In the process of moving guides around on a blank and testing placement, I scratched an area of the blank and would like to restore the shiny coating.

Which product should I use and how should I go about this without recoating the entire blank, which has wrapped and epoxied guides. I was thinking of diluting some urethane and lightly brushing on the area and then turning it. I was also thinking of hitting it with a heat gun to disperse and thin the finish over that area of the blank.

My goal is only to make some scratches go away. The entire blank is brand new and nicely coated from the factory.

Thanks,

Tony

Tony,

I recently posted a mistake I had made similiar to yours and this is one of the helpful replies I had received.
Posted by: Duane Richards (DR) (---.rn.hr.cox.net)
Date: February 24, 2009 10:13AM


Jeff,

If you have some permagloss or even rod thread finish, take it and wipe the finish into the scratch and then wipe off all the excess completely, leaving only a tiny bit in the scratch of the blank to fill it, you may have done this already, it works if you do it right and the scratch isn't too deep.

DR

Muskyfsh

Tony,

That above will usually fix you up pretty good unless the scratches are really deep.

DR

Try some lemon Pledge spray polish

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Hi Tony,

Sounds like the scratches aren't too deep. If they are deep but not taking any color off the blank then I like Jeff's idea. If they are really shallow then something like Raymond's suggestion is good. I use Zenith Tibet Almond Stick, it's for furniture scratches and you just wipe it on the blank. I use on the entire rod before I present it to a new owner, makes it shine. I would finish the rod completely before I put anything over the top to disguise scratches (unless you go with jeff's idea). Sometimes finish won't stick well to various coatings etc. applied to the blank.

Best Regards,

Darrin Heim
American Tackle Company

This is after the horse is out of the barn, but I use various size neoprene "O" rings i/o guides to do static testing. They grip the blank and act just like guides. I mark the blank with white grease pencil at each guide location.
Then to test I place a little strip of blue painters tape where the guide's foot will be - no scratching. After I test the rod I remove the tape - wipe with solvent to remove residue, if any and wrap guides.
Herb

So you place O-rings along the blank at the potential guide locations and run the line up through the O-rings to do a static load test? Where do you get the smaller ones to fit the top part of the blank?

Currently I cut short bands from small diameter tubing to make small rubber bands and use them to hold the guides in place. I can move the guides around easier than using narrow tape, but I like your idea better. Maybe I can use my little rubber bands just the same.

Andy,

I cut my little rubber bands from surgical tubing and slide them onto a round object (round stainless steel thread packing/burnishing tool) , then double them over on the object, then slide then off the object and onto the end of the rod blank in one motion. This works great for the thinner blank areas.

DR

Thanks to all who replied.

I have now started to wrap the blue painters tape around the sharpened guide feet before placing them on the blank with sections of fuel line or surgical tubing.

If you have an edge under the guide foot sharp enough to scratch the blank, think what it is doing to the blank after it has been wrapped and fished (flexed) for a while.
I have repaired several rods over the years that broke right at the end of the guide foot from that very cause.
Be carefull!
Make sure the under side is every bit as smooth as the top side of the foot.

Best wishes,
Ron Schneider
Schneider's Rod Shop
Mountain Home, Arkansas
[www.schneidersrods.com]
mtnron40@yahoo.com
870-424-3381