Lamiglas 11'6" Honey Blank restoration question

[Breadfan]

Yesterday I obtained my first vintage Lamiglas rod. It's a surf rod from 1973, 11'6" in honey color and I bought it off a guy who was the original owner/builder. To say I am stoked would be an understatement. I have removed all the guides and now I am working to get the grips and reel seat off. Since it is fiberglass, I suppose I can sand (400-600 grit?) any imperfections off of the blank (within reason) left by the old whatever thin epoxy or Perma Gloss type finish used to coat the guides. He also went over them again years later with some sort of varnish, leaving multiple runs and it was a very poor job the second time around. My second question is I'd like to know if I can lightly sand over the logo without removing it? He wrapped over and it and it looks ugly. Picture included. I've built a few rods with major success but this if my first restoration, I want it to be perfect.

[Swami805]

You can sand the blank, use wet sand paper and go slow. If there's globs and chunks of finish you can very carefully use a sharp utility knife. For the label I'd just try and knock the ridges off the finish on it so it's smoother and coat it with finish.
Try a heat gun or blow dryer to soften up the chunky parts like the ends where the guide wraps used to be.
To put a new finish on it Voodoo rods makes a product called CPxtra, I've had really good results with it.
most important is take your time.
Love those yellow Lami's

[Breadfan]

You can sand the blank, use wet sand paper and go slow. If there's globs and chunks of finish you can very carefully use a sharp utility knife. For the label I'd just try and knock the ridges off the finish on it so it's smoother and coat it with finish.
Try a heat gun or blow dryer to soften up the chunky parts like the ends where the guide wraps used to be.
To put a new finish on it Voodoo rods makes a product called CPxtra, I've had really good results with it.
most important is take your time.
Love those yellow Lami's

Thank you for the advice. The Voodoo CPxtra seems to be like U-40 Perma Gloss which I have used with great success in refinishing an old Ugly Stik blank that was scratched up from laying in a pile for years. Wipe on and that's it.

[oc1]

When was the rod built?  Is the finish varnish or epoxy, or epoxy over varnish? 

I always start with a steel scraper or knife blade held perpendicular to the rod.  Varnish will flake of easily when scraped.  Epoxy is more difficult to scrape off but it can be done.  Once you use heat or a solvent the finish will soften and is more difficult to scrape off.

After scraping, I sand lightly just to get rid of scratches and residue and give the blank a uniform appearance.

I wouldn't touch the label because it will come off with the old finish.
-steve

[Breadfan]

When was the rod built?  Is the finish varnish or epoxy, or epoxy over varnish?  

I always start with a steel scraper or knife blade held perpendicular to the rod.  Varnish will flake of easily when scraped.  Epoxy is more difficult to scrape off but it can be done.  Once you use heat or a solvent the finish will soften and is more difficult to scrape off.

After scraping, I sand lightly just to get rid of scratches and residue and give the blank a uniform appearance.

I wouldn't touch the label because it will come off with the old finish.
-steve

The blank was purchased in 1973, and then it was built in 1975. it looks like varnish was used for the first build and then it was re-applied (and not very well) years later, with runs everywhere, apparently the rod was just stood up and left to dry. It is scraping off, slow go. The reel seat and the Hardened rubber handles are removed, no problems there. I did try and go around the logo but I hit it once or twice and it looks faded. I have the feeling it will run if I epoxy over it. I may just make a new logo, I work in a commercial print shop and that won't be a problem. Wrapping threads, guides, reel seat and Handles have been ordered. This is a great project and my pompano fishing friends are drooling over the rod.

[thorhammer]

This is one of my all-time favorite blanks.

[Breadfan]

Everything went well yesterday, it is completely stripped, it looks great with a few old light scars.

[thorhammer]

45 yo with few light scars- we should all be so lucky. cant wait to see this build.

[Breadfan]

45 yo with few light scars- we should all be so lucky. cant wait to see this build.

Yea, I feel very lucky! A good Craigslist find can be a bit nerve wracking until you finally get it in your hands!

