I decided to replace the double foot guides on my GLoomis GL3 (matte gray finish) with single foot guides. When I took the df guides off one section of the rod, some of the blank finish came off with the epoxy. There are spots as large as 6 mm x 3 mm, with no blank finish on at all - that is, the graphite is exposed in those spots.

Is this a common occurrence? I was surprised to see it happen. BTW, I used nothing other than thumbnail/fingernail pressure and a little heat. The thread finish had been LS Supreme.

What to do now? It seems that giving the entire blank a new finish job is a lot of work (that I didn't plan on getting into) and I might mess things up big time. Some of the spots I can cover with guide wraps but not all since I am going from df to sf guides.

Is there something equivalent to "touch up paint" I could use to cover the spots - even if the spots would be plainly visible afterward? Permagloss with Testor's paint blended in? Maybe Klass Kote?

Thanks for your advice.

I don't think the finish should come off that easy?? I would try to talk to Loomis and see what they say

Blanks are not neccessarily intended to have guides installed and then removed. If the blank finish/paint was applied to a surface that was less than perfect, it's entirely likely that when you try to remove odd bits of epoxy or other finish you'll end up pulling up bits and pieces of the paint coating the blank. This is not at all uncommon when trying to remove guides and finish. Ask any rod repairman and he'll tell you the same thing. Happens all the time, particularly on the painted matte finish blanks.

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Unless he used Permagloss I don't think it should have, or dug into the blank with a razor blade. Clears usually don't adhear well and just tend to peal off with out taking the quality clear of a rods finish

When I redo my painted blanks I just about have to take a grinder to them to get any finish off