minor reel tune-up..this works

[BassNva]

after i read that article about tuning up reels,i wanted to do that to all of mine.however,,,,,taking sandpaper to critical parts of the reel didn't sound like too good an idea to me simply because i don't have any experience doing that kind of stuff.
that said...i have found a simple way to improve the performance of all you bait casters.this doesn't require tearing your reels all the way down.it will noticably improve performance if you do it right.
all you need is a dremel(or similar)tool a polishing wheel and a container of dremel polishing compound.
after you disassemble your reel to lube it.simply polish as many surfaces that come in contact with other surface,such as shafts and bushings,brake plates(the small ones under some brake adj.knobs.
you can put a mirror finish on all these parts with the dremel polishing compound.
look on both sides of the reel where the brake adjustments are.usually on the cap end or the cover end,there will be a small plate that puts tension on the spool.polish these good.if you see any wear on these plates,simply polish the other side and use the good side of the plate.i've found in some reels(abu for one)have multiple plates.so you can just switch them around.
but make sure you polish them before you reassemble the reel.
use a high performance lube on all moving parts.(i prefer hot sauce).
just be sure to try winding your reel and in free spool take note of the performance BEFORE you do this.then compare it after you do the minor tune-up.you will see a difference.
for example i took and older shakespeare alpha xt that has maybe one bearing,the rest are bushings.on this one i did take 1000 grit sandpaper and smoothed the inside of the bushings.everything else i polished.you would swear this reel is a quality reel.instead of just a cheapo $25 reel.
hope this helps some of you that are leery of sandpapering your reels.