Let's see a pic of your reel cleaning station...

[Jim Madden]

I bet there's not a one as cluttered as mine, but ...I know where everything is? There's a close-up of the station and a longer shot of the corner. A Kast Master sits on the parts tray ready to come apart. The baggies have reels waiting to go in some of the cases that you can see on the floor. The walls out of view are worse. They're full of rods and reels I use for fishing along with some Orchard rods color coordinated with reels for a display I'm working on. Picture taking station is on the right. From Simichrome to Goo Be Gone - it looks more like a hardware store, but it does get me through the winter. My wife comes in and just shakes her head. I'm sure you've seen the look. Life is good! Let's see some more.
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[mortepa]

Good Topic! Very impressive Jim!

Sometimes when you live in a little one-bedroom apartment, compromises need to be made. So, I made my kitchen sink and counter the cleaning station. My stove has turned into the photo studio. When I need to eat, I need to remove the whole studio to cook a frozen pizza. I am sure I can't be the only one that works it like this. Hey, but it works!

Cleaning station:
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Photo Studio:
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[Reel Geezer]

I should have known! Only someone who numbers his fishing reels and rotates them according to the number to keep the wear equal would have a reel cleaning bench that looks that neat. I would also bet that "I love NY Reels" also has a bench like that - except his probably has an atomic microscope along with his sonic cleaner.

[Jim Madden]

See what happens when you tell your secrets to the editor of a magazine! I bet the Geezer's shop is as orderly as a drug store. And, Paul. I love your attitude. Food, we don't need no stinking food - when there's reels cleaned. Let's see some more.

[Steve]

I don't know why folks are wasting so much valuable living space. I keep the sonic bath in the garage. To clean a reel, I tie a string to it, dunk it in the solvent, sonicate it, pull it out, drain it, and let it dry. If it needs lubrication after that, I dunk it in a beaker of oil, wipe off the excess, and list it on eBay. I bet I lose fewer parts than most other collectors and when I do, I can usually find them somewhere in the tire treads.

Please let me know if you would like to see a pic of my garage floor.

[Jim Madden]

OK, Steve. I bet you fish with dynamite too! Ha, ha!

[Harvey]

You guys make me sick!

I have reels and parts spread through out my Apt. This morning I had Eggs and Spools for breckfast
My trouble it I take them apart and then get the parts mixed up with the ones I took apart last month. I am now trying to put together a Shakpflubendaugue reel and all the screws don't seem to fit!

"H"

[Steve]

Harvey, Teflon drag washers are easier to chew and swallow. Try them in an omelet. And if you need my Southmontegerespeare, maybe we can trade.

Jim, thanks for the idea. Haven't had much luck throwing rocks or ugly reels at them.

[reeljohn2]

Hello all,
I am trying to figure out how to do posting of URL's and pictures to get started on my reel web site so here goes. Who is the best to contact regarding how this stuff works best with this site. Ive tried to include a list equipment ansd supplies I use for cleaning and a list of URL's for pictures of my temporary set up for cleaning here in our little apartment in Colorado. dont know how to make these clickable yet.
Regards
John

Reel cleaning equipment and supplies

Equipment
Soft Jaw Vice for holding reels
Line winder
Clean resealable cans for solvent soaking
Several Stainless steel flat bottom bowls for parts cleaning and storage (different sizes)
Aluminum plates to cover bowls
Screw drivers (I really like step ground type from Small Parts Inc catalog (swiss))
Smooth jaw pliers (large and small)
Soft jaw pliers
Smooth jaw small long nose vice grips
Small crescent wrenches (both small sizes)
Set of small combination wrenches
Set of 1/4 inch sockets
Gun cleaning pics
Manual and automatic center punch
Tiny center drills
Large angle rose nose countersink (for deburring holes and removing rivets when required)
Small drill chuck with handle
Screw gauge (to measure the diameter and pitch of screws)
Set of small “number drills” and taps for common screw sizes
Set of swiss pattern files smooth cut (for repairs of various buggered parts)
Small ball peen hammer (small size for drive pins and center punch)
Drive pin set for removal of pins and stuck shafts
Dremel variable speed (for drilling small holes and occasional polishing use)



