1940 Ocean City Panama 12/0 with new Aluminum knob

[m3040c]

Hello Everyone, I am not here to compete with John Elder, he is the BOMB when it comes to custom work but all is not wood.

Here's is a example of a New Old Stock Ocean City Panama 12/0 with a melted handle. I do not know why this would happen to a reel that has never had line of it but it did.


The handle, which should be a Torpedo type is melted and the reel is beautiful.

So, what to do I visited a old machinist friend of mine and here is what we created. We made two from aluminum stock on a old 1940's lathe. no CNC work here. The one on the reel is painted.


Knob on the left will be used in the future when I find another mint Panama with a melted handle. These knobs take at least a hour each to make the old fashioned way.


Now we have 1940 OC Panama 12/0 with a new look and a far superior handle than the original.

[Brian F.]

.. I do not know why this would happen to a reel that has never had line of it but it did...

I've had one handle that apparently reacted to corrugated cardboard (maybe the acid?). It seemed to make the oil leach out of the plastic knob and make it "shrink".

[Jim Wiegner]

Mike:

You and your friend do beautiful work. The term "Better than new" is often misused, however you could make a good case with this fine job.

Guaranteed not to warp, bend, rust or petrify! (And the reel isn't bad either). Way to go Mike.

Jim

[m3040c]

Brian,

Maybe the cardboard. I would always think it was the way certain plastics reacted to the sun but I guess I was wrong because this Panama has not seen much sun. I have seen this happen more so with Pflueger than Ocean City.

Do you know what kind of plastic the handle was made from. Early Penn reels used a product called Catalin which was a type of Bakelite that I believe stood the test of time better.

Jim,

Thanks...

[fishbugman]

Nice job on the knob. Hopefully you adhere to your own words, noted below from post on different thread.


m3040c
Super Board Poster


Joined: 30 Apr 2006
Posts: 835
Location: Long Island, New York
Posted: Wed Jun 10, 2009 12:43 am Post subject:

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When studying the mechanical history of fishing reel making, the further back one goes, the more simple the designs get to reproduce. Today's reels are made on CNC machines but reels of the old days were made on machines that were controlled by a operator, not a computer program. Of course we could duplicate many of the processes of the past but do we want to I feel it is OK to copy a item of the past but that item should then be represented and marked as a COPY, not as a original.

[m3040c]

Fishbugman,

No need to adhere to my own words. This handle is not a copy. The original is a Torpedo type. No one would ever mistake this for a original unless they were completely unfamiliar with any Ocean City reel ever made. It is not a Ocean City shape. I am not trying to fool anyone.

[john elder]

damreel that's a pretty reel! nice score, Mike! I'm jealous, as usual!

[m3040c]

Thanks John, I am jealous too because now that I am done with the handle it will be sent to the owner.

[Tony Malatesta]

Hi Mike! Would that owner happen to be me

P.S: Can,t blame me for trying. canadian

[m3040c]

Tony,

I do not blame you at all.

[m3040c]

I thought a size comparison for this old OC would be a nice touch. Here is the Panama next to a standard 250 yard Penn reel with a 3 1/4 inch side plate.