Hi All-I found and old rod in my shed which had taking a lot of punishment from the sun and also had some latex paint drippings on it, my approach was to just remove the paint and go over the pole with a fresh coat of finish, but that quickly turned into me sanding the entire rod down removing all the finish and removing the guides just leaving the cork handle and reel seat on. I want to add I have zero experience rod building, don't let the rod wrapper fool anyone i took it from my buddy who had it buried in his basement along with a bunch of resin and a bunch of tools used for rod building. I hope to build my own custom rod one day, I have been practicing using the wrapper on an old blank. Now back to rod repair, now that i have removed the finish/paint/guides and wiped the blank down to remove all the residue. Whats next?
Any guidance/info how to go about this would be greatly appreciated.
I have attached some photos.
thx
ed
The pictures already make you look professional. I,d say place the guides back on where they were after light sanding of the bottoms of the feet to inshure they have no burrs. Masking tape cut into 1/4 inch strips can help butt my preference is elastic thread as you can adjust guides easily.
You should have lots of advice coming 🤳 soon as I'm not an expert. There is lots of info out there on wrapping and coatings. Go slow, start on one end and continue. Put the top guide on with epoxy before aligning the others. Between the reel foot and top eye is a straight line eventually.
Have fun, this is just the beginning of a fun hobby. ;)
thanks for the info!! Is painting it an option with some kind of spray can paint? What kinda paint would work best?
;D The hardest part of painting a rod is choosing a color . Any spay paint works ,light multiple coats .
After painting ,i wait about two weeks or longer if i can for it to fully cure before i wrap the thread . If you don`t chances are the thread will dig in to the paint , and it doesn`t show up rite away . Some times a day later after wrapping paint will squeeze up between the thread . joe
If you want a clear finish/no paint there's a product called CPXTRA that's as close as you're going to get to a factory finish. Voodoo rods I think is the only place I know that sells it. Use hot glue for the tip unless you're ok sawing it off if you need to replace it in the future. Voodoo also has tip cement which is glorified hot glue, they have several helpful products too. Looks like a nice wrapper. That should make it a lot easier
thanks for all the great info!!!!!
I put a new grip on the rod I will paint it over the weekend. Any suggestions on how i could finish off the bottom of the handle?(The handle did not have a butt cap.)
Looks like a nice project. I am not an expert either, but have read a lot and have rebuilt a few rods along the lines of what you are hoping to do.
I have never tried totally refinishing the coating/paint on a blank. My concern would be putting "any paint" on it, only to find out the flexing of the rod when it is in use will cause it all to crack. The finish from Voodoo, you would think, should not do this, and there may be other coatings that will work.
I'm old-fashioned and still use ferrule cement to affix tiptops (warm stick of cement with a match, smear on tip of blank & attach tiptop). Some say leaving the rod out in the sun may cause the cement to soften and the tip to twist or come off, altho' I have never had this happen to me. Some epoxies will soften if heated after use, so you can still get the tiptop off if it breaks. Hot glue sticks are similar to ferrule cement.
If you're ready to go custom, you may want to upgrade the guides. Couple of sources for information include anglersresource.net (Fuji guides, guide layout info); acidrod.com (guide placement software) and Dale Clemens book, Advanced Custom Rod Building. Dale's book has all kinds of advice & he really likes custom thread wrappings (not everyone does).
To finish off the butt, you can go plain (i.e. a crutch or stool rubber tip), fancy (like an old medallion or coin) or custom (turned/carved wood or bone, etc.)
Good luck, & let us know of your progress.
Frank
rodbuilding.org is a good resource too, very similar to this site,a lot of very helpful people and no garbage like some other fishing sites.
If you have a rod building supplier nearby, just take it over and you can size the butt to get a good fit. Just a simple rubber butt cap would probably fit the bill. Or you can measure the diameter and order it online from Acidrod.com or another site.
Quote from: Eddie Hernandez on April 27, 2018, 02:06:53 AM
I put a new grip on the rod I will paint it over the weekend. Any suggestions on how i could finish off the bottom of the handle?(The handle did not have a butt cap.)
Is that a heat shrink wrap ? Beer caps, coins, wood ,champagne corks , rock ,you can use any you want .
I like to try different things on my rods , even things that some say won`t work .
Marble with paint and epoxy from fore grip to tip.
Marble with nail polishs
Do diamond wraps from fore grip to tip . Some with band breaks ,some straight through.
Grips can be a broken wheel barrow handle ,tree branches ,craft foam ,the possibilities are endless.
Eddie, I have used rattle can paint and polyurethane on a couple rods and have been happy with the performance. Bill
If and when you do paint it, make sure that you stand it up when painting and use a light touch if using spray paint. This really cuts down on runs and uneven spots.
Quote from: oldmanjoe on April 28, 2018, 12:51:21 AM
Is that a heat shrink wrap ? Beer caps, coins, wood ,champagne corks , rock ,you can use any you want .
I like to try different things on my rods , even things that some say won`t work .
Marble with paint and epoxy from fore grip to tip.
Marble with nail polishs
Do diamond wraps from fore grip to tip . Some with band breaks ,some straight through.