Supplies
Mineral spirits
Penetrating oil
WD40
Shop towels
Paper plates for disassembly and assembly (when they get oily-get a new one!)
Plastic bags which can be closed (zip-lock)
Plastic containers with lids for clean small parts
Solvent cleaning brushes (range of sizes in plastic and natural bristles)
Dishwashing soap (good soap is worth twice the price)
Vegetable brush (for soap and water cleaning after solvent cleaning)
Tooth brush (several different stiffnesses, some narrow cut down brushes)
Wire brush with 0.003 “ bristles (narrow and wide used with WD40)
Tooth picks (for detailing, I like the Cracker Barrel single-ended style)
Bamboo skewers (for ID and detail cleaning)
Assortment of bamboo chop sticks (several diameters for ID cleaning)
Soft Baby type Q-tips
Cleaning swabs (hard tips for ID’s and tougher grunge)
Clean soft cloth
Small felt wheels for Dremel (several grades and widths)
Several sizes of polishing compound ( from 20 micron down to about 1 micron)
Several silicon oil polishing cloths
Silicon oil
Silicon oil with Teflon
Silicon grease
Silicon grease with teflon


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[Phantom Fisher]

Hi, John!

If I understand your question, you're 99.9% of the way there. Just type [img] before and [img/] after the URL of your pictures and they'll appear in the listing. (Or highlight the URL and click the Img box.)

Now, how about returning that Perez to Long Island?

[Harvey]

ReelJohn,
You don't have a reel cleaning station. You have a hardware store. I have never owned that much stuff in my life. Thanks for the list. Now I know what I need to complete all the reels that I have apart.
harvey

[joe klaus]

I'd be ashamed to post a picture of my huge leather recliner with a TV tray on each side, both of them covered with parts, tools etc etc. That recliner occasionally refuses to return some of the little screws that I inevitably drop. But he's forgiven if he lets me watch Everybody Loves Raymond while I work.

Harvey's comments brought a smile. I got baggies too, scattered here and there, each of them containing a reel torn all to pieces. But it's not entirely my fault. Sometimes, during the process of working on reel "A", I find a Reel "B" that cries out to me---demanding immediate attention. I'm then forced to put Reel A and all of his parts (hopefully) in the baggy, because Reel B is really raising hell. I'll get back to those baggy reel A's one of these days.

For reeljohn 2: wow. I agree with Harvey. I'm copying your list into a folder where I keep stuff like that.

For Jim Madden: Now I know why the reels I get from you are always in such nice condition.

For Steve: Now that you've revealed your secret method for sprucing up your ebay reels, I had to demote my book-mark for your Ebay Sellers List. Got transferred out of my folder entitled "Ebay Sellers: Top of Line" all the way down to "Ebay Sellers: Probably O.K."

[Steve]

Thanks, Joe. It's lucky I didn't mention how to polish the reels in a rock tumbler.

[reeljohn2]

The way I see it the reels and tools have a strong reinforcing effect on each other. The only thing I am compelled to buy more than tools is vintage reels ( and maybe user fly fishing gear) Soooo- My reel collection, cleaning reels, and reel restoration are great reasons to acquire more cool tools - annnnd -since I got this neat rivet punch and die set- I really must find some vintage reels with rivet problems so I can try them out- This "logic" has resulted in a growing collection and tool set -lot of enjoyment and relaxation- and a growing group of friend who suffer from similar "logical" behavior.

Seriously I am interested in discussing ways to remove grunge without disturbing the plating./anodizing/paint underneath. I currently soak the part in mineral spirits for about a week in a closed paint can. Then I use dishwashing soap and hot water to clean with a tooth brush and toothpicks to remove the loosened material. If its still bad I put in WD40 and let it soak awhile then clean again with soap and water. What do you use for these first steps? Do any of you use Goo Be Gone?

I think I "need" to acquire an ultra sonic cleaning bath. Anybody have good stories about advantages of reel cleaning using ultrasonication? Seems to me like with the proper solvent some of the stuck screw problems might be alleviated.

[john elder]

I still haven't found anything that does the job better than Simichrome and TV, using an old sock or two and a toothbrush. Really, the only way to do it properly is to break the reel down all the way and do the pieces separately. With most reels, that's not a trial by fire and it gives you a chance to properly lube everything on the way back out. A lot of smutz will also come off with Gel Gloss and I use that often, but it doesn't have the power of Simichrome. the rubber sideplates respond really well to treatment with a spray called Fluid Film, which is a lanolin-based non-toxic product that lubricates and retards oxidation on tools and parts.

This type of cleaning will often remove some "patina", but shouldn't harm plating that isn't already history. There is much made of patina by some, but two points: 1) if the reel is so bad you want to clean it with a sonicator, it isn't likely to have a patina you'd ever want to see again; and 2) I've found, at least with the old german silver reels, that it's like cleaning the silverware...a few months and most of the patina is back. i've hear people complain that you just can't get it back, but I'm not buying in...metal oxidizes, whether we want it to or not!

