Man, that poor thing looks like it sat on the dash of an AMC Pacer in the Arizona desert for the last 30 years.. I’m a huge Abumatic fan, Dan will tell ya that.. You did a good thing bringing that old guy back to life.
I had to chisel the rod apart to get this reel removed. The cork handle was completely eaten away and the spring loaded reel seat locked was totally bound up. I have no idea where it was kept prior to its arrival here but I can picture it sitting in a leaky barn corner with a dirt floor.
Dan, I really liked the fact that the line break was removable by taking off the rotor nut. It made replacing it so much easier. I had considered doing a repaint on the reel but I liked the patina on the reel.
Reel came out nice! I agree, it looks good enough that it doesn't need to be painted. I like the internal design. Looks like a decent main gear with a lot of support, and a star drag system. In your experience, what's the best way to keep rubber pieces like the one that was on top of the spool from deteriorating like that? Keep it lubed with a petroleum-based lubricant? Keep it dry and clean?
I don’t think there’s any tried and true method for protecting rubber from deteriorating. I’ve seen rubber that was rubbed down with petroleum products swell and distort. I’ve seen other rubber parts that were kept clean and dry, just dry up and crack away. Long-term I think rubber is just going to deteriorate. How well it holds up is going to depend on the chemical make up of the rubber. I think the best route for this particular piece of rubber is to replace it every 20 years that’s why I like this design.
Man, that poor thing looks like it sat on the dash of an AMC Pacer in the Arizona desert for the last 30 years..
I’m a huge Abumatic fan, Dan will tell ya that..
You did a good thing bringing that old guy back to life.
I had to chisel the rod apart to get this reel removed. The cork handle was completely eaten away and the spring loaded reel seat locked was totally bound up. I have no idea where it was kept prior to its arrival here but I can picture it sitting in a leaky barn corner with a dirt floor.
Aside from the cosmetics it looks like a very serviceable reel, Rick! Good idea for the rubber replacement on the rotor!
Dan, I really liked the fact that the line break was removable by taking off the rotor nut. It made replacing it so much easier. I had considered doing a repaint on the reel but I liked the patina on the reel.
Reel came out nice! I agree, it looks good enough that it doesn't need to be painted. I like the internal design. Looks like a decent main gear with a lot of support, and a star drag system.
In your experience, what's the best way to keep rubber pieces like the one that was on top of the spool from deteriorating like that? Keep it lubed with a petroleum-based lubricant? Keep it dry and clean?
I don’t think there’s any tried and true method for protecting rubber from deteriorating. I’ve seen rubber that was rubbed down with petroleum products swell and distort. I’ve seen other rubber parts that were kept clean and dry, just dry up and crack away. Long-term I think rubber is just going to deteriorate. How well it holds up is going to depend on the chemical make up of the rubber. I think the best route for this particular piece of rubber is to replace it every 20 years that’s why I like this design.