I've got a couple of questions about color preserver. I've used it occasionally in the past without significant problems, and frankly, I've personally never seen a wrap fail due to coming unwound after color preserver was used. Questions:

1. Does it's use negatively affect the overall strength of the wrap to an unacceptable degree as the finish can't penetrate the threads as well?

2. For the most part, I've been having unsatisfactory "color preserving" with the exception of one product. I've tried three brands under test wraps on scrap blanks. Flex Coat darkened the original thread color to a degree every time; didn't matter if it was regular nylon or NCP, or how many coats were applied. So did some old Gudebrod solvent-based CP I had. The only one of the three that actually "preserved" the color was some old water clean-up Gudebrod I had, which I doubt you can get anymore. I do have a new bottle of Chromaseal I haven't tried yet; I'll play with that in a couple of days.

Short of checking every thread I own for color change with or without color preserver and over various color preserver brands, does anyone have any recommendations or advice? Thanks in advance for your thoughts and help on this.

No, it doesn't create an inherently weak wrap.

Don't try to put light colored thread over a very dark colored blank and expect CP to perfectly retain the color/shade. That's asking too much of any product.

...........

Ok maybe I'm going to get beat up for saying this but.... I restore a lot of Bamboo fly rods every year. that's one place where you need a color preserver as 99% of the old makers used some kind of CP. the best thing I have found<and I've probably tried them all, is Testors clear gloss lacquer. A couple of bucks at the local hobby shop/ craft store. 2 good coats and I've never had a problem. granted any Cp will darken the thread but the lacquer is the least darkened.
Let the lashing begin:)

Heck gary

I thin my finish and have used wood glue thinned for CP and they work

Don't feel bad LOL

Bill - willierods.com

Hi Gary,
If this lacquer is anything like the stuff I used back in the fifties, it can really form bubbles. That stuff also dried very rapidly often "freezing" the bubbles in the lacquer.

Mike Blomme

Hi David, I have used every kind of CP out on the market. They all worked. However, there is always a slight difference from the bare thread to the CP finished thread. As Tom remarked, the use of light thread on a dark blank will make that darling more vivid. I like Chroma Seal, U-40 Color Block, and Cason's Solvent based CP. I now use more of the Chroma Seal than any of the others. If you choose not to use CP, then your wraps will become extremely dark with a slight degree of translucence.

Mike Blomme

David, I'm still a novice but one of the first things I did was practice wrapping lots of colors on scrap blanks, then cover half of each wrap with CP, then epoxy over them. This gives me a great reference to see what thread colors will look like on a finished product, both with and without CP. What I found interesting was that CP darkened the thread, but putting an epoxy finish on them brightened up the colors. So what you see after CP doesn't neccessarily indicate what the final color will end up being.

John Shear
Chippewa Falls, WI

I have used nearly all CP's over the years, and the two best in my opinion are #1 Trondak, and #2 Flexcoat. I don't have any significant color change with either one. Some others without naming names are less than useful. There are a couple new ones that I have not tried yet.

Another thing is to Pack The Threads Tight If there are gaps the blank color will show though

Bill - willierods.com

I really like cason's water based cyrystal clear for prepping Madiera thread. Otherwise, I use NCP or Metallic and don't worry about it. For the base thread, I usually pick a lighter color regular nylon than darkens up enough to closely match the blank, without using any CP.

Thanks very much for all the thoughts and advice. And Tom, I'm especially more relieved now to know that I am not compromising the strength of my wraps if I feel I need to use CP on a given rod. I arrived at my initial "evaluation" by using a scrap black blank and packing the threads very tightly. Each color I wrapped, from white to dark blue, I sectioned off with a fine point Sharpie into about 1/2" sections which were designated CP with the kind of CP used, or no CP, and then all were finished with either Flex Coat or Threadmaster Lite. Interesting differences between the CP products. I was especially perturbed by the color change with the Flex Coat CP; almost a complete color shift. As mentioned, the only one that really didn't change at all was the Gudebrod water-based. I'm going to try the Chromaseal next and make time to do this procedure with all my threads so I might be able to compensate with a different color to get what I'm looking for. Again, thanks very much everyone.

Gary, I was not aware of any of the old Bamboo rod makers using CP. Those I am most familiar with in Greenfield, Mass. only used varnish. What many do not understand, is that thread colors stay truer on bamboo due to it's light color, The same is true today, if you wrap the same thread on a white blank and a dark gray graphite the difference both with and without CP is great!