Super tuners or reel tinkering

[rosshilk]

Hello I have recently gotten really into tuning my reels. I am wondering if there is a large community of people who do the same. I’m not looking to profit just as a hobby. I find information about the tools of the trade hard to find and still struggle with some of the mechanics, but I really am enjoying the process and learning. I’ve done work to 7 reels so far with varied results. I did end up damaging a plastic bearing housing on a Lews reel which was a bit of a bummer, but I have had other reels turn out really well. I did an old pro qualifier of my Dads that had been on the shelf for years that is now very smooth and fantastic to use. Sorry for the long winded post I just don’t really have many people to talk to it about thank you!

[Jeff H]

I do my own too. Been doing it for about 6-7 yrs now. Mine are all Daiwa but I have worked on most brands. 

[adam lancia]

Get a good set of precision tools from Whia or another manufacturer who makes high quality tools. A couple of dental picks are really helpful, as well as some small tweezers, a good pair of small needle nose pliers, and a good spool pin removal tool (Daiwa makes a really nice one). Some guys who do this a ton have ultrasonic cleaners and an arsenal of specialty tools but unless you're doing 100 reels a month, it isn't worth it, unless you're a tool aficionado.

[rosshilk]

E clips are dreadful for me so far. I also have trouble sanding the brake drum on the left palm face plate. I hate using a tooth pick and sand paper in my rotary tool so I tried a wheel brush for dentistry, but it had a metal screw at the top that scored the plastic bearing housing. It threw everything off and man it’s hard to find a part number to replace the side plate for lews. I had to just email the company.

[OnthePotomac]

Keep in mind that reel manufactures design their reels with some pretty incredible tolerances and it is therefore risky to start "sanding" any surface.  Polishing yes, but I urge caution in sanding.  TackleTour.com has a section dedicated to  reel maintenance where you can learn a great deal about the care and lubing of reels.  Do a lot of reading and comparing what you read because reel cleaning and lubing on sites is fraught with a lot of bad information.  Case in point, I read on a forum where a poster said his granddaddy just dipped his reels in kerosene to clean them and it worked for him.  I have only been cleaning/tuning my own reels for 16 years (not long compared to professionals on here) and the initial  learning curve was loaded with a mine field of mistakes from bum information.  You will soon learn that those who are knowledgeable in reel cleaning/tuning have their own preferences in oils an grease and you will eventually settle on your own preferences.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Too much emphasis is put on high speed tools. 80% of the Tuning I do is by hand. 

[Raul]

29 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Too much emphasis is put on high speed tools. 80% of the Tuning I do is by hand. 

Well, high speed tools are more "manly" ya know. 

[3crows]

This is why I would never purchase a used reel (and any number of similar items that are easily "modified" by home enthusiasts) without knowing where it came from. Just me.

 

[rosshilk]

3 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Too much emphasis is put on high speed tools. 80% of the Tuning I do is by hand. 

Do you start with sand paper then? Also what polish do you use? I have been using fabuluster it’s hard as a rock so idk if I could use it without a high speed tool. I’m not trying to pry to much into your process or anything. I’ve only had a couple articles to go off of and a YouTube video. 

[crypt]

also get a long magnet...........you can find e clips better........lol

 

[OkobojiEagle]

http://www.alantani.com/

 

 

oe

 

 

 

[RPreeb]

18 minutes ago, crypt said:

also get a long magnet...........you can find e clips better........lol

 

e-clips aren't that hard to manage.  Keep a finger on them when removing them like most videos show and they should stay under control.  I used to be in office machine sales and service back in the days before computers and electronics took it over (yeah, I'm pretty old), and if you want to see springs and small parts that love to fly all over, take apart a typewriter sometime.  You need the right tools and technique and it becomes fairly straightforward.  

 

The key for me is making sure that I keep the pieces and parts in order as I disassemble them so that they all go back together the same way they came out.  It sucks to finish putting something back together only to find that you have a left over internal spacer or washer that was hiding under your bottle of oil.

[.ghoti.]

1 hour ago, rosshilk said:

Do you start with sand paper then? Also what polish do you use? I have been using fabuluster it’s hard as a rock so idk if I could use it without a high speed tool. I’m not trying to pry to much into your process or anything. I’ve only had a couple articles to go off of and a YouTube video. 

Dremel sells a polishing kit of small components, including a tube of polishing compound. That compound is all I use. Sandpaper has no place in this procedure. A small,felt wheel and the polishing compound is all that is needed.

 

Keep the sandpaper away from your reels!!!

[new2BC4bass]

2 hours ago, 3crows said:

This is why I would never purchase a used reel (and any number of similar items that are easily "modified" by home enthusiasts) without knowing where it came from. Just me.

 

Not a bad idea, but I have bought quite a few used reels that were just fine.  I did have problems with two of them.  One seller forgot to mention...among other things... that 1) it didn't have the correct spool in it, and 2) you couldn't spool line on it.  At this point I sent it to a professional.  He also discovered the drag had been replaced with something inferior and a couple parts were missing.  What was a good deal turned out to be my 2nd most expensive reel (my cost).

 

The other reel had a spring come off a post after about 45 minutes of use.  Handle locked up.  Destroyed the gears.  I can only assume it happened because someone did their own maintenance.  Still it hasn't kept me from buying used.  Received 2 more this week...one a gift for my brother to get him started in baitcast reels.

 

OP, do a search for supertuning.  There is a very nice article written several years ago explaining how to go about it properly.  I will see if I can find it again and will leave a link here if I do.

[.ghoti.]

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/supertune-baitcaster.html

[new2BC4bass]

6 minutes ago, .ghoti. said:

https://www.bassresource.com/fishing/supertune-baitcaster.html

Excellent article.

 

This is the first article I ever read on supertuning and I think it is still good. http://super-tuning.home.mindspring.com/i1.html

 

However, I have to mention that I do not work on my own reels.  No room of my own to do the work, and young grandsons that wouldn't stay out of my stuff if I did.  Also I am not a tinkering type of person.

[The Bassman]

1 hour ago, OkobojiEagle said:

http://www.alantani.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This site showed me two very important things;   TSI 321 oil and Yamaha Blue Marine grease.  

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

5 hours ago, rosshilk said:

Do you start with sand paper then? Also what polish do you use? I have been using fabuluster it’s hard as a rock so idk if I could use it without a high speed tool. I’m not trying to pry to much into your process or anything. I’ve only had a couple articles to go off of and a YouTube video. 

800 and 2000 grit sandpaper and brasso polish. The goal is not to remove material only polish the surface. 

[OnthePotomac]

Minnow, here is the same site as above showing more choices on the site.  Use extreme caution if you get into the sanding intructions.  I prefer to stop with a high polish myself using QTips through the pinion gear and a Dremel buffing wheel.

http://jdntackle.home.mindspring.com/index page.html