I'm wondering if I have to apply color preserver to regular nylon thread if I'm going to be finishing w/ LS Supeme. The little info packet doen't say you have to apply it and it does say that the epoxy soaks into the thread wraps if there is no color preserver on the wraps. Have any of you tried using regular thread w/ no preserver and then finished w/ this epoxy? Does the thread color fade over time or does the epoxy soak in enough to protect the coloration? Thanks for any feedback!
Andrew

Any of the 2 part epoxies, when applied directly to nylon thread will trun the thread translucent. If you don't want that to happen then you need to use CP. Most factory fly rods are finished that way(no CP). It all depends on what you want it to look like.

CP doesn't protect the thread from fading due to UV radiation, it only protects the thread from becoming translucent when the finish is applied.

Andrew,
I do not use color preserver on the fly rods that I build. I prefer the appearance of thread, darkened by applying epoxy without color preserver. By translucent, Gerry does not mean clear without color, he means somewhat see-thru. A darkened version of the original color will remain and you are likely to be able to see the guide feet through the thread.

To see how your thread wraps will look after applying epoxy, do a half inch wide thread wrap on an isolated section of the blank. Then dab on some vegetable oil to saturate the thread wrap. That is how the wrap will look if you don't apply color preserver. Use paper towel to take most of the oil off of the blank, unwrap the thread and clean the area thoroughly to remove all oil.

Good luck,
Jeff

Or just wet the wrap with alcohol, not shiny, but you'll see what the color will be.

Andrew,
I should have mentioned that if you wet your wraps to see the finished color, do it out in the sun to appreciate the look of the thread without CP.

Jeff