Has anyone used shellac to seal cork vs. usins U-40 cork seal or Tru Oil? I don't have any spare cork here or i would try it for myself.

Thank you for any replies.

Andy

It would work and give about the same look as the Tru-Oil does, if that's what you're after.

............

Andy,

I used two part epoxy one time. I was concerned about it being slippery when wet but it was pointed out when fishing with a spining rod you actually hang on to the reel leg. it came out looking very nice and glossy, although, I like the look of Tru oil the best.

Bill

Ohio Rod Builders

Canton, Ohio

The reason that I was thinking shellac is that I really want to seal some cork handles but I don't plan on ordering from any rod building suppliers until I go to the ICRBE in Feb. I can't find any corkseal or Tru oil locally.

You could thin out some rod finish and use it. Clean the handle well. Brush or wipe on with paper towel.

Boiled linseed may be an alternative. It may take longer to cure but it is the basis for Tru oil. Tru Oil at Walmart or Gun dealers.

permagloss works well also if you don't mind the shiny look. it isn't slippery and the foregrip i coated with it has been to the coast several times with no real discernable wear.

If I remember right, the rule when I was a kid at home, (A real long time ago!!!) was to not set a wet glass on the living room table. The wetness would always leave white marks! I suppose this would also hold true on cork grips. Some of the choices above would be a better choice.

Henry-
I was thinking the same-shellac finished anything turns white when wet?

...don't spill beer on shellac either...

Tom White
Rod & Reel Restoration

i would recommend any of the oil finishes(truoil, danish oil, teak oil, or any of them). they penetrate better and bring out the grain. tru oil is the only one you can build up to a gloss if that is what you want. you could go with a light coat or two of a urethane.

How about Polycrylic Varnish??? I had a fly rod grip that had a lot of pits and checks in it that I wanted to dress up a bit so I used the Elmer's light oak wood filler and Polycrylic Varnish. Polycrylic Varinish is water based and looks exactly like Flex Coat color preserver.

Anyway, I filled the voids in the grip, sanded smooth and then applied two coats of Polycrylic. After it dried a couple of hours, I buffed it with a Scotchbrite pad to knock off the shine. Looks pretty good! I've used the rod a couple times now and it seems to be holding up well. I use Polycrylic and light fiberglass to cover foam floats that I use on my RC model seaplanes and the Polycrylic holds up well so I don't see it not working on rod grips.