Some books and DVD''s I have reviewed recommend polishing a blank as a final step. One such product that has been recommended is 3M Perfect-It III Finishing Glaze 05941. I finally tracked down a source but I am now told that 3M stopped making it. Is there an alternative product or maybe some general discussion of the advisability of this step?

Bryce Abbott
Go & Do Likewise

I don't know exactly what you are trying to accomplish ... modifying the look OR just providing shine and protection. IF it is the latter, I use Meguiar's Carnauba Wax. It does a great job AND is very easy to apply. One bottle will do a whole lot of rods.

Polish can be mildly abrasive - I'd recommend against it. Instead, apply a good wax to the rod. That's really all you need to do on a new rod.

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

Thanks. I was thinking purely cosmetic to dress it up nice and pretty. The Glazing Compounds were just known to last longer. I was looking for something non abrasive that did not contain silicone.

Bryce Abbott
Go & Do Likewise

Like Jim, I use wax and recommend to all by customers that they wax their rods at least at the beginning of every season

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 use a good hard wood floor wax with Carnauba
Good Wraps Bob

Good Wraps Bob

Ditto Carnuba wax.
Herb

To polish out scratches, I use Meguiar's 105 and follow up with 205 if needed. In fact, I just used 105 on an orange pad to polish out a Shikari blank that had some nasty scratches on it. The 105 got most of them out and I didn't need to use 205 afterward. On a car, I'd need to follow up the 105 with 205 on a gray pad for sure, but the blank didn't need that level of perfection.

To polish blanks, I use only the 205 with a gray pad and follow with a wax. A mild finishing polish like the 205 will add a nice sheen to your rod. You need something after to protect it and that's where the wax comes in (any good wax should do). You could also use a sealant like Meguiar's 21 for extra depth and even longer durability.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/24/2009 11:26PM by Robert Russell.

I always wax my rods before they leave my hands with care instructions to rinse thoroughly after every trip and rewax ever 3-5 trips. Saltwater takes a toll on offshore gear rather quickly. For freshwater rods, I would venture to guess that 1-2 times a season will likely work.

Not worried about saltwater much. We are in Kansas. I do appreciate all the suggestions. I will get'em shined up.

Bryce Abbott
Go & Do Likewise

How does wax protect a graphite rod? I understand how it would make them shine, but what does it protect the rod from?

While wax doesnt offer much, it does offer a little bit of sacrificial protection. It helps keep the shine and protects any finish on the blank against dirt, moss, weeds etc. Obviously against a tree branch it doesnt do anything, but its everyday wear it protects against. The same concept applies to a car.

Bryce,
If you have a blank - that has no finish. i.e. raw graphite, it makes sense to shine the blank using one of the many different polishing compounds.

Many ordinary hardware stores have various grades of polishing compounds. All of these polishing compounds use some form of abrasive material in a polishing suspension compound. As the material is used up, tiny pieces of the polishing material work as various grades of sand paper to polish the object being buffed.

For plastic, graphite and fiberglass, the white stainless compound works very well.

Also, if you happen to have a painted finish on a blank, with some paint defects in the form of bumps or runs, the polishing compound does a nice job of cleaning up these defects.

If you have a perfect painted finish on a rod, the polishing compound will do nothing for the rod except to remove some of the finish.


If you want a shiny temporary finish on a fishing rod, you can use any form of wax, or even wd-40 to achieve a temporary shiny finish.

If you have stripped a finish from a rod, and want a nice polished look about the rod, then the use of various grades of polishing compound as the blank is spinning in a lathe is a good way to go to achieve the perfect polished look on the blank before building the rod.


Just check any of the many on line as well as hardware stores for buffing compounds. Concentrate on the finer compounds - like the white stainless, green light polish, or th e red rogue that is often used for polishing jewelery.

If you have a painted or dyed blank - best to stay with no polish or some sort of wax. Otherwise you run the risk of finish removal with any of the slightly abrasive polishing compounds.

---
I just finished a blank painting job yesterday. After finishing, there was a slight amount of orange peel in a couple of spots on the blank. The orange peel was easily removed by simply spinning the blank in the lathe and then using a simple cloth with nothing on the cloth to rub out the orange peel for the finish demanded by the customer.

Often the use of a simple uncoated cloth as the blank is spinning in the lathe is all that the blank needs for the perfect finish. This also applies to painted and dyed rods.

Take care
Roger

p.s.
If you do spin a full length blank in a lathe, be sure to use adequate roller supports at locations that are not on the spots of harmonic vibration on the blank. If you place the supports incorrectly, it is very easy to destroy a blank due to destructive harmonic vibration.

Always start the blank spinning slowly, while checking for destructive vibration. If necessary, move the roller rests up and or down the blank to locate the guides in a safe supporting location on the blank to avoid destructive vibration.

Roger.

If you have stripped a finish from a rod, and want a nice polished look about the rod, then the use of various grades of polishing compound as the blank is spinning in a lathe is a good way to go to achieve the perfect polished look on the blank before building the rod.

By this methor, sould I be safe to think that the wax would not act as a contaminant to the epoxy if applied prior to building the rod??? Just curious, because I'm in the process of stripping one down now for a re-build.

Thanks
Harold

Harold-I don't think you would want to use wax on a blank prior to building. Some contain silicones. The polishing compounds used by auto painters are probably safe- if not they would have the same problems with paint as we would with thread finish. Testing on a scrap of blank is always a good idea. Read a comment here once that said a bare blank could be polished with a piece of Kraft paper while spinning.

Thanks Chris. That's what I was thinking. I never heard of the craft paper trick, I will have to give it a try.

cheers
Harold

Never get near any blank before building with any polish or wax. Clean with alcohol then after building and before shipping or using then wax - or even pledge. Keep away from your finish room !!!

Bill - willierods.com

Thanks Bill. That was one of the first rules drummed into me. That is why I was curious with Rogers statement.

Harold

Harold,
If you have a blank with scratches or a blank you stripped, I'd polish it before you build it. I do this all the time and have never had any issues. Just do a good wipe down with alcohol when you're finished polishing before you start your build. If you try to clean up after the build, there will inevitably be areas that you can not get to or work well because of your build.

The craft paper trick is what the old timers used. Except back then, we used strips of grocery store bags when they were still made from paper. We'd use a little spit and 1 inch wide strips. Paper is very abrasive and that's what gives the polish.

Robert

Then is it a - before the build or after ? Is the rod going to be refinished, or just cleaned before a build, i will use any kind of wax, Pledge is easy, only before it goes into the shipping container. I was painting a car doing auto body work in a shop, when some one out side in the shop - all ya have to do is open a can of wax. the fish eyes just crawled all over the car. I definitely lost my cool !!

Bill - willierods.com