Restoring an old Hardy rod and want to refinish , what do people think of Bullards CPXtra or permagloss any other ideas or products

PermaGloss is a moisture curing urethane and was made for this type use. Very light, thin, hard yet flexible and never yellows. There are similar products on the market but I've not used them.

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Another recommendation for Perma Gloss.

Dwayne,
It depends on what you are trying to accomplish. There is a difference between restoring, refurbishing, rebuilding and repairing an old rod which can be dependent on if “period-correct” procedures and materials are used; and, of course, how picky you are. Personally, I prefer the ultimate protection over “period-correct” and am confident that the modern urethanes are better than the old varnishes. I do not know how old your Hardy rod is or the material used to coat the blank and wraps, if that is even a concern to you. With your mention of Bullard’s CPXtra, I suspect not.
If such is the case, either CPXtra or Perma Gloss would be very good choices to coat your blank as that is what they were designed to do. PG is probably the most prevalently used blank coating although there are those who like CPXtra. I have not personally used CPXtra but have used PG quite a bit on the NOS vintage Conolons I build as well as a number of other vintage rebuilds including the bamboo trolling rod my Dad caught his first and only sailfish with in 1946.
PG is a moisture-curing urethane which is quite durable, fairly easy and very quick to apply, cures (to the touch) very quickly and rather inexpensive (especially if coating more than one blank at a time). But PG is quite “hot” due to the Xylene and can “lift” coatings under it = make sure the blank is completely stripped and / or test prior to application.

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

Its a older fiberglass blank which I have sanded down and now what to apply a clear coat before wrapping,

how hard is perma gloss to work with ?, the blank is 10'10" 2 piece

It's not hard to work with... sort of. Do a search here on the forum archives and you'll quickly advance your learning curve with it regarding the application process..

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Dwayne,
As with many things, a little experience with PG will help perfect the end product. But don’t let that keep you from using it; it is quick and easy to use. A cheapie foam brush or a 1/4in thick cosmetic pad saturated with PG can be painted on the blank by starting at the larger end and making one pass to the small end, rotating the blank enough to make another pass until the entire blank is coated. But only make one pass = do not go back over it because it dries / cures so quickly. I actually punch a hole in the cosmetic pad, saturate it in PG, and then starting at the tip, “squeegee” the PG on the blank down to the butt and then immediately back up and off the tip. Yes, it is going back over the first pass, but it is all done within 10-15 seconds. If a second coat is desired, wait 60 minutes and repeat.

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

Once you have it stripped to your liking you can clear coat it using Permagloss. This is applied by wiping on by hand using a cosmetic sponge, cheese cloth, or a coffee filter. Wear nitrile gloves and Saturate the applicator with Permagloss. Start at the tip of the blank and wipe down the blank holding the applicator tight around the blank to get a squeegee effect. Only takes a few seconds. Prop the blank against the wall and let cure. If applied properly it will not run. You can recoat, if you want, in less than an hour. Gives a very hard and durable finish that will last for a long time. There is a ton of information on this forum concerning these topics.
Norm

I've been quite happy with CPXtra, goes off a little slower.

Or, sand down the fiberglass to bare fiberglass and then use a polishing pad on the bare blank while spinning it in your power wrapper.

Really, no finish is required for any graphite or fiberglass blank unless you want finish on it.

After the rod is finished, if you wish, just apply a coat of hard wax and polish it down and you will be set.

Your choice.

Note - any time that you are working with a bare blank, always work from the butt to the tip - if sanding, or polishing.

If you go the opposite direction, there is always a slim possibility that you catch a point of graphite or fiberglass and pull it all of the way out of the blank for the bulk of the length of the rod, if you are not careful.

Best wishes.

Note:
Lots of aluminum skinned air craft, have no paint on them to save weight.

For a large aircraft, paint can total hundreds of lbs. which could be better served by hauling that much more cargos or passengers, rather than having a fancy paint scheme on the plane.

Same goes for fishing rods.