The reel had a few issues including having being dropped onto an unforgiving surface (more than once I suspect), leaving it with a wobble and an alarming scrape, rendering its spinning ability to half a revolution! On top of this there were dents to the back plate rim and the spool.
The other problem is that the original ratchet handle was missing and a rather crude but functional bit of squashed and bent brass tube had been soldered onto the original hexagon stub which, over the years had worn away the pimples on the back plate casting through its many operations (and after maybe being dropped again, bending the brass tube handle!)
Having now firmly taken over the kitchen table and a few rudimentary tools strategically dumped before me I set about the list of issues.
Without rambling on, the reel was spinning again within a couple of hours and the wobble was reduced down to a level that was hardly noticeable. I was a bit stumped as I was expecting to be fiddling for hours and had rectified the majority of the issues that the reel had, except the ratchet handle which I didn't have the confidence to undertake and hadn't a clue how to.
Boyed by a tea break in the wilder end of the garden and the success of the morning got me thinking of the missing handle and how I could attempt to make a suitable replacement, knowing that I had some scraps of brass in the shed a rummage was in order. After a good search all I could find was a brass ring 2 1/2" od x 3/16" thick which would have to do. After a couple of measurements, a couple of quick sketches and another cuppa I set about the brass ring to cut out a piece to work on. Using one of the existing fixing holes as the centre point of the hexagon that would need to be formed in the new handle I started filing....
