hi Bob,
Mine is the one with the single lever drag. The reel is a brownish black color. It's a very simple reel. I caught some monster carp as a kid on this reel with 4 pound line as a kid back in New Jersey where I grew up. I fished it in the inlets for fluke and caught some bass and pickerel with it too.
The one I have didn't have the brass washer that goes between the spool and the spool cap. As a result I had to get western to get it off when the aluminum insert let go of the spool cap. I've put it back together with epoxy with black pigment. It'll be as good as new when I do a little more finish work to it. I have lots of experience with epoxy and ployester resin as I build custom surfboard fins. I found that a nickle is exactly the right size to replace this missing washer so I just drilled it. I have to thin it out a little but it'll be fine.
One thing I would like help with is in getting the drag to release without being jumpy. Many drag mechanizms work best with no lubrication at all. When I serviced the reel I put the green compression parts and outside of the keyed bronze barrel that the spool shaft goes through back together dry. It needs something to make it release nicely though. It runs well once it's paying out but the intitiation is jumpy. All the parts are nice and smooth so a tip would set me off in the right direction to get the drag to work properly would be greatly appreciated.
Hoping to get my hands on the model 3. I guess this is the best of the Larchmont, right?
Cordially, Rich
Mine is the one with the single lever drag. The reel is a brownish black color. It's a very simple reel. I caught some monster carp as a kid on this reel with 4 pound line as a kid back in New Jersey where I grew up. I fished it in the inlets for fluke and caught some bass and pickerel with it too.
The one I have didn't have the brass washer that goes between the spool and the spool cap. As a result I had to get western to get it off when the aluminum insert let go of the spool cap. I've put it back together with epoxy with black pigment. It'll be as good as new when I do a little more finish work to it. I have lots of experience with epoxy and ployester resin as I build custom surfboard fins. I found that a nickle is exactly the right size to replace this missing washer so I just drilled it. I have to thin it out a little but it'll be fine.
One thing I would like help with is in getting the drag to release without being jumpy. Many drag mechanizms work best with no lubrication at all. When I serviced the reel I put the green compression parts and outside of the keyed bronze barrel that the spool shaft goes through back together dry. It needs something to make it release nicely though. It runs well once it's paying out but the intitiation is jumpy. All the parts are nice and smooth so a tip would set me off in the right direction to get the drag to work properly would be greatly appreciated.
Hoping to get my hands on the model 3. I guess this is the best of the Larchmont, right?
Cordially, Rich
Larchmont reel
Rich, You are right about the drag in as much as it CAN'T be dry. I put a bit of grease on the barrel that sits inside the drag assy. Generally that makes it smooth. Here's how to identify the model you have; on the body side with the handle near the spool cup it will be plain for a model 1. The model 1 has a very shallow cup around the line spool. Then in raised letters it will say model 2 in the same area, and the same for model 3. Model 2 and 3 have a deep line spool cup. I have a model 3 in all black and one in all gold finish. It sounds like you have a model 1. I just checked and I have a clean used spool cap that I will give you. I took it off a spare "parts reel". Is there anything else you could use from it? All I need is your address. You know how to loosen and tighten the drag, right? I mean if you lift the drag lever away from the body and turn it counter clock wise, (its spring loaded) you can make it so loose it will let the spool run free. I mention this because so many guys think the drag is only adjustable by the rotation of the lever as it sits. Most people think the old reels like Airex turn hard, but thats because they are used to handling reels with ball bearings in them. As you know this reel has bushings. Rich, I will be away from my computor for a few days and may not get back to you right away. Don't worry though, as I check it every few days. This time of year I'm at our cabin and just come to the apartment to do laundry or other errands. Best of luck with your reel, Bob
pine tar and wax
Hi Bob,
I thought to myself, "What will make this thing work like it ought to?
Something nice and tacky! That's it!"
Well, I figured the best thing to do was turn the clock back a little and think about what they would have used 'back in the day' for making things release nicely. Tell you what ~ this reel has the sweetest drag you ever felt now. First I tried grease but the drag release was still just as jumpy as ever.
So a dab of pine tar mixed with a little wax from a standard plumbing bowl sealing wax-ring and Wa La! All these years as a self employed plumber help in ways I never would have expected. I remember as a kid taking this reel apart and cleaning it up but never realing understanding what would make it work best. It feels great to bring something so simple back to life that gave so much pleasure and peace to me in my formative years.
No Worries, Rich
I thought to myself, "What will make this thing work like it ought to?
Something nice and tacky! That's it!"
Well, I figured the best thing to do was turn the clock back a little and think about what they would have used 'back in the day' for making things release nicely. Tell you what ~ this reel has the sweetest drag you ever felt now. First I tried grease but the drag release was still just as jumpy as ever.
So a dab of pine tar mixed with a little wax from a standard plumbing bowl sealing wax-ring and Wa La! All these years as a self employed plumber help in ways I never would have expected. I remember as a kid taking this reel apart and cleaning it up but never realing understanding what would make it work best. It feels great to bring something so simple back to life that gave so much pleasure and peace to me in my formative years.
No Worries, Rich
Larchmont Model 3
I check on Ebay for a this model and there was one that looked pretty good that went for cheap. I looked at the photos and couldn't see much difference between it and the one I have. Just one drag lever on the back. Though the barrel that spins and carries the bail might be a little deeper. Other that that what's the difference?
Gone Fishin', Rich
Gone Fishin', Rich
Larchmonts
I think your's is a model one. The one you are talking about is probably and model 2 or 3. The 2 & 3's had several changes to them. The line bail is different, the spool is deeper, the bail tripping mech. is different just to mention a few of the changes. One other thing the the model 3's have a tooth cut collar beneath the drag lever. The model 1 & 2 doesn't. The anti-reverse clicker is the same, the handle knob on the 1 & 2 are the same. The reel body halves are the same except the 2 and 3 have raised print telling that, the model one is blank. Also the parts in the drag are different in the model 1 to the model 2. Bob