the problem is, it's too much - with the split spring washers, you can spread or compress them to get just what you need, and set-temper so they stay there.
Also not a shop kluge or inspiration, this was a standard Young part from the mid '20s through postwar Condex (No. 375 below).




Looks like McMaster doesn't have brass split spring washers now, but you can do the same thing with a thin bronze wave washer - keep it oiled.
https://www.mcmaster.com/brass-split-sp ... e-washers/

If the Medalist wobbles, I would look into the latch to see if the latch bar is worn, and might be replaced - usually, latches act as thrust alignment and eliminate the need for a thrust washer or bearing.
It's usually thumbscrew reels that need this and not having them is why so many thumbscrew reels develop spool wobble, as cone-shaped wear in the spool bushing.

Be careful when you take the Medalist latch cover off, because that frees up the spool pawl and spring.

that's a 359 9', but I rewrapped it - original color was a dowdy brown, I like pale/translucent green and not concerned for this rod, about keeping it near original. 6wt.

The usual guide for the 359s is the ferrule size, 10/64 ferrule on tip generally held to be a 5wt and 11/64 6wt.

I have a 8.5' 359 which is a lovely 5wt, the 9' is 11/64 and better as a 6wt. I'll use 5wt on the 9' when fishing stillwaters where longer casts are usual..

Respectfully, I disagree. Mildly interestingly, it is also present on this one at http://classicflyrodforum.com/forum/vie ... 545#p71545 (5th pic down).

Other note, I baked the spring today as you say at 350 after reshaping it to provide a little more umph to the click pawl "drag". Improved somewhat but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I was just tinkering. I did it for 20 minutes -- is that enough?

Thanks.

Hey Ron, Long time. You know, I think Trev is right on this (and Baron). I don't think I'm going to be able to dig up the old files but I use to have a mint green (the condition was mint not the color) Duncan Briggs and I'm almost positive that it had that same washer in it. It was convex (or concave I guess if you put it in the opposite way) and had a slight bit of give to it when putting the thumb screw back in place. It worked well enough but I'd prefer a thrust washer like you find on the Youngs because those can be adjusted if needed.
I think my files of that particular reel were on a back-up drive that crashed so they might be lost but it was a neat reel. Definitely had some weight to it. I ended up selling it to our friend Rockthief if I recall correctly.

You know I've never seen a brass washer cupped like that and it was an exact fit. With the other obvious factory differences, it'd not surprise me if they had twenty different versions of those reels, and knowing how some companies there operated they may have been made in several different shops within the city. There is another picture out there of one with the same exact cupped shim that I've seen since posting to this thread.

The numbers are one thing that make me think they had multiple small shops working and the odd differences reinforce that impression. Whatever, they were a simple adaptation of wartime production to the newfound leisure and expendable income that surfaced after the war. Basic functionality, marketable at blue collar prices.

When I worked in Providence in the '70s many manufacturers still had multiple small facilities scattered through out the city, often making the same items or parts of an item that would reach final assembly across town. It's all changed now, but back then much of the industry was in buildings dating from the 19th century. I think the clips on Cross pens moved through three shops before assembly, I worked in several industrial settings doing millwright work and most were part of a network of shops under one name.