I’m in the process of redoing a few of my first built rods. Mostly redoing the long wraps above the reel seat and adding decals .Do I need to really sand these areas or can I just scuff up the area with a scotch brite .??? Is denatured alcohol all I need to use to wipe down these areas? Any other suggestions for this project appreciated
Thanks
Ken Blevins

Ken,
I use a green scouring pad used for washing dishes. I use it dry and lightly remove the varnish on the entire rod. I always remove all the guides on the rod and start from scratch. This way there is no noticeable blemishes on the rod from tip to butt. You can just do a certain area and get away with it without any noticeable blemishes. You can just remove the old thread and epoxy and work on that certain area. It is sort of a trial and error process until you find out what works best for you.
Marvin Engel

Ken,

If all you are doing is RECOATING the areas, then all you need to do is make the surface water break free so that the new coating will adhere properly. You can find out how to do this in the library here (I think). Basically the Scotchbrite is all you really need unless the area is very uneven and requires some sanding first.

Clean with alcohol FIRST, then use the Scotchbrite, then refinish.

If you are removing the wraps all together, then you'll want to try to get the area back to as clean and level as possible so that the new wraps will go on evenly. You'll need to scrape/sand the area to remove the old finish etc.. being VERY careful not to sand down into the blank. I've found that you can speed up this process by just removing the thread, scraping lightly, then adding a full coat of epoxy to level the area, then wrap over that. No danger of hurting the blank this way, but it does add extra weight.

Good Luck!

Buddy