To those who have used a foam brush on applying PG to the entire rod, I have a ?, what size of foam brush would be better to use, and how do you position the rod to do the brushing? I have tried putting the rod horizontal on a clamp, but it caused drops on the other side and I can,t get it all using the do one side then flip and do the other, I always miss the sides, and by then the PG gets tacky. Any suggestions!

Try this - stand the blank up and grasp it by the tip. Load the foam brush the PG and push it against the blank at the tip. Now swipe it quickly down and along the full length of the blank. Now spin the blank 180 degrees and do the same thing to the other side. This should only take maybe 10 or 15 seconds start to finish.

If the blank diameter is large, you may have to make 3 passes, 120 degrees apart.

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perhaps if you put a piece of tape around the blank where the seat goes maybe half of the seat, and mark it so when you turn you have a mark to tell you where you are. From the seat down you don't need it seat and handle will cover that area.

Bill - willierods.com

Load the brush and push the rod tip right through the foam brush add pull the blank through it. It will act like a squeegee and coat the plank evenly

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!!

All foams are not created equal!
Based on something Mr. Kirkman told me a while back.
PG will melt the foam in some brushes so you might want to check brush first.

Mike, what type of foam brush do you use, the ones I got have a piece of plastic in the middle, it woulkd kind of hard to go through that plastic with the rod tip, it might break!

Tom, I was thinking the same idea, except the rod I'm working with is 7' 6", and my arms ain't that long! lol! Maybe do half then the other half after the first half dries.

I have taken 6 - 7 foot rods and did the tip half - then slid my hand to the butt and did the remaining half. Got to be quick Then with a paper clip taped to the butt hung it up. I usually do them outside for the better light. The black foam paint brushes work well at home depot

Bill - willierods.com

You may have to get someone to help. If the taper is not too steep, you can do what Mike suggested and push the blank through the foam brush (offset a bit to miss the plastic core) and do it all in one pass.

The grey brushes seem to hold up to PG. The jet blank ones will melt - some of them anyway. Always test first.

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What I did was drive a nail through a piece of 3/4" plywood cut 18"X18" then slip s short piece of blank that I had cut off of another blank over the nail. I then slipped the blank over the rest of the nail so it stands straight up. With my back I don't do the bending over thing so I have the plywood on a bucket or milk crate. I'm tall enough that I can reach the top end of most rods but if I can't I place a 6' step ladder next to the blank. I poke a very small hole through my foam brush, I use the gray ones from Lowe's, then load it up and slide it down the length of the blank and onto the little piece of blank material if its going to be a split grip or stop when I get past the reel seat position. If I have several blanks to coat I lift the blank holding it where the grip will be and remove my brush then put the blank back on the nail. I've got several nails in my plywood so I can reload the brush and do the next blank. If you are quick you can get several done before the foam brush gets to gummy to do any more.

I was having problems holding the blank, too, so I built a thing to help. Took a piece of scrap plywood, about 12" square, and drilled a hole in the center. Countersunk the hole on one side, then ran about an 18 inch theaded rod through the hole. Put a nut on both sides of the plywood (hence the need to countersink one side). This gave me a 3/16 inch diameter threaded rod, sitcking straight up about 18 inches. I just put the blank over the threaded rod, slide it down as far as it will go, and it holds the rod upright. I've used it to PG many blanks.

I PG the rod after the guides have been wrapped. Load the tip of the foam brush, touch to the blank and run up between the guides while spinning the power wrapper. Let dry for a day, move the wrapper guides to PG'd areas and finish the ares not PG'd the first time.

Check this out [www.guidesnblanks.com]

Just found this article 2-days ago - haven't tried it yet so can't say it's foolproof - but - sounds like it should work well. I use the following procedure:

My shop has exposed rafters 7-feet high - I use a quick clamp to gently clamp the butt of the rod to the rafter - this leaves the tip down. I dip a foam brush in the coating/varnish/PG then (wearing latex gloves) hold the foam part of the brush with two hands, bending the foam around half of the rod (starting at the butt) and start moving down toward the tip, compressing the foam as I go. Do one side, then the other and it leaves a good even coat - put newspaper under the tip to catch any drips.

Good Luck

Walt

I do the same thing as Walt,

i.e. just take a piece of foam, load it with finish, bend it around the blank, make one sweep down the length of the blank and you are done.

I just buy 1/2 inch thick foam that will not melt with the finish and cut pieces of it to handle the finish work. That way, you don;t have issues with hard centers in the foam brushes, because I am just using a piece of foam, held in my latex gloved hand.

Roger

Thank you guys for the tips, I really appreciate the help, back to the store for some foam!lol! Thanks!

Roger, where do you get the foam?

Wrapping the foam around the rod wipe PG application, how many coats would I need to put, to have a good coating?