Centre pin reels

[chavender]

Thanks for the reply MT. I will have another look at it later, I seem to have tried every which way! Before I took the reel apart the spool fitted perfectly and the little black adjuster screw in the top of the hub screwed in flush with the sides of the hub. Now I have tried to put it back together, when the screw is in flush, the spool sits about 4mm of the backplate!! I will try and post various pictures to show the problems im having!

Sam

slacken off the three retaining screws ,so they're just nipped up ,you've probably over tightened them and deformed the plastic hub cap .then re-adjust the centre grub screw ,see if that makes a difference.

i too ,now have a mordex merlin ,i'm hoping too make a new brass centre hub cap for it as the plastic ones are rubbish ,i've also removed the rubbish handles oh and all the paint ,just preparing it for a respray then make some new handles then it'll be my loaner reel or casting practice reel

 

[the indifferent crucian]

slacken off the three retaining screws ,so they're just nipped up ,you've probably over tightened them and deformed the plastic hub cap .then re-adjust the centre grub screw ,see if that makes a difference.

i too ,now have a mordex merlin ,i'm hoping too make a new brass centre hub cap for it as the plastic ones are rubbish ,i've also removed the rubbish handles oh and all the paint ,just preparing it for a respray then make some new handles then it'll be my loaner reel or casting practice reel

Is it the early type with the ratchet lever on the edge and the thinner handles, Chavender?

Or perhaps the later ones with the small lever on the back, the larger, tri-angular handles and the always missing transfer?


I've only ever handled one of the later types. It was immaculate and far better than I had expected, which is perhaps why the vendor wanted £90 for it


I didn't buy it.

 

[chavender]

mine's one of the later ones (although i think i'd prefered the early ones) it also has a dimpled back ,It actually had the painted on logo a yellowy/gold colour ,but the condition of the one i have was poor too start with ,so i completely remove the remnants of its paint ,the spools are thin pressed alloy sheet so are very light the back is a good solid cast alloy ,mine had the triangular cheap plastic handles (so i binned them) .

the spools look rather nice in bare shiny alloy ,the back being cast is a dirty gray colour under the paint (i'd think the older smooth backs with ratchet lever would look better striped) the foot shines up nicley also .

my plan is too have a black back with a shiny spool & foot and a brass centre instead of the naff plastic one ,i'm keeping it as a loaner reel / casting practice reel ,as the spin rather well .

 

[peter crabtree]

Mr Wintle is a dab hand with jammed up centrepins.
I saw him unjam one with great skill in minutes.






and some brute force...............

 

[chavender]

bit of a loose end ,this weekend so i had a go at my merlin ,not finished but not far off ,the black paint needs rubbing down and another coat ,the spool front could do with wire wooling and putting on a polishing wheel ( i need too get one first ) ,and i need too get some brass too make a new centre , but i've found a replacement set of handles ( strangley enough on another of my project reels) ,so here it is ....looking pretty much how i vissioned it ,just needs the finishing touches doing .

The before shot ,of the brown origanal colour with painted on black highlights too cover scratches & damage's etc by previous owner

i'm happy with the results so far .

oh here is the badge on the back (before i removed it with paint stripper)

 

[bobbyf77]

Chavender, if the reel works fine as it is, dont change the cosmetics of the reel. The reel has some character from the use it has obtained. If you respray it and polish it up it may not be worth as much. Imo of course

Regards

Mitchellman

 

[chavender]

I'm not worried about the value ,(it came free with another centrepin) and its a mordex merlin so it has little value anyways (a very under valued reel) . it needed painting properly because the previous owner had painted over corrosion to mask it . so i had too remove all the old paint too treat the corrosion .and i need to polish out some from the spool front .

there is however some damage i will never be able too polish out ,like this edge too the spool rear plate .

the corosion has completly eaten through the thin alloy sheet here ,not sure what i'm going too do about this yet ,i might use metal putty or i might arildite it then sand it back too shape .

i never do a total restore too tackle but do like too renovate too a usable state too bring life too them again .this one will remain with me as a loaner reel or a lerning too cast reel so value is unimportant ,in fact cheaper the better as they'll get abused ,saving my other better centrepins from novices and idiots .

 

[bobbyf77]

The alloy has corroded pretty bad, could you have a new alloy plate cut out, drill the rivets out, tap them and but a counter sunk screw in?. It would be easier to take a apart in the future.

 

[chavender]

The alloy has corroded pretty bad, could you have a new alloy plate cut out, drill the rivets out, tap them and but a counter sunk screw in?. It would be easier to take a apart in the future.

i could but it'd cost more than its worth ,you can pick up a mordex merlin for between £20-£30 (or less) on e-bay .if it was a vintage aerial then i would consider it ,i did have a vintage aerial popular with a hairline crack in the front of the spool i thought about making a replacement one for ,but in the end i sold it with another aerial popular at the recent vintage tackle fair at redditch .

no this is just a fun reel ,so i aint going too spend too much on it ,i've other project reels which will cost me more too do up ,so i'll be saving my money's for them .

 

[bobbyf77]

One of my user Allcocks match aerial had a slight hair line crack in it repaired that looks perfect now !

