Rod rebuild - once more laquer

[peytr]

I'm rebuilding a carbon fly rod. I stripped the blank and want to reduce the lengt of the whippings. However, once I shorten them I'm left with some lenght of blank where the original laquer is damaged (the complete blank seems to have a coat of transparent, two part laquer). The same goes for the markings. These where under the transparent cout and taking them of (which I want to do) leave me with a damaged area of coating. I would now like to completely sand down the blank and put the guides on, lacquer the whippings and put on a thin coat of two part laquer over the blank.

I could do everything with polyurethane yacht laquer (did so on a number of glass rods) but I would prefer two part, sincs that's clearly what is on there now. However, I cannot find a two part, low build laquer which is suitable for finishing the blank. Can anyone point me in the direction of a clear two part varnish wich is considered suitable for finishing complete carbon rods?

Some background:

I think most people would not consider a old DAM Quick Fly worth while to restore. But this is my rod. I like it allthough it was cheap and it shows. The blank isn't straight and never has been. The cork was of inferior quality and the guides where heavy, to small, ugly and the whippings where fixed with a heavy blob of high build epoxy. However,once I succeeded in ignoring all these shortcomings I learned to appreciate it as my go to heavier fly rod. Catching trout, sea trout, pike, perch and monster ide helped.

So I recently bit the bullet and ordered very nice, much lighter guides, restored the cork and am about to start rebuilding the rod.

Best regards,

Peter

 

[@Clive]

Guidesnblanks have two part finishes so the European suppliers of rod building materials may have them too. Good luck.

 

[nottskev]

I can't help with the two-part varnish. I've restored rods and chopped up and re-assembled rod parts for a variety of purposes, usually short, soft rods with quiver tips for little rivers and streams, but just used car paint sprays and matte polyurethane on the sanded down blank and whippings. When I was a boy, there was a fashion for painting tackle matte black ,a bit like the camouflage craze in carping. The matte black paint wore off in no time, but I always think less is more in finishing rods etc.

I noticed your DAM rod. I wonder if the Quick Fly was in the same series as the Quickstick float rods. These look a bit chunky by modern carbon rod standards, but in their day, early 1980's, were lovely, sweet-actioned affordable carbons. I'm not surprised you're fond of yours. I bought mine when I called in a ts for bait and ran into a World Champion, Ian Heaps, who was a rep for DAM at the time. He could sell stuff as well as fish; I came out with bait and a new rod.

 

[Steve Arnold]

I'm rebuilding a carbon fly rod. I stripped the blank and want to reduce the lengt of the whippings. However, once I shorten them I'm left with some lenght of blank where the original laquer is damaged (the complete blank seems to have a coat of transparent, two part laquer). The same goes for the markings. These where under the transparent cout and taking them of (which I want to do) leave me with a damaged area of coating. I would now like to completely sand down the blank and put the guides on, lacquer the whippings and put on a thin coat of two part laquer over the blank.

I could do everything with polyurethane yacht laquer (did so on a number of glass rods) but I would prefer two part, sincs that's clearly what is on there now. However, I cannot find a two part, low build laquer which is suitable for finishing the blank. Can anyone point me in the direction of a clear two part varnish wich is considered suitable for finishing complete carbon rods?

Some background:

I think most people would not consider a old DAM Quick Fly worth while to restore. But this is my rod. I like it allthough it was cheap and it shows. The blank isn't straight and never has been. The cork was of inferior quality and the guides where heavy, to small, ugly and the whippings where fixed with a heavy blob of high build epoxy. However,once I succeeded in ignoring all these shortcomings I learned to appreciate it as my go to heavier fly rod. Catching trout, sea trout, pike, perch and monster ide helped.

So I recently bit the bullet and ordered very nice, much lighter guides, restored the cork and am about to start rebuilding the rod.

Best regards,

Peter

How I HATE high-build coatings on rods! When doing a similar job to yours I took my penknife and used it as delicately as I could to remove the resin from a whole blank. Like you when I removed the whippings and high-build on them it left an obvious ridge with the deep resin (laquer?) on the rest of the blank.

It is risky scraping the whole blank clean, then time consuming with fine sandpaper to get it properly smooth. But it was worth the effort and I used a quick-dry rod varnish to finish the rod after whipping. I only have a tiny amount of that rod varnish left now, of course it's no longer on the market!

Showing my age by still using varnish, but I like just enough coats to seal and protect. I have never been a fan of fancyfying what is a utility job!

 

[Keith M]

I recently bought some two part ‘https://www.guidesnblanks.com/p/one_rod_epoxy_ ‘ for repairing a couple of missing and damaged rod rings on a couple of my rods; and the hi-build finish matched the existing rings on the rods perfectly.

Guidesandblanks sell several different 2 part epoxy resin high build varnishes for this job (See link below).

https://www.guidesnblanks.com/c/rod_finishes/rod_varnish_epoxy_glues/epoxy_coatings_for_rod_whippings

If I still made some of my rods from scratch then I would definately use it for my rod ring whippings instead of the varnish that I used to use before.

