Im thinking of having my tatoo artist do up a rod, then permagloss over it.. Im jjst nlt sure what inks/paints wont run or streak.. Dr. Martins ink is good, this i know.. Bjt what about acrylics? Or should they be alcohol or oil based? I would hate for him to do all that work and it get destroyed trying to protect it.. I have color perserver, but as with most rod building products the labeling is fairly vague on what can and cannot work with it.. And no, not the whole rod, just the split grip and above the foregrip area.. Any suggestions? I mean the guy does draw for a living on rounded surfaces, but i feel bad asking him to learn how to draw with a calligraphy pen lol..

ALWAYS test using Perma Gloss as it is "hot" and will attack many paints and inks!

You may want to consider wrapping epoxy instead of Permagloss. Epoxy won't react to acrylics and enamels when they are dry. It will give your artist a wider range of mediums to work with. You should always test the paint first, to make sure it will hold up.

I have a test blank i plan on working with first... I really have to get a power wrapper, Just for applying thin coats of epoxy.. Kinda hard with 9rpm...

Apply epoxy while turning the rod by hand. Let it sit for a minute or a little less, (depending on finish thickness) wick excess finish sags from bottom with a brush, turn rod 180 repeat. When you don't see anymore sags, put it on the dryer. Blow on finish thru a soda straw to release bubbles. Water based acrylics work fine when completely dry. You know my feelings on Permagloss.

Best not to inscribe directly of blank.
Lay down a base of what ever you decide to use. Then de-gloss and inscribe on that surface.
Herb

Herb, duly noted.. And i will definatly heed your advise.. As always..

Lynn.. Lol yes.. I now your opinion on it.. Lol but i had a customer order a 4oz bottle.. So i figure ill have quite a bit left over.. As for wiping sags.. It tends to get uneven when i try that.. I dont know if im working with it too long, or just fail.. Perma gloss has been good too me so far.. Lets hooe i dont eat those words...

Anthony,
Thank you for the post.
First and foremost, test, test, and test. You are obviously delving into a subject unfamiliar to most. Simply allow the tattoo artist to scribble something on almost anything using his normal ink, coat it with whatever finish you plan on using and see what happens.
PG or similar is probably the “Hottest” of typical rod /wrap coatings while the typical 1to1 thread epoxies may be less prone to attacking underlying materials.
Secondly, I am very interested to learn of the results. I have built a rod for my son and would like to employ his tattoo artist for a special inscription. Please keep us, at least me, informed.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

With pleasure.. I was thinking of seeing if he was willing to do like 4 or 5 rods if this pans out well.. Talk about custom! I know he does commission work, but hes a really good friend.. I did a restoration of my grandfathers rod a few weeks ago... And he offerd to give the lettering a go.. I managed to do ok, so i didnt need hks handywork.. But im sure he will be all in.. Im just trying to get a feel for a good base to start with.. And it seems i have the start of one.. Hes a very busy guy as he is a verry good artist.. Hes booked in his shop til next August already.. So the least amount of guess work the better, i dont want to waste too mich of his time.

Anthony
How are you going to deal with the fact that tattoo needle will penetrate the surface - into the graphite???
And the artist isn't going to be happy replacing the needles after each letter as it dulls.
Herb

Hes not going to use a tatoo gun my friend.. It will be a paint brush, or nib ????

But now you have my gears turning... Cork would be a good medium for a tat gun... Hmm... Also, if you put a super thick coating of thread epoxy down first, it would probably work.. Think about it this way.. Your skin is 7 layers thick... The ink only penetrates (as long as you have a good artist) about 3-5 layers.. Any deeper and you would look like a pin cushion..

OK
So you're going to tap into his art ability.
Good idea
I wish i had good script penmanship.
H

My basic plan of attack is to let him have fun with it.. Put it this way, his art is good enough to me i let him permantly put in on my body.. I trust his judgment 100%