I received a surf rod kit from a large company and after gluing up the seat and grip to the first piece I noticed the top piece had a surface blemish that I missed when I first got the blank. The blank has a grayish coating all over except on a section of the second top piece and it looks like a coating that did not completely cover the blank and runs at least fifteen inches long ending in a V pointing toward the butt. In this area the blank is jet black and shiny.
Any ideas? Would this affect the integrity? I am hopeful not since I have the guides marked out and ready to wrap.

Jeff

Columbia, SC

Sounds like a Lamiglass kit

Bill - willierods.com

The natural blank color would be charcoal gray, so the jet black shiny area you mention has been finished/coated. Is it possible that this is a composite blend of different materials? I have several Seeker CLB blanks and the glass portion of the tip is gloss black, tapering into a gloss gray carbon outerwrap farther down the blank.

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Its a lamiglass kit specially made for one of the large builders supply company and the shiny black area is only on one side and sort of spirals. Does not appear to affect integrity.

I don't think that's a blemish - I think it's a composite blend and the color difference is there on purpose. Call and ask. Lamiglas would be the best people to ask about it.

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Tom
Took your suggestion and called Lamiglass. They said the black shiny finish is usually sanded off the blank to reveal the charcoal gray beneath and it probably did not get sanded properly.

Jeff

Columbia, SC

Did they say why it was put on there to begin with?

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bad Quality Control ?? LOL

Bill - willierods.com

Interesting. I would have thought it was a composite blank also. A lot of lamiglas stuff has a black shiny finish . I can't see what would cause such a thing that would need to be sanded off. Doesn't add up to me.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Sounds like one of their Tri Flex composites!!

So this is a LSBT1202M blank-10 ft 12-30 line wt that I purchased as a surf rocket spinning kit. I am a new rod builder and did not check the top piece that closely until I started placing the guides. The catalog says the blank is a graphite ( so not a composite). I remeasured the blemish. It is actually 50 in from the tip top beginning as a V and then the black portion covers about 50% of the diameter at 24 form tip top and then covers the entire blank about 10 in from tip top. At ten inches I see a series of concentric slightly spiral rings spaced 1/16th in apart.

As I said above I already have glued up the reel seat and applied the cork tape to the butt section so I can't really return it. Any suggestions? Also, this kit came with the wrong sized butt cap. The outer diameter,not the inner diameter, of the cap was the same size as the blank diameter. After I called they sent me another cap no charge. They originally had a size 19 in the kit and replaced it with a size 22 which fit the blank but does not cover the tape ( if that is what it is supposed to do).

The lamiglass guy said that when the blank is made they have a cellophane wrap that is removed and the black portion is sanded to remove any ridges down to the gray portion. They said they sand it down to remove the weight. Being new I'm not sure. Since this is my first surf rod build I will chock it up as practice but I'll be more careful to check the blanks as I receive them.

Jeff

Columbia, SC

Jeff,
Just use 220, 320 and 600 grit sand paper used wet to sand down the part of the rod with the black finish on it, until it matches the rest of the rod.
This is easy to do and will make the blank uniform in color and appearance.

Take care
REW

The excess resin is clear, not black, but if that's all it is, you have nothing to worry about. It's a cosmetic blemish at most and will not affect your rod's performance.

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The LSBT1202M is listed as a composite. The LSB1202M is not. Everything you have described sounds just like a composite. The sanding is indeed to remove "ridges" left from the cellophane. Look at an ugly stick to get an idea. I bet you don't have ridges.

If you have what I think, you have a fantastic blank free of any blemish. You certainly don't want to sand it. Do not think of a composite as inferior to a 100% graphite blank. Depending on what you want to do they are easily 100% superior.

The numbers and letters are close. Easy to make a mistake. The 100% graphite one has a little smaller butt and is rated to 40#. The composite is rated to 30#. Be 100% sure of what you have.

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

Jeff,
I assume that you called the company from whom you ordered the blank.
What did the company say about your question on the blank?

If you haven't, it might be a good idea to give them a call to see what they intended the blank to look like.

Roger

I spoke to the company today. They have a builder who used to work for lamiglass. The blank is a composite, it was just misprinted in the catalog as graphite. So the "blemish" is really just the transition from graphite to glass. The entire rod is smooth with no ridges and should be fine. I'm not sure I would notice it except I was studying the blank when I set up my guides. They were very professional and got some useful advice about reel sizes and line for these blanks too.

I was pretty sure that is what you would find out....eventually. I too was a little dismayed the first time I saw the same thing. Often you don't notice until it is outside and the sunlight catches it just right.

Bet you are going to love the blank:) Lamiglas always made the beast heavers (IMHO). What are you planning on for a reel? Spinner or conventional?

Russ in Hollywood, FL.

I got a Shimano Stradic ST6000FI spinning for this one. Seems to fit pretty well. I put 14 lb suffix on. Going to Ocracoke to get some big red drum. Normally I use an 11 - 13 ft rod so this one will be a little less. I adjusted the reel seat so it it feels better while I'm holding the rod in the surf. This was interesting, never having built a surf rod, I just closed my eyes put my hand where it was most comfortable.

Jeff

Columbia, SC

I am glad that you checked with the maker.
Roger