Keith

 

[Steve Arnold]

I recently bought some two part ‘https://www.guidesnblanks.com/p/one_rod_epoxy_ ‘ for repairing a couple of missing and damaged rod rings on a couple of my rods; and the hi-build finish matched the existing rings on the rods perfectly.

Guidesandblanks sell several different 2 part epoxy resin high build varnishes for this job (See link below).

https://www.guidesnblanks.com/c/rod_finishes/rod_varnish_epoxy_glues/epoxy_coatings_for_rod_whippings

If I still made some my rods from scratch then I would definately use it for my rod ring whippings instead of the varnish that I used to use before.

Keith

Should I ever build another rod I guess I will have to do the same!

 

[peytr]

Thanks for all advise - it is a pleasure reading you posts; I will take a look at the products mentioned. The trouble with making choices is that I exactly know what to do in hindsight.

When I was a boy, there was a fashion for painting tackle matte black ,a bit like the camouflage craze in carping.

I bought Wheatly black fly boxes in the eighties and now regret I didn't buy the classic silver ones. The fact that I then choose black might have to do with this fashion you mention. There's nothing wrong with the black ones but I really fancy the silver ones now. I'm getting at an age that my rods c.a. (which I bought new) are becoming vintage and the silver boxes would be more appropriate in this respect.

@ Steve: that sounds like a solution so it's a pity it isn't available anymore. I noticed a one part product in a shop at this end of which they claim it is harder then yacht varnish. Sounds a bit like your solution, so I might do a sample with that. The price is a kind of friendly as well!

 

[Steve Arnold]

Thanks for all advise - it is a pleasure reading you posts; I will take a look at the products mentioned. The trouble with making choices is that I exactly know what to do in hindsight.


I bought Wheatly black fly boxes in the eighties and now regret I didn't buy the classic silver ones. The fact that I then choose black might have to do with this fashion you mention. There's nothing wrong with the black ones but I really fancy the silver ones now. I'm getting at an age that my rods c.a. (which I bought new) are becoming vintage and the silver boxes would be more appropriate in this respect.

@ Steve: that sounds like a solution so it's a pity it isn't available anymore. I noticed a one part product in a shop at this end of which they claim it is harder then yacht varnish. Sounds a bit like your solution, so I might do a sample with that. The price is a kind of friendly as well!

If that one part product works please share it here. I quite like the process of applying varnish as it's rather therapeutic, helps me cope with the stresses of retirement in the Lot

 

[@Clive]

I'm sure that Sally can find you something to paint. The bedroom, kitchen, bathroom.........

 

[peytr]

OK, it has been some time but I finally bit the bullet and went for a one part finish.

Super Coating finish gloss

Super Coating finish gloss FINISH - GLUE - FILLER - SEAL jar 20cc

www.rodvisionscomponents.nl

I choose the high gloss, since that is the only one of which they say it has good adhesion to carbon. Because I lightly sanded the entire blank I need that. It is on the rod drying now and looking excellent but then again: wet lacquer allways does.

I looks and feels like an ordinary polyurethane but has a nice flow. The site claims a better hardness than usual yacht lacquer. That is to be evaluated.

Against all advice I thinned it and will put on a second layer after this one dries and hardens a bit.

 

[Steve Arnold]

OK, it has been some time but I finally bit the bullet and went for a one part finish.

Super Coating finish gloss

Super Coating finish gloss FINISH - GLUE - FILLER - SEAL jar 20cc

www.rodvisionscomponents.nl

I choose the high gloss, since that is the only one of which they say it has good adhesion to carbon. Because I lightly sanded the entire blank I need that. It is on the rod drying now and looking excellent but then again: wet lacquer allways does.

I looks and feels like an ordinary polyurethane but has a nice flow. The site claims a better hardness than usual yacht lacquer. That is to be evaluated.

Against all advice I thinned it and will put on a second layer after this one dries and hardens a bit.

Thanks for the link, a good selection of guides as well!

 

[peytr]

Thanks for the link, a good selection of guides as well!

This was my first purchase at this firm and the man is friendly, ships fast and encourages clients to place small orders. So he seems to understand tinkerers. I don't know about shipping to UK, France and other countries.

The blank is dry now and ready to get a light sanding and (again) a very thin second coat. It is subjective but the first coat realy looks and feels good. I did the vinegar trick to clean it and harden it a bit more. So far I'm happy with my choice but of course a few years are needed to see if it stays on there and how it will react to incidental exposure to salt water.

 

[peytr]

All guides are on the rod and all seems well. As far as I can tell now, the lacquer is nothing special as far as hardness is concerned. It stays on the carbon so far, so that's a good thing. I'm happy with the one part, because it doesn't build up, like most two parts do. The rod can be felt. The whole contraption is becoming exactly what I wanted: lighter guides, and a very modest appearance. The black whippings are just perceivable on the carbon blank and nothing screams (or whispers) China. I permitted myself one indulgence by using a stripping guide with an agate inlay. Couldn't be happier.

 

[nottskev]

Interesting stuff, Peytr. Can you post a picture?