Following up on Bill Stevens comment in response to my quandry with a camo rod blank, has anyone used Helmsman Spar Urethane (Minwax). If this is like spar varnish, then it might be suitable for outdoor use. Spar varnish however never hardens in my experience at least so it may be too soft to spray on a rod. Also, I am wondering whether it would dissolve any of the camo design. I do not know what the solvents are in this urethane, but if it it like Permagloss, which I believe is also a urethane, it may be too "hot" to apply. Any thoughts? Clinton

It dries hard as a rock. I think this was also pointed out in the RM article on using it to finish carbon skin grips.

Good to know. Do you think it could be sprayed on a reel seat to protect the laminate (desgin) on it? Clinton

Sure. It has a very slight amber tint to it. Just keep that in mind if you are working with anything white.

I have just purchassed a can and plan to use it on a repainted, rebuilt rod. It is labeled as for "Indoor/Outdoor" use. It does contain a warning that it may yellow slightly over light material. Also, three lite coates are recommended for outdoor applications. These can be applied 1 and 1/2 hours apart .

It won't melt nor harm anything you spray it over. It's mild and yet dries very hard. A very good product and one recommended for marine use.

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Will denatured alcohol remove it once it has dried? I have also heard that it takes a long time to dry. I live in So. FL so the humidity down here is pretty high. Clinton

Not sure, I doubt it. You can always test it on a piece of scrap blank. The Helmsman has instructions on the can for drying and recoating times. It is not a moisture curing product such as PG.

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I live in Mass. and work in my cellar. Used some Helmsman the other night.
For me it takes a couple days to ensure it is thoroughly dry and hard.
I have used it over Krylon Fusion paint and had no problems. I let the paint ry for two days also.

To follow on to Steven's posting. I looked for Krylon Fusion paint in my local Home Depot and they no longer carry the brand. However, they do carry the Rust Olium line and they also have a product for plastic. This appears to be the same thing as Fusion. I compared the products specs with those from the Krylon web site and they were identical. You may find this to be an acceptable substitute if you cannot locate the Krylon Fusion. I used two coates of gloss black over a dark green rod and it looks fine. The Helmsman will be applied in a few days.

I found some fusion paint at an auto parts store and if I am not mistaken Mud Hole carries some of it. Clinton

Perfect use for the product. Build yourself a "mini paint booth" from a cardboard box and a portable rod dryer. While the reel seat is spinning, spray a light coat ... do 3-4 coats, with dry time in between. Clear as a bell AND it is hard as heck.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

BTW, it dries very well in Florida ... not even a slight issue.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/30/2010 08:30PM by Jim Gamble.

I use it over cord grips on surf rods, and hard as a rock is right: my cord grips, when cured, are absolutely bulletproof. I love this method on grips - they hold up to saltwater, fish slime, sand, being banged against jetty rocks, pilings, my mother-in-law's head, etc. Some guys don't like these grips - they're a blah off-white color, and not very aesthetically beautiful to look at; they're also very, very hard, and can be abrasive on hands. It's a taste thing: some guys love cord grips, and others hate them. You can tell which camp I belong to by the fact that I don't build surf rods with anything else.

When cured, it will absolutely hold up to the elements outside. Whether it will screw up your camo design while it cures, I have no idea: it's not clear, and might ruin the coloring. But it might be worth experimenting on a scrap piece of blank, because it will almost certainly provide the protection you want once it's cured.

The product is what we use to coat snowshoes when we build them or make repairs. It is very durable, retains enough flex to not crack in the cold even with the flex one can imagine inherent in the decking of a set of 'shoes - and in my experience will yellow significantly on the snowshoes and the white tubular nylon we use for the lacing - but keep in mind that we use many coats and encourage very thick coats to ensure that the user wears out varnish rather than the lacing or frames. The UV inhibitors are good medicine that I would say will be beneficial from a rodbuilding perspective.