Mitchell Reel Forum

When you guys are repainting a reel, how do you mask the engraved “Mitchell” and the number of the reel? I’ve painted a few cars, and never had to work with a mask of anything that fine.

Thanks!

Ted

I just paint over it. When you paint beside the anti-reverse lever, slide it over and give another shot on the shadow where the lever covered or it will remain. I have masked these levers off on some and painted them on others. My 300s are fishers, not collectors.

Glen

I paint over it also. Christian is the guy to talk to, if you want the script to show. I'm sure if he sees this he will chim in .If you look in show & tell I posted a 300 half bail he did for me to give to my grandson.

I sent Christian a pm, as he posted he had tips for painting that. But, I haven’t heard back. Everybody is busy this time of the year.

Ted

FusilDarne I sent a PM with his email.

Hello All,
I come across this subject quite frequently. I'll offer my 2 cents worth of info on it. From all of the Mitchell reels I've restored, and the hundreds of others I have in my shop, I have not yet seen one that has the engraving filled in with white with the exception of my 2nd Version Half bail. Having said that, here is my restoration procedure.
Disassemble the reel entirely, and remove all grease and contaminants.
The side plate will be our focus here.
I remove the A/R lever, washer, and cam. (I use a special jig and a press for re-assembly)
My next step is to use a carbide tipped metal scribe ro remove the crud from the lettering. And an artists brush to sweep it out of the engraving.
I have found that the most durable coating on planet earth is the coating on a Mitchell reel. If the paint is intact, it stays on the reel. I carefully examine the surface for corrosion, lifted paint or other imperfections and remove the paint from these areas. I lightly sand the remaining surface. When sanding near the engraving I do not sand over it!
After sanding I repeat the re-engraving process with the scribe and brush to clean out the sanding dust.
The plate is now washed with dish soap and water with a toothbrush. Allow to dry.
To prep for painting I use a lint free paper towel and isopropyl alcohol to wipe the plate down. It dries fast and leaves no residue.
Paint comes next. I use RUSTOLEUM PAINT AND PRIMER IN ONE. SATIN finish in Canyon Black. I spray the whole outside face of the plate lightly and let dry. Usually 3 coats. When sprayin the 2nd and 3rd coat i spray even lighter over the lettering. If the engraving disappears, the paint was too heavy, and it's time to start all over.
Once the paint cures 2 or 3 days. I repeat the engraving process with the scribe and brush to remove the paint from the engraving.
The engraving is done under magnification. I use a 10 power magnified head set and a led head lamp for this.

I hope this helps.
Respectfully
Christian

Thank you, Christian. Happy New Year.

Ted

for what its worth, some people will be wondering what colour matches the blue models.
I have just restored a couple of 440 matches.
I wanted a good match so i went to my local car paint shop to see if i could find a match.
Well i got lucky.
The closest i could find is a RAL colour. it is called green/blue and the number is RAL 5001.
I had a rattle can made up. not cheap but for £18 i get enough to paint 3 reels.
I could have any paint type such as enamel, 2 pack or cellulose.
What i went for is an all in one enamel that does not need a primer and is made to bond to any metal
or plastic surface. it dries quickly. i gave the reel 2 coats leaving an hour between coats.
I left the reels for 4 days for the paint to fully harden befor reassembling the reels

Wow! That looks great, Kevin!
I haven't worked up the nerve to try re-painting a reel yet, but results like that make me want to try.

Tom

Nice save! They looked almost beyond saving.

Has the left hand reel got a bent foot, or is it a trick of the photo?

It appears to be an optical illusion. The left reel's rotor is in a position where it is completely laying down flat on the table. The right reel's rotor is in a position where the bail "unit" is supporting it up from the table higher than the left making the stem appear bent in comparison.
Kim