[thorhammer]

I have a honey gold 11' xxxh Hatteras Heaver a buddy got for me for $5 at a yard sale....UGLY? man, it's been sprayed black about 30 years ago with peeling varnish on top and the grip is electrical tape over cord.....I've had it hanging above my bench because I'm skeered to get into it lol. MAY be a Magnaflex, not sure I'll ever know definitively. We'll see how agressive I have to be getting the paint off.

John

[Breadfan]

I have a honey gold 11' xxxh Hatteras Heaver a buddy got for me for $5 at a yard sale....UGLY? man, it's been sprayed black about 30 years ago with peeling varnish on top and the grip is electrical tape over cord.....I've had it hanging above my bench because I'm skeered to get into it lol. MAY be a Magnaflex, not sure I'll ever know definitively. We'll see how agressive I have to be getting the paint off.

John

5 bucks is a great deal! I paid 40 for mine but what the heck, it's worth it and will be worth a whole lot more when I am through with it. I was very surprised of how easy the varnish, glue, hard grips, ect, came off of mine. It wasn't just a little varnish, it was a lot, runs going down the rod everywhere. why someone would re-varnish the guide wraps and then stand it up to dry, I don't know.  I scraped it off with a semi dull fillet knife and not once did I dig into the blank. Then I just went over it with 400, 600, 800, 1000, and 2000 wet/dry and it's ready for Perma Gloss.

[thorhammer]

Have you tried to order a new one? The shipping is almost as much as much as the blank. I'll pay 40 for that all day. I think they told me Diamond is the former CP Ultra- maybe something to do with Voodoo branding,  I forget. It was recco'd to me by no less than Jon Vadney. Voodoo also has a nice selection of varigated threads, which would keep your old-skool look. You going to wrap as a spinner or casting rod? Be cool with a Squidder or 99-width Jigmaster on there. Please give details on your application  / curing / result with the Diamond. I've done a couple small rods but these have a lot of real estate. I'm thinking to go pretty slow with thin coats and give plenty of cure tie in between.


John

[Breadfan]

I'm going to make it conventional. This will be a 100% surf rod used for mostly Pompano. I'll need distance out of my reel, so I will go with an Abu 7000, I have two and they both were made around 1974, perfect for the date, but I'd rather not have the anodized red color of the reel. I can think of other colors that would go better with the honey blank, I've seen the 7000 with silver side plates so I may be on the lookout for some. As I said, the rod will be finished with the U-40 Perma Gloss and this time around I really want to try an under wrap. Pro Wrap Forged Steel, (kinda of a light gray) size A will be the bottom and over that I will use Pro wrap Sage, size D. After I wrap the Forged Steel, I'll go over that with Perma Gloss so the Sage D thread goes over nice and smooth. At this point I'm not sure if I should continue with the Perma Gloss for the final finish or use Flex Coat epoxy finish. I like the depth the epoxy finish adds, makes everything pop. The guides will be boat rod guides in bright chrome. I used these on one of my other surf rods and they are very heavy duty and they take a beating without bending, plus, they give a nod to yesterdays rods. For the handle and seat I'm going to use an all aluminum seat with a 3 inch foam grip on either side with shrink tubing for the bottom with a door knob. The bottom finish on the rod is the worst scratched, and it will look better if it's covered. So in all, it's kind of retro, but with some modern looks. Of course everything could change if I don't like it. The beauty of doing it yourself!

[thorhammer]

Love it. Great call on the Abu. I would recco flex coat light or Voodoo Diamond epoxy over thread work if you have a drying motor. I've switched to Voodoo Diamond II- it's pot life / working characteristics work a little better for me personally, and I think the finish is a hair better, probably because of the curing properties with my specific turner and environment.

I looked back- it's on the Voodoo site; they bought the Bullard's rights when the Bullard's got of the business. My bottle of CPx from  Voodoo actually still had Bullards on it; (it's a couple years old). Are you gonna turn the rod or leave it static after CPX application? I'm interested in how this will avoid sagging (your previous owner wasn't, lol). I had some sag even on smaller rods until i went multiple coats, but I was using a brush and leaving static. I'll use the lathe next time.

[thorhammer]

I checked back- I did not have good results with Permagloss on a resto I did; that's how I got to CPX Ultra. Permagloss got milky and I had to re-sand the blank.  Let us know. My event could've been a reaction with blank itself, humidity, who knows.