Hi,ive got an old surf rod im gonna need to completely re-varnish as the origional is flaking off.Dont know if this is down to the age of the blank or just because it had`nt been applied correctly.I`ve stripped all the guides off ready,Whats gonna be best way to go about this?Any info greatly accepted,thanks.

Be careful to buy varnish remover - only. Read the labels. Some remover cannot be used on fiberglass.
Herb

I have carefully scraped and lightly sanded down a few rods. I you start to itch........ your in to the fiberglass!! I have used either Permagloss (Stink)or another poly acylic product some on here have used! Do a search on here and unhide your E-mail!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/22/2008 10:14PM by John Martines.

What Herb and John said. Some folks use strippers, but I haven't found a decent one that in the instructions says "Do not use on fiberglass". I figure that the makers of such products know a bit more about their stuff than I do and I don't want to take chances on a rod that I don't own. Personally, I just scrape it all off, followed by a 0000 steel wooling for some insurance. 2 coats of permagloss and you are golden.

I've used Citristrip to remove varnish from fiberglass rods with good success. I brush it on the blank, wait until the varnish starts to form bubbles then wash off with plenty of warm water and 0000 steel wool. As a bonus the Citristrip is biodegradable and safe to use indoors.

Mark,
Chuck the rod in your lathe. Start with a slow speed, and build it up to as fast a speed as the blank can handle with out vibrating excessivly.
Insure that you ahve adequate ball bearing rod rests to support the rod at least every two feet.
Start with 200 grit paper to remove the finish. If you can't cut it with that, go a bit coarser like 150 or possibly. However, remember, that any scratches put on the surface of the rod with coarse paper will need to be removed later with finer paper. So, if you can remove the varnish with a fairly fine grit paper, you will have less total work.

After the finish is stripped, you can go over it with finer and finer sand paper until you have a glossy finish with no sanding marks.
If you like, you can leave it like this, or permagloss the finished rod, or simply wax the blank after building.

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Note:
When, I mention a lathe, I am speaking of a rod lathe with the capacity to handle the full length blank. It is also nice if the lathe motor has variable speed, so that you an gradually build the speed - starting at 0 - adjusting your steady rests as needed to prevent blank whip and destruction.

Take care
Roger


p.s.
On most rods like this, I will first go over the rod with a straight edged razor scraped in a fashion that is perpendicular to the blank - running up and down the blank. Most of the time, the finish will strip very quickly using this technique. Then, a quick spin in the rod lathe with fine , finer, and finest grades of sandpaper; leaves a blank ready for rebuilding.

Thanks for all the replies,much appreciated.

One thing I like to mention becareful if you strip a blank and scuff or sand with steel wool. The steel can inbed it self in to the fiberglass if your down to the bare blank. You won't notice it really until you add a clear finish.