Grips can be a broken wheel barrow handle ,tree branches ,craft foam ,the possibilities are endless.
nice, I like this way of thinking, I bet those rod fish the same than rods built "according the book", they might feel different but who cares, I mean, at the end you are fishing with something you build at your wish, as you might know Im also on amateur rod building and Im mostly doing restorations or rebuilds from grip to tip for friends, they are always asking me to put "this" and "that" on the rod and finished rod might feel heavier or stiffer or maybe unbalanced but the owners also have a big smile and feel proud of their new customized rods.
I would recommend to read a bit about rod painting, rod restorations, rod finishes, etc on many online forums like this one, bdoutdoors, rodbuilding.com, etc and then do what you could do with your personal skills and equipment and be happy with it even if it doesnt look as good as you wanted it, this is addictive and I promess next one you repair will look better.
Yes Heat Shrink wrap was used for the grip.
I found a rubber cap that fit nice and snug at a rod building shop. I painted the rod using a white Rust-oleum spray paint for plastic. I will wait 2 weeks to let the paint cure and then start on wrapping the rod.
Lookin' good--seeing lots of promise!
Frank
IMO no need to wait 2 weeks , 3 days is enough just dont use lot of presure while winding the thread
Quote from: steelfish on April 29, 2018, 05:43:01 AM
IMO no need to wait 2 weeks , 3 days is enough just dont use lot of presure while winding the thread
I would wait 2 weeks going on my past experience . Rust-oleum paint is most likely a enamel paint ,they take longer to cure .
You can test it with your finger nail or a test wrap. I will put up a picture of a wrap that i did , all was fine when i put it on .
Day later poof this happen .. " possible a soft spot from a little more paint than the rest of the rod ."
Second time it happened to me i was able to clean the paint between the threads , but it had that open look , because of sink it . Joe
The only ones I paint are Harnells that I restore. Less is more,just enough to get it back to black. I do a light sanding (600-1200 grit) just around any spots I missed on the first pass The thicker the paint the more material to dig into. Lighter colors usually require more coats to get good coverage. I'll let it sit for a week or more after painting.
I've painted a number of blanks and let dry for at least a week before wrapping. I'll then squeegee a finish over the blank before wrapping. I use to use Aftcote rod finish for the finish as it took about a week to cure but hardened nice to allow wrapping and pushing threads without digging into the finish.
U-40 permagloss works well or even minwax polyurethane but that might take a couple of coats. I modify my squeegee process from the one in the picture but it is more or less the same idea. I take a film canister (old 35 mm in the plastic can) cut off the bottom and cut a large hole out of the ring on the top. For a membrane I'll use Terra-band (any medical supply store will have it). The smaller the hole the better and to slide the cup down the blank a light wipe of alcohol will lube it up. Then put in the finish and slowly slide the cup up the blank and put it on the drying bench. I have a rebuild of my own I'll be doing soon and see if I can get my wife to do a video and post it. Pretty easy.
Dave
Quote from: Swami805 on April 29, 2018, 03:07:56 PM
I do a light sanding (600-1200 grit) just around any spots I missed on the first pass The thicker the paint the more material to dig into. Lighter colors usually require more coats to get good coverage. I'll let it sit for a week or more after painting.
I do pretty much the same thing, I think I wait just 3 days or 4 max but thats because I live in a dry climate with desert hight temps, so sprayed can paint cure faster, a week period is pretty acceptable, rod building is never about rushing a process.
Quote from: steelfish on April 29, 2018, 09:18:28 PM
Quote from: Swami805 on April 29, 2018, 03:07:56 PM
I do a light sanding (600-1200 grit) just around any spots I missed on the first pass The thicker the paint the more material to dig into. Lighter colors usually require more coats to get good coverage. I'll let it sit for a week or more after painting.
I do pretty much the same thing, I think I wait just 3 days or 4 max but thats because I live in a dry climate with desert hight temps, so sprayed can paint cure faster, a week period is pretty acceptable, rod building is never about rushing a process.
Good point on climate , I am 70% plus in humidity most days . rod building is never about rushing a process. Maybe after the second one you do , we are kids on Christmas morning for the first 2 . joe
I've tried using rod finish for coating the blank even going as far as rubbing it on very thin with my finger. It took awhile but evenually it started flaking off. If you want a clear finish CPXTRA is the way to go and it looks almost like a factory finish. It will disolve paint though so don't try that. Read the directions carefully as it drys and is unworkable pretty quickly, It also evaporates quickly. One draw back is once the bottle is opened whats left will dry up inside. The bottles are small and it doesn't cost too much. Voodoo has several other handy rod building products, The D2 diamond finish is a good product too.
That film canister is a great idea, thanks for posting that.
Thank you all for the info very much appreciated, I deff going to check out the voodoo website. I can't wait to start rod wrapping I have all the thread picked out!
Finally finished repairing this rod, it deff wont win any beauty contest but I deff learned a lot about the rod building process messing around with it. Even attempted a feather inlay in place of a butt wrap.
:) I think you did a good job . You can still add thread to your guide wraps to make trim bands.
