I had a friend bring one of these to me, asking if I could rewrap a new set of guides on it. Upon further inspection, I find that I need to sand down the areas where the old guide wraps were and sand off the existing clearcoat. What can I use to re-clear/reseal the rod blank before I rewrap the new guides on ? When I wipe the blank down with alcohol, it gives it a nice shiny finish, and would like to try to duplicate that finish. Open for suggestions ?

Thank You !

Chris Confer
T7 Custom Rods

Chris,
If this is an old rod made from fiberglass dating from the sixties, the surface doesn't have a clear coat as we know them now. In addition the finish on the guides is most likely varnish. If this is the case, then the varnish will come off with acetone which was the solvent of choice in that era. If there is still a label on it check if it says whether it is a graphite rod or a fiberglass rod. From my own experience, the use of acetone or methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) is not advised for modern rods. You might want to find out if this is a fiberglass rod from that era and if it is you might want to test an area near decorative wrap with finger nail polish remover to see if the finish softens. If it does, and the surface of the rod remains intact, you might be able to remove all the guides and rewrap the rod without any resurfacing of the blank itself.

Mike Blomme

If you do end up sanding the rod, a coat of Perma Gloss is a good choice to recoat for a gloss finish.

Hi Chris,
You can sand if required but you've got to be careful not to get into the fibres or it will weaken the rod. Automotive two pack clears with flex additives is also good and stands up pretty good. A lathe is the way to go for the sanding and there not hard to make using a hand drill.

ESFNEM Col
Port Kembla, NSW
Australia

Thank you all for the suggestions. It is fiberglass, and once I knocked down the high spots of varnish, I sanded it smooth and gave it a coat of permagloss to bring out the color and shine. This rod will be mostly for display, so I am matching the guides and thread wrap colors to the original. I hope to post some pics of it when the time comes. Again, that you all for your help with this !

Chris Confer
T7 Custom Rods