Hello JIM.

09 Apr 04 00:05, you wrote to me:

 JH> Hello, Russell.  I used to do a bit of offshore fishing back when I
 JH> lived in Jacksonville FL 15+ years ago.  I don't have a good answer
 JH> for you from my own experience, but maybe if we bat it around a
 JH> bit, someone else may chime in with a better answer.

Hmm ... about what I was hoping for. 

 RT>> What ways are recommended for truing/fixing stainless steel
 RT>> spools for Penn Fishing reels, I have one and a friend has 2 that
 RT>> touch the side plates when turning due to some unknown fall or
 RT>> other reason. Backalite or alumiuim spools are not available for
 RT>> these reels and even tho the stainless steel spools are not
 RT>> favoured or well thought of here, being able to fix the spools so
 RT>> that they are free spinning/turning is the only way to make these
 RT>> reels usable.

 JH> What class of reel are you talking about here?  I'm looking at a
 JH> fairly heavy duty 4/0 Peen Senator Special 113H which I have never
 JH> used, but which I would have used for some offshore fishing if I had
 JH> continued to live in Jacksonville, FL.

Well, the 3 I'm talking about are a bit smaller than that, A Penn 180, a Penn 
60, and a Penn 500 Jig Master, being the largest.

The Penn 60 has a similar diamater spool to the 500, just shorter, and the 
180 is a smallish reel.

 JH> This one has what appears to be a SS spool.  The ends of the reel
 JH> frame are sandwich - - appear to be chrome plated metal inside and
 JH> outside, with a sandwich layer of burgundy colored bakelite or equal
 JH> in between. Commercial and higher end saltwater reels I've seen would
 JH> typically be made of what appears to be anodized aluminum.  I wouldn't
 JH> think that bakelite or any type of plastic material would be a good
 JH> material for spool on a reel of this class, since it might be used
 JH> with 40# or maybe 60# line, and if left spooled after dragging in a
 JH> big fish (fat chance for me) there would be some large long-term
 JH> forces developed on the spool due to all the tension in all those
 JH> yards of line -  especially if mono nylon line.

All these reels have bakealite side plates, with a chrome(?) ring on the 
inside. Anodized aluminum, seems to be the material of choice these day for 
most reels.

These reels are used for shore angling, and a bakelite spool, being very 
light in wieght, allows lighter, more supple lines to be used, for longer 
distance casting, than the heavy SS or chrome plated brass which might also 
be the case.

Don't have one which is so badly bent that I am tempted to study it further 
with the aid of a hack-saw. :-)

 JH> As far as being knocked askew by a fall or heavy blow - that would be
 JH> a possibility that the whole reel could be so affected.   There is the
 JH> "saddle" which is clamped to the rod, and that attaches
to the ring of
 JH> the reel frame with 3 screws at each end.  Other than that, the whole
 JH> frame of the thing is braced by 5 small diameter metal rods which
 JH> span from side to side, attached by a single screw at each end.
 JH> Looking at it, I'd think that physical damage would tend to knock the
 JH> reel frame askew before any force which could warp the flanges of the
 JH> spool itself could get there to do that.

Well, in the three instances that I have experienced, merely replacing the 
spool fixed all problems. It is my surmise, that the spools got dropped while 
out of the frame, maybe during cleaning, I don't know.

 JH> See also msg from Jean P.  He seems to have had a bent spool flange
 JH> problem, which he solved.

Have seen the msg. and have replied. :-)

 JH> I haven't done any disassembly, but the spool rotates on some ball
 JH> bearings, with a fitting for oiling at each end of the reel.  I don't
 JH> know if there is any adjustment in the location of mounting for these
 JH> ball bearings.  Looking at the complexity of the thing,  I think I'd
 JH> start disassembling and looking on the "clicker" end of the reel,
 JH> rather than the end with the crank handle and star drag.

That is the side that I usually open, when I need to give them a serious 
"service".

 RT>> I'd rather not put them in a lathe and trim the few thousands of
 RT>> an inch of off the reel spool to fix this.

 RT>> Ideas please.

 JH> Sorry I can't do better.  Flange of spool migh rub because of -

 JH> a. bent spool flange -  what could have done this?

Being dropped by a careless owner while cleaning/service?

 JH> b. whole reel frame knocked out of proper alignment

That would show breakage on the side plate, bent support rods?

 JH> c. bearing at one or both ends of spool knocked out of place.

Again, breakage/damage would be visible on these parts or the bakealite side 
plates.

 JH> Patience will have its reward.  If I still lived in Jacksonville, FL,
 JH> I know there are some tackle shops there which do (or did) reel
 JH> repair, and I'd surely try to visit there and maybe pick their brains
 JH> about what commonly causes this problem and how to fix it.

My guess would be the spools got dropped while not in the "frame"

Thanks for a thoughtful reply. :-)

Russell

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