Hi Everyone,

I just acquired a beautiful split wood bamboo blank. It's almost 7 feet long, one piece and is somewhat stout. I want to eventually build it into something like a baitcaster or even a light troller.

My question: The blank is completely unfinished. Just sanded but nothing else. Can someone point me in the direction of info on some good ways to finish the blank?

Thanks in advance for your assitance. Take care, Jeff

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat drinking beer all day.

Shieldski Customs

My first idea would be to dip but at 7' one piece that may not be possible. I would think that brushing with a thinned varnish would work. Thinned varnish applied with just a fingertip and rubbed in for several coats may be the easiest.

Tru-oil 3-4 light coats.

What's the origin of this blank? Is it modern or classic, did it come from overseas or a US builder? The reason I ask is that answers to those questions may make a difference as to the nature of the finish needed. For example, modern US built rods would almost certainly have been assembled with waterproof glues and the finish would be largely cosmetic--an impregnation with a light material such as the tru-oil (polymerized linseed oil) that will provide adequate protecftion. But classic rods may have been glued with hide glue (not waterproof) and need the protection of several coats of good varnish to keep water away from the glue. Who knows what glue Asian blank makers used?