Easier said than done by the way, it must have took me 6 hours getting it right but it has returned one of my favourite gudgeon reels back to service.
The spool was turned from an old mahogany spool but just as it was getting down to the right diameter the holes appeared where the original handles used to be fixed. So holding my temper back and not swearing even once
, I removed a bit more, leaving a rebate to accept a disc made of Walnut, cut from the backplate of another scrap reel. The original winding handles crumbled as I tried to remove them so I used cut down versions from old Shakespeare multiplier reels which I got in a job lot of reel spares years ago and have come in handy on a few occasions. These old winding knobs by the way are I think made of something like nitro cellulose. If they get really hot they burst into flames like cordite. I found this out the first time I tried to reduce one in length on a sanding disc and it flared up like a firework. Impressive to see but a bit scary too so now I do it with a file.
The original inner disc of the spool was reused and the holes from the line pillars were countersunk to accept the screws used to hold it to the new wooden spool. I also stripped all the paint off the backplate to give it a different look.
It has worked out quite well as the spool is now a larger inside diameter so will give a faster retrieve and will be great for about 25 yds of 2lb line, just in case I catch a monster Gudgeon and I have to let it run.
Just a bit of daftness but I thought some of you would like it and maybe inspire some other rescues.
Wal.
I'd call it upcycling! Great job, Wal!