This is one of mine, a 1496 I just restored. The spool is a bit wobbly on the shaft and contacts the frame on one spot when cranked. Guess I’ll just keep it as a display piece.

Kurt

Personally would have taken on tap-tap-tap with Spanish cedar blocks, finding and correcting the ovality in the frame, the misalignment in the spindle - function first, form later.

In the third photo, the spool isn’t pressed completely into the frame, it is just resting up against the locking mechanism. You can see it fully in place in the second picture. This reel has play in the spool so that the spool wobbles on the shaft when cranked. It isn’t bent. None of my other Medalists exhibit this play. Looks to me like either the bushing or shaft are worn, something I don’t have the know-how to rectify.

As for what I used, paint stripper first, then 600 grit sand paper under running water. I then gave it two coats of Duplicolor self-etching green primer and then three coats of Mar-Hyde satin black automotive trim paint. Matches the color of my original Medalists pretty darn good.

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company-us/ ... 909&rt=rud

Kurt

Thanks!

How about this one Jeff, first example of the patent drag, and could be 1937.

Thank you Kurt!
You have inspired me to do something similar.
in the future!

Mike

Yes. Went to WSU in the mid 80s. Glad you are getting back into it!

Mike

A couple of lhw (one original and one pfoot conversion) and a few more. To only find a 1592.

Dave

yes, for southpaw fly rodders, it's like they made 50 years of great reels just for us.

As far as collecting Medalists, or being able to only wind left handed, a 159x is a big deal.
Only my opinion, but if you absolutely have to wind left handed, get a 139x reel and tweak the springs to left hand wind bias. Not that hard to do, thanks to Ron and a sticky'd thread toward the top of this sub-forum.
The round line guard Medalists do look cool though, just not quite as practical in my experience.

that is correct

Hey Sandman, where did the 1595 reel go?

Jhusky, I still have it...I haven’t taken the drag plate out of it yet...I hadn’t thought of doing that until this thread...but I’ve been contemplating converting a 1494...now I don’t have to contemplate...