Does anybody know of a retailer that sells Man O' War Spar Varnish in Norteastern Ohio? Valspar's website shows the nearest dealer approximately ninety minutes from my home. There are a few online sources (westernwooddoctor.com $14.95 Qt., woodworkersupply $19.99 Qt, etc.), but I have never purchased from them before. I have decided to utilize it as a finish for a couple of bamboo fly rods via a dip tube.

Both my local mom and pop hardware stores carry it.

I have purchased man o war spar varnish from western wood doctor before and they ship fast and is resonably priced.

James M. Dement

Look around at everywhere near you that sells paint, someplace should have it. I live in Durango,Co, which is a big small town out in the middle of nowhere, yet there are 2 or 3 places here where I can get it.
john

Don't know where you live but just about any Lowe's, Home Depot, WalMart, or other big box store that sells hardware like TrueVale.

You can also find it at most places that cater to boat repair.

There are also quite a few other options out there othe than MOW...Just look for a finish that saws it is for outdoor use.

Hope this helps.



Derek L. McMaster
Rohnert Park, CA

Born to Fish, FORCED to Work

You will find it at any Ace Hardware, at least here on the West coast. Virtually any marine supply will have it and numerouse other high spec finishes. West Marine will have it in half pint to 55 gallon drums.

Not to hijack, but a general question about spar varnish. How hard does that stuff get and how is the longevity on blanks other than bamboo?

I think I understand the dip tube concept, but expanation of technique would be appreciated. Thanks.

Jay

Spar varnishes get hard ehough to sand, butstay more flexible than the polyurethanes, which get hard ehough to be brittle. Spar varnish is the traditional outdoor coating, but when used on boats it needs to be stripped and redone periodically. It makes an almost ideal finish for bamboo flyrods because it goes on well, protects the bamboo from water for a long time and is easy to touch up or replace as needed. I don't know why you would need or want to dip a graphite rod, but the main thing is to pull the rod slowly from the tube so the excess can drain back into the tube as you go, so it doesn't run. If you dip the rod with the guides on, stop at the top and bottom of every wrap for a count of 10-20 seconds to let the varnish run off the different diameters and the guides. The 1 rpm motor I use pulls at a rate of about 4" per minute, with stop time, a tip can take 45 minutes to an hour to pull.
john