Building a fly rod and this is the first time I used alignment dots. How do you finish the male end of the rod where the alignment mark is. Could put a small wrap there but I don't think that will look that good. Also to close to an eye. Any ideals will help.

Been lurking here for a long time. Thanks for the many great tips and help that I have recieved.

I assume that you are talking about decals (Decal Connection has sheets of various style alignment dots) If you don't want to use a small wrap (I think it would look nice), just put a narrow, light coat of finish around the blank to seal the dot. Just make sure that the dot/finish on the male end is far enough back to not interfere with the female ferrule in the future.

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!!

RodMaker published a really neat article on this very thing some time back (Volume 6 #1). There are just so many ways to do this that I can't remember all them right off the top of my head.

Feathers, with quills or tips end to end look great. A small thread band with a single woven line (one thread) works and looks great. Or, you can fall back on just paint dots with a band of finish over the top. All depends on how much time you want to put into it.

On your rod, you could weave one thread into the wrap itself on that one you say is very close to the ferrule. Or finish it, put the dot on the finish, and add one more coat of finish. Let your imagination go on this one.

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Tom and all,

Why can't you put a "dot" of finish over the dot of paint, instead of a full band around the blank? I would think a small amount of finish would not smear if kept perfectly level, and the dot small enough.

Sorry to hijack the thread, just thought it might help in this case too.

Barret

Barret,

I think that a "dot" of finish would not be very durable. Since it's not an adhesive, it really needs to encirle the rod unto it self (if that makes any sense at all). If you have ever accidentally gotten a drop or two of finish on a blank and didn't catch it until it dried, you'd see how easy it comes off with a fingernai.

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!!

I sometimes cover my painted alignment markers with a band of PermaGloss with good success. Try your paint marker on a piece of scrap and let it dry 24 hrs before applying the PermaGloss to make certain they are compatible.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

Use a bit of rod paint on the head of a pin. Place the dot on the male end, the other dot on the female end, and cover each dot with a drop of U40 or rod varnish after it dries. The other thing I like is the single strand of thread woven into a small wrap on either end.

Uncle Russ

I do alignment markers on every rod I build, except I inlay a tiny feather. A small wrap looks fine, and so does just a light band of epoxy finish

I use a very thin brush of permagloss over the dot only and not around the rod. A lot of my rods are fished heavily and mistreated on backpacking trips. I never have had any problems with it coming off.

The ones I have done I have covered with Permagloss.