Tip up issues

[LOTWSvirgin]

How you guys stop your tip ups from freezeing?? I am not talking about the hole freezeing. The shaft that goes down to the spool keeps getting hard to turn with the cold temps what you guy use to on them to stop this thhank a head of time

[Steve Foss]

I just run the standard Polar HT tip-ups, but I also use round foam hole covers. There's a slit you push the shaft of the tip-up through. Even when it's below zero all day I only get a small amount of ice buildup on the shaft.

One reason tip-ups freeze and lock is because of being left out in the open cold air a long time while the fish is being played and the hook rebaited. Get them back in the water, which is above freezing, and they'll loosen up. When mine lock up I pump the spool up and down and keep twisting it until it starts to loosen up. Then it goes into the water and I keep twisting the shaft from the top until it's loose.

In extreme cases (long time playing really big fish, strong winds and below zero), I'll bring the tip-up back into the heated portable to thaw out.

One good piece of tip-up maintenance advice is to grease the shafts once per year or every other year. They'll freeze up less often if you do.

[thedeadsea]

Normally the inside of the shaft housing is packed with some low temp grease. Is this an older tip up? You could try putting some type of oil/grease in there but be sure to clean any off the outside of the shaft so you don't have a slick and risk getting oil on your lure and line.

Steve

[Jim Uran]

If you have problems with freezing, you most likely have a bad tip up. You may have to repack the shaft with that low temp grease.

[LOTWSvirgin]

Whats the best way to get the grease in the tube??

[Steve Foss]

You have to take it apart and pack it in, then put the shaft back and wipe all the outsides down. Polar HT makes its own grease for that called Blu-Lube.

I've had even freshly packed tip-ups freeze up in extreme conditions, but it's rare. Standard tip-ups are so cheap, and it usually takes a few years for the grease to work its way out, so a lot of folks think of tip-ups as throwaway tackle. If you lube them once a year or every other year, they'll last a long time.

[thedeadsea]

The ends should have some type of crimped or forced fit sleeve/retainer over the end of the shaft. One of them would need to be removed to put grease in there. Heat up the tip up and grease in a warm room (80-90 degrees would be good) to make the grease flow easier. Pack it in with some type of large syringe and put the retainer back on. Chances are the grease will eventually leak out again so unless it is an expensive tip up worth saving, you may do better to just buy a new one.

[thedeadsea]

Steve F, thats twice now on this post that we both have been replying at the same time but you typed quicker!

[Steve Foss]

Yeah, all those years in front of a keyboard at newspapers had to come in handy somehow.

[LOTWSvirgin]

Thank you guys its not a bad issue if its not under 10 or so I could but some new ones but why if I can fix them I will I have had them some time now 7-8 years with out a problem ever except when the flags dont go up. Thank you again

[Crusty old Swede]

To relube the tube remove the spool from the shaft. Then pull the shaft out of the tube I've seen a few tip ups where you had to remove the upper end hardware to remove the shaft. Remove the old lube from the tube, I use an air compressor and blow the old lube into a paper grocery sack. Fill the tube with new blue lube. When you slide the shaft back into the tube you should push some lube out the other end if there is enough in the tube. You want the tube full of lube to keep water out - just like boat trailer hubs. Reassemble the spool / top end. One more thing storing your tip-ups horizontally, especially during the summer helps keep the lube in the tube.