I stripped an old saltwater fiberglass rod with citrus stripper and washed it with mineral spirits.
I gently went over it with light gray Scotchbrite and washed it again with mineral spirits.

I'm going to spray paint it with Rust-Oleum 2X Ultra Cover paint in Hunter Green.

My question is ,,,do I have to prime the rod before the finish coat is applied and if so what should I use to prime it?

Thanks,,,
Tom Kuzia

First off, go over it again with the Scotchbrite, but do not wipe it with a solvent again.

You shouldn't need to prime it with anything.

.............

Thanks Tom,,,
I may get to spray it tomorrow!
Tom Kuzia

No painting today,,,,
I stained and gave the wooden handle and fore grip 2 coats of finish but found a few " sags" in the finish.
I sanded them and will get back at it tomorrow.

Tom Kuzia

Sounds like you put the finish on too fast with out letting the first coat set well That is why the sags Don't be in a hurry let each coat set well I coat takes 4 - 6 hours to set

Bill - willierods.com

Thomas,
When you do finish work on a handle, have the rod set up so that you can put the handle in a rod dryer to turn as the finish dries. That way, you never have any sag issues with your finish.

Good luck

Bill,,,
I did let the first coat dry over night but my problem is seeing how much Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane on!
The first coat is easy to see but my eyes aint what they used to be so any further coats are next to invisible for me!
Ah,,,to be young again! LOL
Tom Kuzia

Roger,,,
Thanks,,,,
I was thinking about that yesterday and will give it a try on my next 2 coats!
Tom Kuzia

Roger is right I do my CP work on a dryer also keeps things from sagging
Have you tried Permagloss Got to be quick


Try the permagloss on some scrap first Not sure how it will act on that paint

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/2016 09:03AM by bill boettcher.

bill boettcher Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Roger is right I do my CP work on a dryer also
> keeps things from sagging
> Have you tried Permagloss Got to be quick
>
>
> Try the permagloss on some scrap first Not sure
> how it will act on that paint
Bill, I believe he is talking about the wooden handle, and not the painted rod

He kept saying rod so I thought it was the whole rod ??

Bill - willierods.com

To clarify,,
I am doing the whole rod but this post was about the wood handles.
However I will take any and all advise I can get about the wood and the fiberglass rod!
I have never used Permagloss but bought a bottle of it and intend to use it as a finish over Rust-Oleum 2X spray paint.
Although I am retired I still have trouble finding time to "play"!!!
Thanks all,,,
Tom Kuzia

Definitely do a test on a piece of spare blank, it may just be too hot to handle coating the blank. Also I would let the paing sufficient dry for a week or better before I tried it

Ron Weber

I'm Not to fond of Rust-Oleum 2X spray paint myself as it's too heavy of a coating , But that's your choice, Duplicolor would be better and produce a thinner harder coating, But I now use Createx Wicked colors exclusively now, As I received an airbrush last christmas , They are waterborne super easy to work with and produce a very thin coating they will have to be clear coated however. Duplicolor clear will work, PermaGloss would work fine also. But I use automotive 2k clear for longevity and hardness. I built a vertical spray booth in one corner of my basement made out of heavy cardboard about 18 inches square with a rod dryer motor mounted on the ceiling that spins the hanging blank at 50 rpm, and vents outside through a old existing power assisted clothes dryer vent when I'm spraying. Works well enough I don't even need a mask. Jaa

Thanks everyone for the input and much needed help!

I still have to sand and re-coat the handles and let them dry for a few days before I mask them off before painting the fiberglass rod itself.
I will re-coat the handles using my dryer that turns at 9RPM's so I don't get the sagging as I did before.
I will also try the Rust-Oleum 2X on a scrap fiberglass rod and let that dry for a week or 2 before making my first attempt at using Permagloss.
I had NO idea I had to let the paint dry that long so this was very helpful in avoiding a disaster!

I also thought about the air brush but I don't want to get into another adventure in learning how to use one! LOL

Thanks again for all the help!

Thomas C. Kuzia
Beacon Falls,Ct

I have put permagloss over - Dupli Color Match - auto paint This paint is thin from the can and drys fast and hard The permagloss did take a little off But worked well
They also have a clear I have not tried it yet ut I would think it is just as good Auto Parts stores some times carry it You can call some and make sure

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2016 10:12AM by bill boettcher.

I managed to squeeze in enough time to get a coat of spar urethane on the handles,,,,between changing a bathroom faucet! LOL

I did it in my dryer and it came out flawless! I'm VERY happy with the results!
I don't remember if I mentioned that I stained the handles with English Walnut stain but between the dark stain and the hgh gloos finish the handles look very professional!

I've read here that Permagloss may be too "hot" for the Rust-Oleum 2X paint.
Does Permagloss actually produce heat?
If I can't use Permagloss what other options do I have?

I hope to get a coat of paint on a scrap fiberglass rod today but it's a bummer to have to let it dry for 1-2 weeks before I can even try the Permagloss on it!
It is what it is! LOL

Thomas C. Kuzia
Beacon Falls,Ct

Hot meaning that the solvents in it may - be too strong - and eat into whatever it goes on That is why trying it on scrap is a good indea

Bill - willierods.com

I sprayed the old rod with Hunter Green and don't like the color one bit!

I'll let the paint fully cure for 2 weeks so I can at least try the permagloss on it and learn how to use permagloss for a rod finish.

The way I see it I have 3 options,,,,
Have a the rod painted the color I want at an auto body shop,,
Try to find the color I want in auto paint spray cans or,,,
Paint it black!

Thomas C. Kuzia
Beacon Falls,Ct

One trick to see what it looks like with clear on is to just put water on the paint The water acts like a clear coat and will bring up the gloss Just wipe one or two fingers wet over the paint -- when dry

Bill - willierods.com