glm38:
OR you could buy one of [url=http://www.onepfoot.com/dragplates2006.htm:bc351]these[/url:bc351] from One Pfoot and have a true LHW because the original drag plates have a different hole pattern on each side so when you flip it to LHW the click is different.
And remember if you’re going to convert it to LHW, before you flip the drag plate over don’t forget to rotate the click pawl 180 degrees. 
Regards,
Joe Martin
Salem, OR
:shock: I can’t believe I missed typing that!
I flipped it over but the indents are different so it doesn’t work quite right? But I did not rotate the click pawl 180 degrees. Can you elaborate on that just a little more?
Greg
The pawl needs to be flipped 180 by being placed on the opposite side of the shaft also. What do you mean by not quite right.
By the “pawl” do you mean the round piece that fits in the middle of the drag plate that has the 2 screw holes in it? If so - I did figure that out.
By not quite right I mean the incoming/winding click is OK. But there is no click on the outgoing/stripping direction. Turning the drag knob does increase the pressure but there is still only a faint intermittant click.
I think it is because the drag plate is not the same on both sides? I think the one pfoot drag plate would solve the problem. I just have to decide whether or not to spend 20 to 25 bucks on one.
Any other ideas?
thanks,
Greg
Greg, the pawl is the little metal round piece that’s right next to the spindle (the part that the spool goes onto). It’s about 1/8" long, has a slight bevel on the top, and has a little spring beneath it. As far as the sound goes, yes, it will sound different if you switch it over without the Pfoot plate, but you should be able to hear it when stripping out line and one the retrieve. I think switching the pawl should solve that dilemma, though I am not at ALL an expert on the subject.
Regards,
Joe Martin
Salem, OR
I haven’t had any trouble putting lines and backing onto 1494’s or 1495’s (older ones). I have a 1494 loaded with plenty of backing (want to guess 80 yards) and a Sylk WF5. Also on my 1495 125 yards and WF5 444 peach.
What I do is wind on the line, make a mark on the spool where the line ends. Take the line off. Measure the distance from the line to the spool edge. Make another mark measured from the arbor, fill with backing to that point or just shy, attach line and wind on. Pflueger’s line recommendations are for the heaviest lines and least backing.
I have wound on DT 4 silk and DT5 peaches on 1494 (silk) and 1495 (peach) without a space problem.
Pete
The reel on the left is a NIB with papers 1494DA. The other, older reel, is a Akron made 1494
I don’t think one of the original questions was answered…except for the machining mention.
I think the reason for only right hand on the 1492’s is because with the square short line guard it was not amenable to switching to LHW…it would leave what has been referred to as ugly screw holes plus there were no screw holes on the other side to accept the short line guard.
Which brings up something not mentioned above about switching those that can be switched…you should really switch the line guard also.
Feel free to disagree or add info…
Didn’t most people fish RHW back when the 1492 was first produced? Weren’t very few of the early Medalists offered as a LHW reel?
I usually fish LHW but most of my vintage reels are RHW, including many Medalists, so I just fish them that way. You can convert Medalists now with the OneFoot parts but back when they were manufactured most of them were RHW.
In 1959 they became convertible …I believe they mostly were sold as RHW.
"1959
The 1594 and 1595 were discontinued with the availability of a left-hand conversion ratchet, part number 3933. This was supposed to fit any Medalists except for the 1492, which was a click drag."
In the “good old days” virtually all fly reels were RHW and most were not convertible to LHW. It was only when Lee Wulff began theorizing about the (in his opinion) advantages of reeling with the right hand that people began switching. Another factor was that many anglers in the postwar period began their fishing careers with spinning tackle and had problems switching to the (at that time) more conventional RHW fly reels.
When I was a lad, even trout bait fishermen used fly reels (and rods), loading the reel with monofilament and strip-casting a worm or salmon egg with a couple of split shot for weight.
I believe that you meant to say left hand here…
Lee Wulff said the dominant hand should always hold the rod.
The more difficult and tiring task when fighting a fish
You are correct, I meant to say left hand. I’ve never bought into Wulff’s argument and continue to reel right-handed.