[Steve]

Reeljohn2,
We had some chit-chat about sonic cleaners last Fall. The last messages were posted in Nov., and they're sitting on what is currently page 7 of Reel Talk. Go there, search for "sonic," and you'll find the conversation.

[Harvey]

This has been a joy to read these post. After much thought,
here is my final synopsis of the people that I have met.

First, Jim Madden. If I ever own a classic car, I want Jim
to take care of it. To those who have met Jim, have you
noticed that EVERY hair in his beard is exactly the same length.
Enough said.

Len. He is much like Jim except on a smaller scale.
(no pun intended.) With him, it is like, you clean it till it is
clean then you clean it to make sure it is clean.

Steve, Well, he just studies and researches it till the dirt
and patina falls off.

Laurie is one that doesn’t care to clean anything that isn’t
from New York and then it had better be from the turn of
the century. She would probably try to talk Ted into doing
it for her while she walks the dog.

And I can just see Joe Klaus now! Setting in his leather
easy chair, the remote to the 60” plasma on one arm and
a glass of Beefeaters on the rocks on the other. He is deciding
on either Jerry Springer, working on the reel that he took
apart in 1996 or tearing down a reel that he has been meaning
to do for a year now. A shucks, lets just go out back by the
lake and take a nap!

Now Phil. He would select a reel from the thousands that he
has. He would carefully take it completely apart, study
each and every part for damage, wear, dirt and condition,
selective lubricate each part in the exact proper spot while
taking notes for a future article for the “Reel News”. After
the final assembly, he would fill it with line, put it on a Bristol
rod , attach a “Herb’s Dilly” to the end of the line and go out
front and catch a bass with it.

To the rest of the guys, Paul, Reel John and John E., I will
have to pass judgment till I can study your habits more.

Myself. If a little soap, water and a tooth brush doesn’t
take care of it, so be it. I clean my reels much
like I clean myself. Yes, sometimes I have to use that toothbrush
to get to some hard to reach places. As for polishing them, I
am 60 years old and have a lot of scratches, dents, nicks and
a little rust myself. I can live with that!

Thanks again for some great reading material and some great tips.
Harvey

[Brian F.]

Harvey,
You made me laugh so hard at 5:00 am HST my neighbors thought I was crazy!
Aloha and Mahalo to you!

[Jim Madden]

Harvey, I agree with Brian. My wife had to come in here to see why I was laughing so hard. It's been said that if you look closely enough at a person walking by with their dog on leash that you'll notice some similarities between the two. (I'm assuming Phil's pup is an attractive one!) Well, I think some pretty interesting personalities are coming out in the various cleaning places and practices we've seen here. One thing that seems to be a common thread, and that's the true enjoyment involved with the whole thing. I've taken some notes and have had a heck of a good time peeking into some other "reel worlds". Thanks to all who have and will respond! Jim

[reeljohn2]

Jim,
I am interested in the main MATERIALS AND TOOLS/IMPLEMENTS you use for cleaning your reels. Id be please if you named the primary things you use on your cleaning bench. For example - What do you use goo be gone for? Im going to figure out how to get a web site going here soon. The pictures I posted didnt work. steve thanks for your advice - its been encouraging for me.
Reeljohn

[Jim Madden]

Reejohn, if you talk to some of the other guys, you'll probably get a whole different set of tools and cleaning products. We just use what works for us and borrow ideas now and then from others. I use a parts tray with a dozen compartments for soaking parts and keeping them in disassembly order form left to right. I spray everything with WD40 first and I may let them soak in the compartment all night. I have four rags ready. One that stays clean from dirt to wipe off cleaned parts or the entire reel when done. I need another for putting on Brasso or Simochrome and another for buffing. The dirty rag is the one that I use to take off the dirt. It may last for only 2-3 reels. I probably use cotton pipe cleaners more than anything else. You can fold them and shape them to fit in some tough spots and you can put pressure on them if needed (making sure you never expose the wire inside). I use Q-tips, toothbrushes, and dental tools. You need all the company screwdrivers for tight fits, and a toothless vice and pliers. I use Goo Gone for taking off glue left from price stickers. It takes any kind of glue or anything sticky off in seconds. I use Armor All for bakelite and plastic. It literally brings them back to the original look overnight. It'll take those old faded Cardinal 4 spools and make them look dark and new again, and it does wonders to bakelite side plates. I have leather treatments for reel cases and thumb breaks, and white vinegar for serious soaking. As for the grease and oil, I primarily use Abu Garcia Silicote, but I have thicker grease for bail spring packing and thinner oil for tournament casting reels. I know it will make some ORCANs cringe, but I have found that 0000 steel wool will work on all but the shiniest surfaces especially if followed by Simochrome - same with a rotary tool with brass brushes for the worst corrosion or screw heads. What else? - a mic to check screw sizes, tweasers, lighted magnifying glasses, penetrating oil, precision screw drivers, retaining ring tool, pointed and hooked tools, a small pocket knife for scraping out old grease. My wife says they're just more toys. She's probably right, and I do love the smell of freshly applied oil. Hope this helps. Jim

