Restoring antique fishing reel

[grevilleavic]

Hi All! I have this old timber fishing reel that's got about a 100 year's worth of grime coating it. Some nice guys on the "Old reel collectors association" have (mostly) identified the reel for me, and they've suggesting using something called "Murphy's oil soap" to clean the timber with before finishing with tung or linseed. I believe that "Murphy's" is not available in Aus, so I was wondering what you would recommend. Note that there's a lot of little patches of missing and flaking varnish. Thanks! Vic
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[Lyle]

How far are you going to restore the reel? A full pull apart, strip, polish etc. Then is it going to be a 'user' or cherished keep-sake? Is the patination of use valuable to you?? Does it have sentimental value or something
I am far from an expert with huge knowledge.

Murphys oil soap - Commercials for the product state that the product is ideal for cleaning wood surfaces. The other constituents of Murphy Oil Soap are sodium EDTA, propylene glycol, fragrance, surfactants, and water. Murphy Oil Soap is commonly used to clean and polish horse tack, such as bridles and saddles.
I haven't heard of it nor used it.

But my 2 bobs worth
Try a cloth moistened with metho and try rubbing the wood with that. It should clean up the timber.
Use Brasso and 0000 steel wool for the brasswork.

If the metho takes off the old varnish (shellac), good. Just go easy not to take off too much patina.
Then you could either go with re-shellacing or maybe a spray can of clear lacquer, or a wipe on poly. Depending on your choice of the reel becoming a user or display piece.

Hope this gives you some ideas/help.
Lyle.