I've just tried KRYLON X METALS paint on a fresh blank , WOW ! ! what cool results , it put a thin transparent coating on the blank , that shows up really nice in the light other than that it looks pretty natural (the original dark color) , you can even see the "ribs" in the blank thru the color. I've done two blanks one purple , one red , I am impressed . I top coated the color with MINWAX polyurethane for that extra shine. The paint comes in red , blue , green , & purple , and is available at most places you get spray paint , about $6. a can.Try it its pretty cool ! ! ! Larry

Thanks for posting Larry. I have a customer who wants a blue "tinted" blank - not opaque, not full color change. This sounds like it will work well.

Is the Krylon flexible enough to not crack when the rod is under load?
Will a coat of clear be needed?

I have also heard that paint for car bumbers is good to use.

The Krylon fusion is ok for plastics and flexability. Hope the same is for the metalics. May have to try. Bill

This should work really well to "tint" a rod blank , it is clear enough to see the ribs in the blank , I top coat with either MINWAX polyurethane or spar urethane , and have never seen any cracks or otherwise . Yes it is the same stuff they color chrome bumpers with.
I use it to color chrome spooms for stripers & blues . Larry

Krylon makes a Plastic primer spray that will allow you to put a standard spray paint on a blank - I've used it as a first coat on a couple of rods where the owner wanted a color not available in Fusion. Seems to be holding up well so far with just a thin topcoat of poly over the paint.

Remember this is a "tint" NO undercoat needed, an undercoat will change the whole attitude of the paint job , it is also NOT FUSION it is KRYLON X METALS a transparent paint. Larry

Testors also makes "transparent" colors. They are made for model making and used on airplane and plastic car bodies and are quite flexible. Depending upon the amount of paint applied, you can achieve a subtle tint or more color. Done over a metallic under coat, you can get a "candy apple" effect!

At the suggestion of J.P. Timberlake, I have used it to tint carbon fiber grips on fly rods.