A guide / friend of mine spends a lot of days on the water. His favorite OLD custom rod has been subjected to sun and weather for a number of years, especially on one side. The bad side is dull and a little rough, the "shaded" side is nicked up but looks smoother and blacker. Naturally, the guide wraps are really beat up and are crumbling as well. I'm planning on re-wrapping the guides and I'd like to tweak up the finish on the blank as well. Should I just use a good grade of automobile polish (very fine rubbing compound) or is there something better?

Thanks

Skip Kerwin

Hi Skip,

Fairley new rodmaker here @ 1 year. But, most of what I do is refurbish old rods. If your going to do it, you might as well go all out. Especially if you put your name on it as the restorer. While you have it stripped down, use the grey scotchbrite pad and sand it down, then repaint it witha a good quality automotive spray paint. Let it dry for 3-4 days, then coat it the Tom Kirkman way with either Permagloss, or Spar urethane. By the way the Tom Kirkman way is to split a 1in foam paintbrush and soakit in whatever your going to coat with and start at the butt and work toward the tip. Putting the blank inside the split. I take it a bit further than that and use a piece of soft sponge cut at about a width of 2 in or so. Then split that about a little farther than half way, use latex gloves, and soak the sponge with watever I'm using to coat with. I use spar urithane and coat twice. Let the first coat dry then coat again. Works awesome. I'm sure someone else will chime in with some other ways also. If you have any other questions, shoot me an email.

Bill in WV

You did say these rods are graphite did you no? If those rods are as beat up as you say! You may be looking for trouble. The way it sounds those rods, are ready for failure. A nicked graphite rod well break. (I would not do the job)! Why does he not take the rods back to the guy who built them? Just my 2 cents for what it is worth
Good Wraps Bob

Bob,

You are right, I didn't pay much attention to the Graphite in his post title.

Skip,

You're better off taking Bob's opinion over mine, he's been at it a whole lot longer than me.

Bill in WV