I know Tom K answered this before but I can not find it with a search. What brand of polish do you put on a rod after it is finished?

Pledge, and when I run out , Formby's Furniture polish, 'cuse I have a bottle hanging around. Use it to spruce up every repaired rod I do.

Star Brite Marine Polish W/Teflon - West Marine

Gon Fishn

I use a piece of chamois. Most of the time no polish is needed.

Jim

Plege or any auto wax

Mike

Need to remember: Pledge is silicone based, I was advised by my local luthier not to ever use it on my guitar.

Bill in WV

I don't know what a Luthier is, but what I do know is that there are lots of rumors floating around about silicones. These for the most part are best put into the category of 'old wives tales. The silicones make the very best of the protective coating waxes and polishes. The silicones last longer and are far more effective than the teflon based polishes. I know of many many guitars that use a good silicone based wax, with very good results. Nothing that I have ever tested comes close to competing with the silicones as a rod cleaner and protective polish. Trondak's 'Iron Coat' is a silicone based polish, and is on thousands of rods all over the world. Whatever a Luthier is I don't know -- but an authority on Silicones they are NOT.
Ralph

IMO, just soap & water is all that is needed. That's all I ever use, ... Keeping hands clean while fishing (towel & water) keeps the rod that much cleaner to begin with. Clean hands = less grime & slime.

Joe Milligan - I think this may be your reference. Also, one of the back-issues in RMMag had this inside some article on providing your customer with rod care information along with your Warranty information. I think it was a really old back-issue, and if it was in Volume 1-4, then it is no longer available, I think. Look in the RMM Index found in the RBO Library for more details. Good Luck, -Cliff Hall+++

Rod Cleaning ... Dan Hogan May 21, 2005 01:15PM
Some where I read it but can't find it. Is Pledge ok to use for rod cleaning? ie. is there any teflon in it?

Re: Rod Cleaning ... Bob Balcombe ... May 21, 2005 03:23PM
To just clean a rod I use just soap and water. Then I dry it off. When this is done I use a good hard wood floor past wax. Put wax on let it dry and then just buff it to a high sheen (with a cotton towel if it is a glossy blank) If it is a flat finish just buff it off with a towel.. The wax will also protect the blank from small scratches and wear-buff marks. Good Wraps Bob

Re: Rod Cleaning ... Dan Hogan May 21, 2005 03:36PM
Ok, thanks. My wife probably has a multi-lifetime supply of Lemon Pledge, I was wondering if it had any "silicone" in it.

Re: Rod Cleaning Tom Kirkman (Moderator) May 21, 2005 03:42PM
Pledge and Behold are what I've used over the years. Clean the rod first with soap and water, dry and apply. A couple applications per season makes subsequent cleanings much easier. There's nothing in either that will harm your rod or lines.

Re: Rod Cleaning ... Bob Balcombe May 21, 2005 05:34PM
At this point you do not have to worry about silicone on a completed rod. Just don't let the stuff on blanks. It is always wise to wash a rod before repairing one. Good Wraps Bob

Re: Rod Cleaning Mark Gibson May 21, 2005 07:57PM
PLEDGE (lemon spray) is a SILICONE OIL. It may not hurt your rods. But I’d keep it out of the rod shop, since it can resist common clean-up solvents.
BEHOLD is probably a better cleaner (solvent) and it is based on a heavy naphtha.... similar to VM+P naphtha, which is lighter and will evaporate faster than something like mineral spirits. Naptha doesn't carry the same contamination threat of the silicone oils, which can readily migrate to nearby surfaces. Mark Gibson

Re: Rod Cleaning ... Dan Hogan ... May 21, 2005 11:05PM
Mark, Thanks. Since Pledge contains silicone oils, there will be NO PLEDGE in the shop for me. I used Epoxy in aircraft and boats, and silicone caused many headaches.

Applying finish OVER silicone can cause problems with pitting, etc. but Once the rod is complete what could cause a problem with silicone over the wraps? , did he say???

Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

A professional bamboo flyrod builder once advised me to put one part lemon oil and two parts beeswax into a plastic 35 mm film cannister, microwave until liquid (I did it in increments) and agitate. When it hardens you have an excellent wax suitable for polishing and protecting wraps. I can't say whether this is going "too far", but it has worked nicely for me.
Tight lines!
Hunter

Edit: Or it may have been one part lemon oil and three parts beeswax. I cannot remember exactly and it has been years since I needed to make another batch.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/2006 03:16PM by Hunter Armstrong.

Hi Joe,

I've used Armor All® for years. Gives a great shine and the added benefit is the UV protection. Two cautions - 1. If your using it on a newly build rod be sure the epoxy has completely curied. 2. Don't get it on the handle (makes holding onto it tough).

Hank
On The Rocks Fishing
Wells, ME.

Mike Barkley asked: "... Once the rod is complete what could cause a problem with silicone over the wraps? , did he say???

Who is "he" ...? ... If you mean Mark Gibson, then I think Mark Gibson is saying that ON THE ROD, a silicone polish or wax is okay. OBVIOUSLY, it is more than OKAY, according to ROQ, it is THE best base for your wax or polish, ...

But Gibson is saying, and so am I, that if you use an AEROSOL SPRAY form of a SILICONE-Based Polish, such as PLEDGE, INSIDE YOUR ROD SHOP, where you keep your ROD THREADS or ROD RACK-ROLLERS or ROD BLANKS, etc., then you are very liable to get SILICONE OIL VAPOR-DROPLETS on spool thread or rack rollers or rod blanks. And it is more persistent / resistant to removal by simple dry wipe, is merely made a smear with a damp water wipe, and takes more elbow grease to remove when using ordinary alcohols.

In other words, spray the Pledge on a clean cloth WELL AWAY FROM the rod shop / bench area, and thereby keep the inevitable and ubiquitous silicone oil MIST from contaminating every blessed & unblessed thing in your rod shop. !!! ... -Cliff Hall+++

Cliff,

I was responding to Bill bartlett's post about what his lucier said. I just typed slower than you guys!!!

Mike

Ralph, I used to build mountain dulcimers & 5 string banjos. Luthiers are those folks involved in building musical instruments, supplying those that do or some such. Guess you can tell I'm an Appalachian hillbilly - transported to the coast.

I never had a problem with silicones on the things I built and used silicone products on strings all the time. Just don't get silicones on rodbuilding projects where you plan to overcoat with epoxy.

Stan