Today my first really traditional piece of tackle arrived, a Trudex wich I've paid 33£ for (shipping to Germany included).
It isn't a beauty, because some former owner has put silver varnish on it. But I think it works quite well. After a good cleaning and putting on some oil the centrepin runs quite freely. Owning only to cheapish modern Pins, wich have bearings (a Marco Cortesi and a DAM), I'm not quite shure what to expect of a traditional truepin.
My impression is, that it might not be to good for light trotting.
What can I do to get the Trudex in perfect working order?
I use one. A good solid and reliable reel. £33 is a bargain, providing it works ok. It should spin well enough to trot with light lines. I use 4lb on mine. It will probably be worth giving it a good clean. A bit of wd40 and a cotton bud. Then a dab of sewing machine oil on the pin.
A fine reel Sir, and a good price, personally I would live with the scratches and marks.... gives them character in my opinion. A good clean and oil (with very light oil, sewing machine oil is cheap and easily obtained) should see it spinning well.
You can adjust any end float by nipping up the tiny screw in the centre of the face until it just touches and then backing off a eighth of a turn. There are a few threads on here about such things posted by much cleverer chaps than me.
Sorry MG you beat me too it.... good advice Sir
Thank you all for your advice! I'll have some time to get the Trudex smoothly running. I won't start the saison before 1st march, when brown trout are open.
I had already found this tiny screw and how it works but wasn't sure about the right adjustment. I'll try an eights of a turn - sounds easy enough, Paul.
I didn't use any wd40 as I've read somewhere it would destroy a truepin. But if you haven't experienced any wd40 caused harm on your Trudex, I'll trust your advice, MG.
You're right, OldTackle, trial and error - that's the way to fish.
I used sewing machine oil thinned with a little shot of WD40 to thin it. Just perfect. Clean the spindle each time you were using it and repeat the oiling procedure. Works perfect. Be careful with the center grub screw. Carefully adjust it stepwise until there is no loose movement of the spool when you lift it along the axle. Then an eighth of a turn backwards (as MG said) is the perfect adjustment. If the spool has a bit of a waggle use a bit more than an eighth of a turn (quarter should do in any case or there is another issue). Just find out by trial and error until you have YOUR adjustment. Don't forget to loosen the tensioner
As to the difference between a pin and a "bearings" reel, The main one is that a true pin spins most freely when held flat, when the "bearing" surface is that between the tip of the pin and the tip of the end-float adjustment screw.
As you turn the reel towards the vertical,progressively more of the load is transferred to the axle-and-bush bearing, which has a far greater bearing area, so more friction. This gives you a subtle and progressive way of braking the reel and slowing the float's progress.
By contrast, the bearing surfaces of the "Bearings" reels are the tiny contact points between the balls or rollers and their cones or whatever roller bearings run on, and remain the same in any orientation.
The Cortesi may be cheap and cheerful, but with its bearings flushed out with lighter fuel or white spirit (which in my case yielded a pinch of metal dust), dried off, and given a couple of drops each of sewing-machine oil, it's a formidably smooth runner. Don't be alarmed if your Trudex doesn't spin as freely; just keep cleaning, drying and oiling after every trip, as Old Tackle says, and it will "run in", and soon you'll find out to which tasks each is best suited.
"Write drunk, edit sober" - Hemingway.
Hemingway didn't have to worry about accidentally hitting "submit" before he edited.
I'm prepared to be shot down but I would caution against using wd40 to clean bushes, I'm not a chemist or metallurgist but I do know it can harm phosphor bronze and oilite . Much rather use lighter fluid to be honest.
Thanks, Vole, for the helpful and explanation! Without thinking about why, I got used to hold the centrepin flat, when trotting. It just feels more comfortable. Now I know, that it's not only for comfort but also for less friction!
I can't wait to start fishing with the Trudex. I'll make some floats and practice my pin-cleaning-skills the next few weeks ...
Paul D wrote:I'm prepared to be shot down but I would caution against using wd40 to clean bushes, I'm not a chemist or metallurgist but I do know it can harm phosphor bronze and oilite . Much rather use lighter fluid to be honest.
I haven't used wd 40 on my Trudex yet. At the moment it's 2-1 for wd 40. Let's wait ...
