Here's my dilimma... I'm new to this game, so forgive me for speaking 'rod-wrap kindegarden'. I like the old steel rods at present, and ofcourse there's plenty of them out there in need of line guide repair. For some of them, Some seem like good candidates to put newer modern guides on them so they can actually be used. I think the guys who made them would consider it a high compliment to once again use these masters of American craftsmanship that they gave their life's work to. Anyway, concerning the thread wrap I like all the features of the new epoxies - with one exception... the high build epoxy is so thick it covers up all that nice threadwork to the point where it looks more like shrinkwrap than thread (not a bad thing if that's the look you're going for). But for the old school stuff I'd like to actuallyt see the threads. Thats where the dilemma comes in... I'm told the old varnish yellows, and it doesn't have the UV protection and the flexibility of the new epoxies. The advantage for me is that you can build thickness in layers and there would be no waste. In a perfect world I'd like to see the threads but not feel the rough finish. I can accomplish that with the low build epoxy, but as I understand it, to avoid risk of inncorrect mixing you have to mix a larger quantity than what my be needed. If several 'low build' applications are needed to dial in the thickness then that could get expensive with all the wasted material! So I'm calling on the voice of experience... Could the low build epoxy give me the look and feel I'm after in one application? Or is there a good one part compromise that might have some of the advantages of the newer products?

Yes, a light formula epoxy can do what you want. The ultimate might be permagloss but I'd try the epoxy first. I don't think you will find yourself wasting much and one coat will do. I hate thick coats of epoxy and have had good results with threadmaster lite. I was quite happy with varnish back in the day but it does yellow.

I have to admit to being old enough to have a degree of love for steel fencing rod blanks! I'd grab one if I could find one heavy enough to fish monel and handle a wahoo. Now where did I hide that penn 49?

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

You can apply high build epoxy thinly, so that it looks like varnish. Put on less and apply it with a stiffer brush.

...........

That's great advice. I'll check into those products you mentioned. That helps allot.

I hadn't thought of that. That makes allot ot sense. Thanks

Brett,
We offer 3 products that can do what you like. We have a lite build 2 part epoxy ThreadMaster, we offer a 1 part urethane product LumiSeal and we also offer a varnish that will stay clear. These are available at a sponser on the left Jann's Net Craft or give us a shout and we can let you know who else carries all 3 of these.

Scott Parsons

Scott Parsons
919-900-8998
[www.roddancer.com]
[www.fishhawkthreads.com]

The problem with seeing the threads is not, in my opinion, the high build finish-it is very clear, clearer than the old varnishes. I think that the old steel rods used coarse wrapping thread. Try some size D, if you have not already. Not sure if there is thicker thread than D, but there may be some from other crafts that would work here. Any historians out there that know what used to be used on steel rods (other than steel wire, which I seem to remember).

The old steel rod I have inherited has glass rings and the guide feet are wrapped with wire and soldered. I'l bet you could actually kill someone with this rod. It has an old Pflueger level wind reel with the original braided line on it. Not a light weight set up, but durable to the max!!
Bill

Did you know that these steel rods were made out of the same material they used to make tank antennas out of?! That's why they're so tough... they're war material. I had a need to cut one of these once, and it was so tough, even with using a new quality hackssaw blade it laid the teeth right over! I ended up having to grind it.

That's a new approach... rather than focusing on ultra-thin rod finish to make the threads more visable, just make the threads larger... bigger threads have to be more visable. Makes sense. I've considered trying the wire wrap and solder, but worried that the heat might mess with the temper of the rod if someone actually wanted to use it. With names like "True Temper" fishing rods, there must have been something to getting the temper of the steel just right for strength and flexibility and yet still keep the 'memory' of the rod to recoil back straight, I wonder if they didn't put the guides on first and then temper the steel.

Brent,
The rods were tempered before the guides were applied. Solder flows at a relatively low temperature, much lower than the temperature used in the tempering process. You can use a small torch to melt the solder, knocking the rod against a wood block when the solder is liquid to remove the excess, and then peeling the wire off with a pair of pliers. As long as you don't heat the rod to the point where it shows color (red), you'll be fine. 24 gauge picture hanging wire in either brass or copper works well as a replacement - use acid core solder.

Michael is right - the threads used were typically at least size D; many used a size E.

Brent, my first rod i built was a WW2 tank antenna, army surplus. Bought as a kit from the back page of a British fishing magazine, Angling Times.The ugliest green you ever saw. The thread that came with the kit was the same i used to use as a kid to fly kites, black No10 sewing thread. The bobbin it came on had an anchor logo on it i seem to recall, brand escapes me. Coates?
The varnish was yellow upon arrival, no idea what it was but it flaked off within a year. I then used some of my moms clear nail varnish and that was vastly better.
About 45 years ago i got one of my uncles Apollo Steel rods, that too looked like a NO 10 thread or perhaps it was a flax thread. Not black though, a more natural brownish color.Much better quality than the army surplus thing i had built but by then hollow glass was just so vastly superior in almost every way i do not even know what became of it.
Would be nice in my bar now.

Hey Lou, What a great story! I love hearing stuff like that. There's a rich history to these things that I'm just partially aware of. I would really like to see one of those kits. I've never actually fished with one of these rods, but they seem substantial and balanced with a fast action for their size. Sounds like all the modern choices will be more effective than the thread and varnish in their original versions. Thanks for sharing that with me.

Peter, thanks for the education on the solder. Seems like I tried soldering one of those wraps once (I'm more careful not to damage them now) and the hugh 1/2 dia high watt soldering iron was not enough; then I tried a small propane torch with brush on flux and rosin core solder and it didn'f flow very well (there's no greeater heat sink than a 5 foot piece of steel - its like trying to solder a railroad track), and I was afraid of applying more heat. I'll have to try the acid core flux you recommended. That picture frame wire is valuable information. There's no better voice than that of experience. Thanks