Ever since I started building rods about 6 years ago, I have experimented with a few different methods of “clearing” a raw blank. Recently though, the trend is to leave the blank uncoated, in it’s raw, possibly sanded condition. While that is fine-and-dandy from merely a weight perspective (infantesimal as it may be), epoxies, including those used in blank manufacturing, are typically sensitive to UV and other environmental conditions. Relying on previous knowledge gained from the composite and body shop industries, I suspected the ultimate finish would be a 2-part catalyzed automotive clear as used by auto manufactures and body repair shops, especially if employing a “flex additive” as is the case with modern, painted “soft bumpers”. These top-quality clears are designed to withstand years of constant bombardment from the sun (UV), acid rain, road gook and scratching. But top-quality 2-part clears are very expensive (>$400.00 / gallon) and the selected body shop would need to be paid as well making that avenue quite costly if not simply inconvenient.
With the 2-part clear / body shop approach seeming impractical, I have relied upon U40 Permagloss to clear my blanks. It is a very good product, fairly economical, somewhat easy to use, and produces a nice THIN CLEAR COAT (I have used it on other projects as well as rods). But it proved to not be as impervious to being chipped as some may claim even though I am very careful with my equipment.
I finally had an opportunity to try / test Spray Max 2K Clear Glamour which I learned about on this site. It is a 2-part, catalyzed clear coat IN A RATTLE CAN = VERY CONVENIENT!!! I employed it for another small project but only needed about half of the can so decided to use the remaining half to clear a few blanks before it cured in the can, <48 hours after the catalyst was introduced .
Although the supplied nozzle-tip produces a very nice, fairly wide “fan” spray pattern which is perfect for larger panels, quite a bit of paint would be wasted if painting a single, small diameter blank. Therefore, I mounted 3 blanks parallel to each other, 1in apart which, in effect, allowed me to paint 3 blanks per pass, minimizing wasted material. I was able to clear coat 6 blanks with the remaining ~½ can = 10-12 blanks per full can (1 coat).
The result is very impressive, both from a cosmetic and durability (chip-resistance) perspective. Although the Spray Max did not leave a perfectly smooth, glass-like finish on my very porous vintage Conolon blanks, neither did the PG (you can’t make chicken soup from chicken poop!). So both SM and PG produced similar cosmetic appearances. The big difference is in the chip-resistance where the SM really outshined the PG. After giving the SM 5 days to fully cure, I “scrape” tested one of the blanks against a well-cured PG coated blank. A utility knife with a fresh blade was held 90* to the surface and the length of both blanks and, somewhat forcefully, dragged across the surface. The PG chipped-off noticeably easier than the SM, with the SM just leaving a white powder on the blade. The SM seemed to bond much better to the blank. Photos did not turn-out well enough to depict the difference = sorry.
In conclusion, both SM and PG are very good products and exhibit their own pros and cons compared to the other = it is up to the rod builder to decide which attributes of each are most important for their own situation. Allow me to say that if ultimate durability is paramount, SM is the definite winner, which is my dominant concern. That said, I have compared the two back-to-back below:
Cost; SM = $22.00 / 12oz (spray),VS PG = $15.00 / 4 oz (liquid)
Cost of applications per container; SM = $1.83, VS PG = $.93
Pot life; SM = <48 hours after activated, VS PG = dependant on moisture exposure after opened (2 days-2 months)
Number of blank applications / unit; SM = 10-12, VS PG = 12-16
Dry-to-touch; SM = 1-2 hours, PG = 30-60 minutes
Recoat wait time required; SM = 15 minutes, PG = 60 minutes
Full cure; SM = 3-4 days, PG = 3-4 days
So there you have it from my observations and testing. While PG (or similar) will probably remain the preferred, go-to blank coating, nonetheless there is an alternative when ultimate durability is the major concern. To maximize either SM or PG to be cost-effective, numerous blanks coated at the same time will be a definite benefit. Each method / procedure requires its own unique process and parameters which can only be determined by each individual rod builder but, nonetheless, there is a choice! What’s yours?

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

RodMaker did a full length article on this product a few years ago. It is certainly a viable and quite good blank coating.

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Hello Mark & Tom.

V-I Name Author Page
19/4 Rod Blank Re-Finishing With Spray Max 2K. By Mike Ballard. 10
19/4 Techniques & Effects, More on the Spray Max 2K. 14



Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/23/2021 11:19AM by Robert A. Guist.

Bob,

You must be maintaining a database on each issue. I can't find them that quick - I have to go looking through them.

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Hello Tom.

Yes I do, I showed it to you at one of the Expo's.
I keep it on a stick and if you want a copy I can give you one but you will have to keep it updated your self, it's not really that hard.

Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

Robert & Tom,
I do not have that issue of RM = before I started subscribing. I am curious if those two articles came to the same conclusion as with my test, “chip-resistance” in particular?
Tom,
You stated a few months ago to be surprised to learn the cross-over between readers of this forum and RM magazine was so small (10%?). Now the other readers of RB.O have access to an article on Spray Max 2K Clear.

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

Hello Mark.

You can order a back issue from Tom for $7.95.

[www.rodmakermagazine.com]


Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.

Bob,

New Bern, NC.

Do benefit(s) result from painting a rod blank with a clear finish? Some builders claim the chief change made by a clear coat is leveraged weight and a heavier rod.

Phil,

You are correct. Carbon fiber does not need "protection" in the sort of a top clear coating. But many customers like it, particularly on re-build jobs. Perma-Gloss and a product such as Spray-Max, are simply a means of giving them the cosmetics they want at the least possible weight penalty, as compared to say, an epoxy finish type coating..

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I use the SprayMax 2K clear when painting rods (I’ll typically use a rattle car automotive lacquer and let the paint cure a week before the clear). Works well and any orange peel in the clear finish can be removed with wet sanding & polishing of the blank if desired.

The main drawback is the 48 hour shelf life of the can once you’ve activated it. At $15-$25 a can (depending if your buy in quantity) it can be expensive to do just one blank.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/2021 08:18AM by Michael Ward.

Spray Max can also be ordered in colors, but unless you're doing several rods in the same color this may not be cost effective.

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Use the left over spray max to refinish the fogged headlights on your car.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/27/2021 10:09PM by Scott Olson.