I was given quite a few old Lamiglas and Fenwick blanks from a friend. One is a UL 81 4E that the finish looks white and flaking off a bit. After doing some research on old posts, it looks like I need to either wet sand it with 600 grit sandpaper or a fine Scotch-Brite pad. Afterward, I will use Permagloss with a cosmetic sponge. Am I going in the right direction with this? Thanks in advance for any help.

I redid a bunch of old Allstars that were flaking and they came out great. After removing guides, I used Citristrip to remove the finish. This took a couple of times. I then wet sanded with 1000 and then again with 2000. It will look like a brand new rod in a natural slate finish. I did not recoat with Permagloss so I have no insight into that.

Tom,
I have stripped and refinished quite a few vintage FG and bamboo rods/blanks. The first two employed CitriStrip which I found to be messy, labor intensive (laying out plastic sheeting, positioning the blank, pouring on the stripper, and rolling-up the plastic), required quite a bit of time and re-coating, and only moderately effective. After researching this site and asking questions, I found a much better way; easier, much quicker (less than an hour), very effective, no cost for the stripper which also equates to no mess, and, most importantly, produces perfect results. Simply scrape the blank with a single-edge razor blade held perpendicular to the blank. A dull razor blade may even be better as long as there are no burrs. Some use stiff plastic although I have not found a need. Especially with old varnish, the existing finish will easily flake off but USE EYE PROTECTION as those tiny bits of finish pop and go everywhere (it seems as though they have an affinity for human eyes). After scraping, lightly sand, clean and apply PG. I personally do not use finer than 1000 grit to afford the PG a better bite into the blank. Let us know how it turns-out.

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

Thank you for the responses. I will report back when finished.

Permagoss with a makeup sponge works great. I've used sandpaper but I am intrigued by Mark's razor method above. Good luck

Mark H.,
The razor-scraping-rod-finish-technique is certainly not mine but rather learned here on this site. As with most issues and techniques learned on this site, it is the best of the best!

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

I finally got it finished, but not without issues. I bought cosmetic pads from the big "A". They were not compatible with the PG. I went down the blank from the tip, and as I went back up the sponge fell apart. I waited a bit for it to dry, and then sanded it lightly in case there were any small pieces left. I then used a coffee filter to apply the PG. The blank came out beautifully! It's now on the lathe ready to be wrapped. I want to thank you all for your input.