The Inconsistency
I've had a love hate relationship with LS Supreme since I began using it almost two years ago. Sometimes I would get a glass-like finish, sometimes my butt wraps would come out bumpy and pocked as the moon. I read every post on it and tried every remedy given on this board. Alas, six months ago I threw in the towel.

One More Try
A week ago I determined to try it again. Using three coats, after the second I was amazed; a glass-smooth, level, perfect finish. I would have stopped there but I still needed to put the customer's name on it and sign it (usually I do this after the first coat). I did so, numbering each ferrule with my gel pen and applying a light coat of spray lacquer, allowing about an hour to dry. This morning the revelation came. The butt wrap and ferrules looked terrible--like a little elf hit them with WD40 while I slept.

The Revelation
All other factors remaining constant, the culprit must be a chemical in either my gel pen or acrylic spray laquer. Bet it's the lacquer made by Accent (no ingredients are shown on the can). All along I thought LS just wouldn't level on longer surface areas, but it's the longer surface areas that I sign, number, and apply the laquer to. It all makes sense now.

Help Needed
Those of you who use LS and spray sealer over inscriptions take note--and those who do so with success--please recommend a brand that will not react adversely to LS. This particular lacquer has worked fine with Flex Coat. I'd be interested to see some tests done with LS and various chemicals found in spray lacquer and sealents to corroborate my experience.

If you ever need to determine how well a finish levels, pour some out on a piece of glass or a smooth countertop and watch it. If it levels there, it will level on your rod. If it doesn't level on your rod, the culprit is not the finish.

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Try this after you use your gel pen. Instead of using a spray laquer or any other kind of spay, try using a piece of transparent tape over your writing and then apply your first and anyother coats of finish over the buttwrap and tape. With about two or three coats you will not even notice the tape on the blank. A word of caution, be careful not to leave a finger print on the tape as it will show up and be a lasting fixture on your customers rod. I think this will fix your problem. Give it a try and let me know how it works.