What is a good technique to put your signature or rod name on your blanks? I need some help. Thanks.

David: I gave up and ordered waterslide decals from Decal Connection. They can make a decal from you signature too. My first rod I tried writing but for my second, and future, rods I used what I got from them. The results were like amateur to professional. The difference is profound. I have seen some rods that were hand written and looked great but I could not get similar results with my hand.

Get a Sanford uniball gel available at Michaels. Get the ball rolling on a piece of paper. Just write what you want at a speed that works for you. I f you make a mistake just rub off with alcohol. Next step is to spray on some krylon fix a tiff. This step may not be needed, I am still testing this. Make sure you cover all your lettering with quick sprays. Now you can finish with your favorite rod finish. Remember to let the lettering dry for 15 minutes as well as the fix a tiff. It is pretty easy. Put some cardboard or whatever on the ends of the lettering area to prevent overspray. If you screw it all up you can sand everything down and do it again. Just relax and have fun. Tom

I recently switched from gel pens to a rapidograph technical pen with white ink. This is now my preferred method.

My latest effort was to make a V grove in a piece of plywood so the blank is held steady on the same plane as my pen. This helped me.

rhr

I write on blank waterslide decals placed on top of lined paper (so I can see the lines). Then I transfer the decal onto the blank. It's so much easier to be neat writing on a flat surface... I just use scraps of waterslide decal sheets I've ordered from Decal Connection over the years.

I use Winsor and Newton silver ink and Sanford steel nib pens. The pens cost a few bucks for one holder and 2-3 tips, and the inks cost less than $5.00 for a small bottle. I've used the same one for the last 4 years. These inks come in a myriad of colors and can be cleaned up with water. The best part is that they dry in a matter of minutes (3-5 min.) and can be finished directly over with flex coat. They are available at Pearl paint, but I'm sure a quick google search would bring up other suppliers.

As for the actual writing, I just take the butt section and carefully place it on the table. The grip and the end of the section keep the wraps from touching the table preventing them from getting ruined. Then I just write as if I was writing on a piece of paper..........and it makes a huge difference to have the blank at a comfortable natural writing level. I used to keep the blank in my rod supports and would stack some books as a hand support, but the blank on the table works infinitely better.

Good Luck.

Lou

Well...if your handwriting needs work, then decals are the way to go. I sometimes use the decal of my logo, but more often than not, I write the name and blank info with a gel pen. Found a package of 5 metallic pens, thick point at one end and fine point at the other. I had trouble finding a gel with a fine enough tip for those little letters and numbers and the set from W..M... was just what the doctor ordered. 5 metallic colors to augment trim bands and butt wrap colors. I've found that they dry overnight and need no sealer prior to applying finish. Works for me.