Restoring an Ebonite / Brass Reel

A forum to show any of your restored or built traditional fishing reels.
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Lea Dweller
Pike
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Re: Restoring an Ebonite / Brass Reel

Post by Lea Dweller »

Walterswim wrote:A tip with these brownish ebonite reels is to keep them out of the sunlight - I had a few on display in a cabinet, and I was surprised at the fading - and I couldn't really get it back - I wouldn't personally overpolish the reel. You have I would say up to £75 worth there.
You are absolutely right about the ebonite reacting to prolonged exposure to sunlight! I have seen many ebonite reels where the outer flange is brown and the protected inner flange is the original black colour. Not much could be done really, as you had to use the reel, so it would have been exposed to sunlight. I think it actually adds character to the reel myself.

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Evert van der Plas
Perch
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Re: Restoring an Ebonite / Brass Reel

Post by Evert van der Plas »

This is a old post and long forgotten but i refurbished a ebonite reel that was not looking to good, the ebonite was dried out and much lighter then the original color, what i did was cleaning the top layer ebonite with scotch brite use thin oil to bring back the color on the ebonite, let the oil pull in the ebonite for a few hours and clean the surface with soft kitchen paper, if you repeat it a few times see what happen.Image
Image

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LuckyLuca
Barbel
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Re: Restoring an Ebonite / Brass Reel

Post by LuckyLuca »

Lovely job Evert, and a very useful tip too!
I walked across an empty land
I knew the pathway like the back of my hand
I felt the earth beneath my feet
Sat by the river and it made me complete.

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