Martin 61 "Tuna Can" Question

[chugbug27 0]

I cleaned and oiled an old Martin 61 I picked up this spring at an estate sale (nearly broke it trying to unwind its stuck spool), and I'm not sure whether I put it together wrong, missing a washer, or maybe this is how it works when functioning right. Thought it worth asking here ...

When the clicker is engaged, I can still pull up on the spool (away from the back), and it will click out and disengage from the clicker, freely spinning. I can push it back in and re-engage the spool with clicker.  Now, I'm not talking about engaging the clicker from the knob on the back side of the reel. That works fine to engage or disengage. I'm talking about the spool lifting off the back to disengage.

Inside under the nut on the face of the spool to here are two felt washers and a metal washer. Replacing the metal washer with a thin nylon washer has cured that issue, seating the spool down where it engages the clicker without being able to pop up off it, but I know it's supposed to have that metal washer -- which on mine has the effect of making room for the spool to click outward, away from the clicker mechanism. This left me wondering, is the spool supposed to be capable of disengaging by pulling outward like that? To me it seems like a problem waiting to happen, but maybe that's the way they were made, to allow that easy release of the clicker while spinning the reel?

Anyone here know?  It's cheaply made, but a neat little lightweight reel, simple, with lots of line capacity.

The faceplate on mine's a little mangled (I'll call it battle-scarred) on the front, but the pliers that caused that saved it from being thrown (by me) in the trash trying to get it to spin at all. Pics

[niveker 0]

I have an old Martin 60, same series. 

The 60 is RHW only, the 61 is reversible and wider.  I don't have that feature you describe, sounds like there is too much play between the spool and the can, may be the nylon washer is too thin?

On mine, the only way to stop the clicker is by the knob on the rear of the can.   

The components of mine are 1. slotted nut. 2. metal washer (which is actually quite thick) 3. felt washer.  then the spool slips right off the spindle.  

[niveker 0]

Okay, so I just took mine apart. 

With the spool on the spindle and in the can/frame, there is a small shoulder on the spindle just below the threads.  On mine, the felt washer fits in that recess.  The metal washer sits on top of the shoulder, and the nut simple does what nuts do.  

Not sure if thats much help.  

If I understand you correctly, there is too much play in there somewhere.  

[chugbug27 0]

Thanks 

Same on mine, but for some reason the metal washer had the effect of giving extra space for the spool to pop up. The thinner, nylon washer is the one that works to help mine seat into the reel so it doesn't pop up. Doesn't make sense to me, but maybe it doesn't have to. You say yours has no play? You can't pull the spool out so it disengages. That's how I now have mine working. 

You like yours? I'm surprised how much I like this simple little nothing of a reel.

Thanks

 

[niveker 0]

No, mine has play at all, the spool won't dis-engage if the nut is snug.   

Is there a difference in the diameter of the inside hole of your two washers?  That's the only other thing I can think of at the moment.   I'm a sucker for trying to solve little mechanical mysteries like this.  It annoyed my ex-wife off to no end, LoL.  

But, like you said, as long as it works.

1 hour ago, chugbug27 said:

I'm surprised how much I like this simple little nothing of a reel.

It really is a cheap little thing, but I like it, I like the style.  Actually, I like any of these older American made reels from the mid 1900's.  They're a simple, easy to fix (most of the time), rugged, no-nonsense, no frills kind of equipment.  They still work 60 - 70 - 80 years later,  hard to beat that.