No 1 help please

[Scott Thompson]

Ive just picked up a No1 from a well known auction website and while it seems well used it turns freely and everything works as well as you would expect i cant wait to get out and use it, apart from one small problem.

The 1/2 bailarm seems to be a homemade job (badly) using what i think must have once been part of a metal coat hanger.

So what i'm looking for are some good pictures from enough angles to enable me to make another one so i can get some use out of it, i've looked at all the pictures on here but cant quite work out the angles and changes of directions of the wire, if anyone can help with measurements that would be great.

The paintwork is well faded with very little left but what colour is left seems to be very similar to this picture that was posted by JohnnyP in another post.


It looks exactly like that reel except the side plates are brass with no traces of paint on them, any ideas on year?

Hopefully i'll be able to make a new bailarm and get out and use it, i'm thinking i might use the bailarm from a broken modern reel i know the chrome finish isnt ideal but it should be the best material unless someone knows of a better option?

[Ljm183]

It looks exactly like that reel except the side plates are brass with no traces of paint on them, any ideas on year?

If it, an Ambidex No. 1 (half bale arm) - 1946

this link might help with the bail arm
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/vintage-J-W-Y ... 1c21f44d48

[Scott Thompson]

Thank you for that i'll have a good look at those pictures and see what i can come up with.

It mentions in that advert
"spool is stamped JWY259 so i think feburary 1959??? "

Is that correct? My spool is stamped JWY170, if its right then my spool is a January 1970?

[Ljm183]

Have a look here for model and year
http://www.traditionalfisherman.co.uk/v ... f=37&t=498

i,v got a mk1 and it,s got the same number on the spool as yours , don,t think the number is anything to do with the year of the reel, maybe a spool model number

[Mark]

Thank you for that i'll have a good look at those pictures and see what i can come up with.

It mentions in that advert
"spool is stamped JWY259 so i think feburary 1959??? "

Is that correct? My spool is stamped JWY170, if its right then my spool is a January 1970?

Scottt

The Ambidex on eBay is a No.2 which has been sprayed blue, as far as I know No. 1 and 2 reels were never produced in blue so the reel is not original. The spools stamped JWY259 on the No. 2 reels were introduced around 1949. Please note the digits are in no relation to a month or year of manufacture, they are part code numbers.

Your reel looks like a No. 1 type 2 (if the side plates are brass) or a type 3 (if the side plates are aluminium). Spools stamped JWY170 were introduced around 1948.

The No. 1 half bail arm reels were made from 1946 to 1954 depending on the type. So your reel is around 58 to 66 years old. That's a nice reel by the way.

If you want a replacement half bail arm I should call Gary Mills, he is bound to have some for sale.

http://www.traditionalfisherman.co.uk/v ... ?f=68&t=40

[Scott Thompson]

Can anyone help with the original colour, is there a modern paint available thats somewhere near the original colour? What tiny bits of paint left on mine isnt really enough to get a proper match.

[Mark]

You don't want to paint it Scottt, the chips are battle scars.

[Scott Thompson]

Thanks Mark but its not so much chips as no paint left at all. There might be only 4 or 5 tiny flecks of paint left on it alltogether.

[Mark]

From the picture it looks gold with only a couple of chips.

[Scott Thompson]

From the picture it looks gold with only a couple of chips.

Thats not my reel Mark.

I posted this
"The paintwork is well faded with very little left but what colour is left seems to be very similar to this picture that was posted by JohnnyP in another post."
Sorry for the confusion i didnt have a picture of mine at the time.

The colour seems to be very similar to that one from the few remaining traces left on it.
This is mine