[Brian F.]

My reel cleaning station wouldn't make a good photo, mainly because it's all put away into a drawer most of the time! I get everything all set out and start working when, as it never fails, I have to clean up and make it all disappear so we can use the space for some other task. The other reason why I like to put everything away is that the solvent smells tend to bother others in the house. So if you can imagine Bruce Wayne's (AKA Batman) reel cleaning station folding down out of a wall of bookshelves or spinning around from the back of an entertainment center, I'm pretty close but not automated.

I gots reels apart and stored in ziploc bags too but I started using those Glad disposable plastic food containers. They're clear so you can see what's lurking in there for me to finish up and they're rigid so I don't have to worry about bending things.

For cleaning off oil, old grease and fish guts, I use Corrosion Bloc or Corrosion X (seems to work better than WD-40). Soaking or wiping as required for the severity. Before that though, I like to try and see what comes off with Huggies Baby Wipes. You'd be amazed at what that stuff takes off, including some of the nastiest grease. I don't know if I should be amazed that it does such a great job or worried for using it on my kids rear ends. You do need to be careful with highly polished surfaces as the fiber used in the wipes is not the finest or anything as gentle as a soft cotton cloth.

For crusty white oxidation and that lumpy green ...(ahem).."patina", off it comes with plain old undiluted white vinegar. If I can't soak the parts, sometimes I soak a paper towel and wrap it around the area where I want to clean, like the arbor of a spool. I notice when soaking a spool, the vinegar might affect the steel journals or toothed gears afixed to the spool. The paper towel limits where I apply the vinegar nicely.

Then, on John Elder's advice, I polish with a cotton cloth and use a toothbrush to get into those nooks and crannies. I alternate between Autosol (for heavier jobs) and Simichrome (for lighter oxidation).

I might take longer than if I used some of the other equpiment or techniques described by others but not in a big rush after all.

Hope this added a few ideas.

[clinton_beeler]

I'm glad somebody knows how to do this. Father gave me a very rare reel and I'd like to clean and lubricate it. Before Zebco came out with the model 33 they made (we believe) six test pieces and sent them out for field testing. When they were returned they were examined and changes were made before production began. Mine was tested by "Rusty". The front and rear covers are painted brass. The body appears to be chrome over polished aluminum. The spinnerhead is plastic...

Something tells me I'm about to get a lot of practice at this. Father has a box filled with early Zebco prototypes including a little reel that I just can't get out of my head. It's a 22 that's been modified. The back cover doesn't have the "marble". Instead it has a pair of arms sticking out which are connected by a piece of aluminum forming a crude "thumb stop". I'm wondering if this is where the 33 began. I took pictures and when I get them developed and scanned I'll probably also need help posting some.

Any thoughts would help.

Regards,
Clinton

[Jim Madden]

When this one arrived, it looked even worse than the auction picture. I didn't think that would be possible. I was sure it was going to be the an expensive parts reel but it began to show signs of life. I'd love to take one more swipe at this first model #1131, but I don't think there's enough plating left. JIm

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[SWIM JIG]

I now know where to send our reels, If jim can clean one with out a handle or other parts and end up having these former missing parts appear, ( well out goes our parts inventory and look out Jim I have several I am going to send you (to Clean and make the parts appear!) ha ha what is you charge for this? hey guys does Jim have a wand he waves? Jim can you do 35 a week? if so I will have more time on this electronic contraption and does that include the like new finish? or is it the WD40? hmmm, A box of 50 are now being ready to ship to you! Harvy get those rusty shakes out and LEN! seems as if he only does it once! ITs fishing time and We will have lots of it! anyway Jim , I want 2 of those machines you use, maybe 3 as 1 will go to bill sposky and the other to Don champion! Your elated Ohio conection Col. Milton Lorens aka SWIM JIG, and jim dont get too close to the machine as it may reverse itself and presto no more JIM?