 

[chavender]

i had fixed the hairline crack in my aerial popular with my secret formula

superglue + baking powder

you'd be hard pressed too notice it (the dealer at the fair didn't ) and still it bugged me knowing it was there (and knowing it wasn't a double ventilated aerial that i really desire) ,so i brought another one too replace it ,then it struck me having nearly 15 centrepins was being gready so i sold the five i rarely used the two popular's ,two speedia's and a fred crouch red aerial .I made a loss on the second popular but thats what you get for buying one week off e-bay (for the right money) then selling too a dealer the next .but i was happy with the deal ,i did however walk out of there with two more centrepins one jw youngs heritage and really nasty clapped out early speedia which is another of my projects .

leaving just the 7 or 8 reels i still have , a couple i'll get rid of as i brought them cheap at a charity auction ,not intending too keep them .I've owned quite a few over the years too find the ones that suite me .i've owned a couple of match aerials ,great reels just didn't suite me but strangley i've a fred crouch true trotter ,which is basically (in the narrow version) a smaller version of the match aerial and i love it ,i sold the bigger version the"ruby" match aerial clone (identical too the match aerials just red) only because i've a browning revolver and couldn't see me using the ruby that much .

i love centrepins and using them but i don't get hysterical over them ,i'f i don't get on with them ,i get rid ,if i think they need fixing (always fixed my own reels and stuff ) i'll fix them up or make them suite me even if it means cutting them up a bit .

this threads been great.

 

[the indifferent crucian]

Chavender, there might just be a way of repairing that corrosion damage to your old Merlin.

There used to be an epoxy/aluminium product called Devcon. They did several grades, one had 60% aluminium in it and I have used it to repair holes in motorcycle engines and even build up exhaust ports!

This stuff was tough!

It can be drilled, filed, polished to a shine and even a thread tapped into it, though I doubt the latter would be that strong.

This was in the late 80's though.


Now I couldn't find any when last I looked, but it does make me wonder if you couldn't mix a good quality epoxy up and mix in aluminium filings?

It would be usual to wet the file in white spirit to prevent the metal from sticking, but in this case I think it would be better dry.

The Devcon was expensive, ....£16 a tub in 1989, so home-made might be worth a try?

Just a thought.


Interesting that you know the superglue and baking powder trick, too. Another thing I learned in the motorbike trade. It also works with balsa and cork dust when float making, but I expect you've done that too?

I found the product again, no price though....I think it's nearer £30 now....

http://www.itw-devcon.co.uk/index.p...nd_overhaul_systems/devcon_aluminium_putty_f/



info@itwdevcon.eu.com



Some on eBay, but his postage is ridiculous!...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/DEVCON-ALUMIN...vr_id=&cguid=0a4bd7a51270a0aad2537f23fe3713e5

 

[chavender]

Ha Ha ,i used too be a moter mechanic many moons ago ,i was shown the baking powder trick then (plus others) ,thanks for the info it might just be the thing i need .

i've checked e-bay and found it at £21

DEVCON ALUMINIUM PUTTY (F), FOR METAL REPAIR on eBay (end time 18-Jul-10 20:40:35 BST)

,and theres others ,i already have some metal putty but it is very dark gray in colour ,i'll give it a go .at worst it'll fix the damage but be discoloured and i'll have too paint over it .

thanks again for the info

 

[the indifferent crucian]

That's the same seller Steve, his postage is way over the top at £9.99. I could pick some up next trip to West London and post it up to you?

It might not be quite the right colour, but it does polish up so you won't notice it on a motorcycle engine so I think it might do. Getting it thin enough might be a challenge. perhaps grind it flat on an old mirror with valve grinding paste?

Honestly! The tasks we set ourselves!

 

[chavender]

That's the same seller Steve, his postage is way over the top at £9.99. I could pick some up next trip to West London and post it up to you?

It might not be quite the right colour, but it does polish up so you won't notice it on a motorcycle engine so I think it might do. Getting it thin enough might be a challenge. perhaps grind it flat on an old mirror with valve grinding paste?

Honestly! The tasks we set ourselves!

thanks for the offer ,i've actually had too wait a while as my work got me wages wrong which left me short ,but all paid up right this time + whats owed me for the overtime i'm been doing .so i've got a bit of spendley cash bonus too spend ,might buy a new rod or reel .one thing i've brought is some allow putty not the one linked earlier but another one of e-bay

epoxy putty for aluminium repair in stick form 100grm on eBay (end time 29-Jul-10 01:38:22 BST)

as i only need a small amount ,i figured although this stuf is probably not as good as the other ,but good enough for my needs and i need not spend a lot on it

 

[lplate]

Hi Chavender
love what you've done with the Merlin...just picked one up in Bury for £38 (my first 'pin, after 40years of fishing!) How do you take it apart? I unscrewed the nut on the back plate, thinking I could slide the drum off, wouldn't budge I've been a multiplyer nut for years and always wanted to have a go at a 'pin & tho' this one spins like a good un, looks like it needs some love..HELP! Where do I start? BTW, the decal on the back plate looks ok & I'd like to preserve it, but the brown paint job HAS to go!

 

[chavender]

ok ,on the fron't of the reel ,the black centre piece ,there should be a small lever .

clasp the front of the spool by the rim and with your index finger operate the lever ,hold it over as you lift the spool off .


the lable is a delicat transfer ,worth spending a little time ,to cover up .try cutting a circle too go over it out of card then using bluetac or silicon sealer ,put blobs on top too hold it in place .then carefully using a nylon artist brush paint the paint remover around the edge of the labels recess .

leaving the card in place ,when you come too paint it again ,it'll protect the lable .either spray it or carefully brush paint it .you might want too use a etch primer (white or gray) or hamerites special metals primer (red oxide) prier too painting it proper ,and rub down between coats if brush painting .

my full merlin project