That feather looks SWEET! I really like how it turned out. How did you get it on there? Lay it on the first layer of clear coat?
One of the most effective ways to add a genuinely unique look to your own custom built rod is to personalize it with feather inlays. This is a very simple process, and once you have mastered the basic skills of inlaying a single feather, you will be well on your way to creating your own feather weaves and designs. The following step by step photos and accompanying language should help you master the feather inlay process.
1. Preparing the blank for the inlay is important, as the blank surface may have factory release agents, hand oils, or any variety of contaminants not compatible with epoxies. Thoroughly wipe the blank down with isopropyl alcohol prior to doing any inlays or thread work. No additional preparation is required.
2. For a number of reasons, the choice of feather is also very important. For the sake of
simplicity in explaining the inlay process, I will use a single Jungle Cock Eye feather. They are readily available from most well stocked fly shops in packets of 10 or 12. They will be free of natural oils, and the quality is generally quite good for a reasonable price.
3. I will always use an acrylic based color preservative to set the feathers on the blank prior to epoxy. I prefer to use Guderod 811 color preservative for the following reasons : A. It is crystal clear from the bottle. This allows easy viewing of the feather while placing it on the blank. B. The Guderod can be cut with Isopropyl alcohol to thin it. The thinned C.P. allows full saturation of the feather, and minimizes trapped ah" within the feather's fibers. (This truly becomes an issue when weaving multiple layers of feathers.) I will generally cut my Guderod with approximately 25% to 30% Iso. This will give it a near water hike consistency, perfect for fully penetrating the feather fibers. The Iso. also allows a relatively rapid, but manageable working and curing tune for the C.P. The Guderod will be cured and ready to epoxy within 4 hours air drying time at room temperatures. C. If for some reason, you do not like the look of your feather inlay after curing, you can easily remove it by re-wetting the entire inlay with straight Iso., wipe it clean, and re-do it. No worries !
4. I will completely saturate the feather in the C.P. prior to placing it on the blank. To do this, I will fill the bottom of a Tablespoon size stainless steel measuring spoon with the Guderod. Dip the entire length of the feather in the C.P., and pick it up for placement utilizing a small stiff bristled hobby brush. The feather is placed on the blank to it's approximate final location, and then adjusted to it's final location by nudging it into place with the bristles of the brush. In order to adjust each feather filament into it's proper location, you may have to flood the entire feather, and actually float the fibers into their best location. Once you have the feather placed and arranged exactly where you want it, leave it alone, and set the rod section on a horizontal plane and allow to dry. The C.P. will evaporate, and leave the feather perfectly arranged as placed. To center the feather correctly on the blank, mount the reel. With the reel seated in place, it will automatically locate the blanks center radius.
5. After the inlay is dry, you are ready for your first coat of epoxy coverage. Like the C.P., the epoxy should be applied in such a manner that it will flood the entire inlay.
Pg 2
a stiff bristled hobby brush. With the rod turning, place the brush bristles against the rod at the top of the inlay, and evenly progress down the inlay. The excess epoxy will accumulate, and occasionally drop from the brush as you progress. Leave just enough epoxy behind to very thinly cover the inlay. 'Hie feather (especially multiple feathers) will generate lots of bubbles in your epoxy. Leaving the first coat of epoxy coverage very thin will minimize this problem, but some will appear never the less. Now is the time to remove them. This can be done by lightly brushing the inlay with the grain as it turns. For this, I will use the same type of hobby brush as mentioned earlier. Watch the inlay for a few minutes, if more bubbles appear, brush it again with the grain.. .Repeat as needed. Allow the epoxy covered inlay to turn and dry for 24 hours, and re-coat as needed. Following coats will not generate nearly as many bubbles. The heavier feather weaves will often require 3 or 4 coats of coverage, a single feather will generally require only 2 coats.
6. The inlay can be placed directly to the blank, or it can be applied to a thread background. I will often background the inlay with an opaque thread color that will enhance the color scheme of the feathers. The feathers are placed directly onto the thread, and covered with C.P. in the described fashion, making sure that all of the thread is FULLY saturated as well. This may require two coats of C.P. coverage over the entire inlay and thread area. With the Guderod mixture as described, you will need to wait at least 4 hours between coats.
if you follow these recommendations carefully, 1 absolutely guarantee that you will be on your way to creating your own beautiful feather inlays. 1 have used this process to inlay literally hundreds of rods.
As with all things within the crafts, practice make perfect... Practice, Practice, Practice I Experiment with various feathers, and thread combinations. Be creative, and most importantly: Have Fun II!
If you find that you may require moral support, feel free to contact me. I am usually found in my shop building rods, if not... Fm out fishing!
Bob Meiser.. .R.B. Meiser Fly Rods
Nice setup and very nice repair.
Joe
Quite an experience & results look good.
Frank
Thanks guys!!!! Deff going to work on a rod project during the winter!!! Its time to get some fishing time in!!!!!!
Quote from: Reel 224 on July 06, 2018, 02:21:14 AM
Nice setup and very nice repair.
Joe
Thx Joe-Love my 940 when drifting for fluke!!!!!!
Came out nice and should serve you well, good job.