hey putter i was wondering when you marbeled your reels what did you do to prep sand then coat and how have they held up. im doing an all blue marble project with blue grips reel seat end capp and thought the reel just would ad enough blue to blind some one lol any info would be great thanks.... Robert crabtree

The reel parts that I marbled were a nylon/synthetic material (not metal). After complete disassembly and degreasing, I Scotchbrited them and wiped them off with a dry cloth. Marbled and reassembled two days later. I tried putting them together after one day, but had problems with 'signatures' (my fingerprints). :)

So far, so good. I fished about 6 or 7 times last year and beat them in the rod lockers pretty good in rough waves on two trips at least. I still won't do them for anyone other than myself as rod finish/epoxy is NOT an adhesive, it only has SOME adhesive qualities and I just don't want to get into some kind of 'warranty' issue with someone when this job is so darned time consuming. I've only fished two SHORT trips this year, so far.

Properly prepped and taken care of, I don't think I'm going to have any issues with my own reels from what I see so far. I've looked them over very closely (4 of them) and see no ill effects at all, yet (knock on wood)...

Putter
Williston, ND

For a more durable finish take a look at Duracoat gun finishes. [www.lauerweaponry.com] I haven't tried it yet, but plan to sometime in the very near future. From everything I can tell it should be a very good finish for fishing reels. It is available in an assortment of colors also. I have been wanting a green reel to go on a rod I plan to start in the next few days. Problem is no one makes green offshore reels anymore. I looked at some of the reel customization places and the cheapest I could find was $100 to get a reel powdercoated. This finish should be much better than powdercoating. Just an idea.

Nathan

But an epoxy base is needed to marble in...

Putter
Williston, ND

thanks for the info putter i thinkin a stradic will make a nice piece for the project just wanted to know how they would hold up 120.00 for experimenting....... wife wouldent like that if it dident work thanks again and tight lines......... Rob

Sorry, didn't mean to confuse anyone. Yes, epoxy is needed for marbling. I was referring more to the coloring aspect of reels. I considered tinting some epoxy and using it to color the frame and sideplates, but don't think it would be durable enough. I even considered tinting permagloss. Overall I think the Duracoat would be a much better finish. It is relatively inexpensive to get into doing also. The starter kit with a color of choice is only about $50.

Nathan

I did my wife's Stradic in purple and white (she's a purple nut). I picked several of these up for under $90.

Putter
Williston, ND

Putter, I' would not put a drop of anything on my Stradic, afraid I'd mess it up. You were the one that thought this reel was sooo good. Well, I have to agree with you. I got me a Batson IP 840 at Charlotte in Feb. Finished the rod in mid-May. Took it to the lake for Memorial day weekend. Would you believe I caught a 4lb 10oz bass on the very first cast. I had 4 lb test line on it. I wasn't real sure the drag could handle it. I am strictly an ultralight fan. I think I can count on one hand the number of freshwater fish over two pounds I have caught in my life. That reel is a champ. Everytime that fish broke water on me I was able to lay him over. On the first fun I wasn't sure I had enough line. Now my problem is my son wants one too. I would not touch my Stradic with anything.

Ed Smith

They're worth every penny, Ed-every penny!!

Putter
Williston, ND

If you let the epoxy dry well. maybe a week, or heat them, you can put a coat of permagloss over it.

we talked about this before i do alot of steelhead fishing here and have burnt up many reels no i only fish with shimano for steelhead but i still like my high end diawa's also so far fishing salmon this fall ive been using the okuma titaniam very impressed havent burnt em up yet and 40 bucks a pop cant go wrong....and im deffinitly hard on equipment...........

I haven't tried the Titanium; is it heavier than normal like the rest of the Okuma's that I have tried, Robert? I kinda gave up on their spinning reels because they seemed so darned heavy. Good reels, though...

Putter
Williston, ND

the ones i found were not that heavy i got two in the 30 series the titaniam holds like 60 to 70 yds more line so they worked great for salmon i use 12 lb and a salmon will run you to death with lighter line almost spooled three times so far this year but they have held up good.. and the 30 is a bit bulky of a reel but not to bad as weight is concerned but ill say this much jigging 3/4 ounce spoons and holding a med. heavy rod with it next day you deffinitly feel it still dont compare to the lightness of a shimano.......

Ive figured out the ultimate durability test for a marbled finish! And it passed with flying colors! About a year ago I marbled the wifes cell phone. This thing lives in the bowels of flip phone @#$%&....deep in the recesses of her purse...with abrasive roommates like the infamous "Ring of 1000 Keys", sharp cornered funky designer makeup thingys, nail files, jumbo ink pens, and only God knows what else. Occasionally the FlexCoat clad phone will take a vacation from Zipperville and go skiing...across the dashboard of Mt. Highlander during a hard left turn.
The marbled finish looks great, some minor scratches, no gouges or chips, and still has its original gloss. My phone on the other hand, identical model and age as the wifes minus the marbling, lives a more sheltered life, usually in the relative safety of its own pocket. My phone shows many more signs of age. The techy lookin pearl flake finish is worn thin on edges, chipping away in some spots. any minor scratches are obvious.
The plastic cases of these phones are very simalar to many of the bass reels on the market. My phone has the same fine metalflake finish over plastic as most of the shimano and quantum reels have. I think a thicker marbled finish will hold up better than the original finish on some reels, and the patterned look will hide many of the battle scars.