What are some tips on how to apply PG? What do you use to clean up mistakes or square up edges? To be clear, this is for application to the thread wraps and space between split grips, NOT the whole blank.

I've purchased a 1 oz. bottle and am playing around with different application methods on a scrap rod section before I commit to finished rod wraps.

I have a 9 RPM rod turner; which seems a bit slow to roll the PG around. It works okay.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/15/2022 09:12AM by Leslie Cline.

You shouldn't need a turner when working with PermaGloss. It goes on thin and sets very quickly. It's not likely to sag or drip. By the time you get to one end of the rod or the other, the rest will already be set. Prepare for multiple coats - a half dozen is not out of the question if you want a smoother finish.

Apply it the same way you would epoxy - wet the brush and hold it just to the wrap and then rotate the rod underneath the brush. It's easy to do and you shouldn't have an issue with mistakes or square edges. If you do a little out of sorts beyond the wrap, just wipe it off with a paper towel.

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Thanks, Tom.

I will try this method! I am encouraged to hear that a half dozen coats is not unusual. It seems like the PG 'shrinks' a bit as it cures; something I like about it because it stays thin.

Leslie,
Tom obviously has much steadier hands than, or not as critical as, me. Presumably as most others, I find having the rod turning while applying wrap finish (PG or epoxy) is not only convenient but very helpful in producing a straight, clean, crisp ending edge onto the blank. I agree that 9 RPM may be slower than preferred or optimum; I’m guessing 30-50 RPM is what I like and use. The faster (obviously to a point) the blank is spinning = the easier to achieve a perfectly straight wrap finish edge. Maybe rig-up some sort of sturdy / heavy something-or-other as a rest for your hand or brush.
Although using thread epoxy for 90+% of my builds, PG does certainly achieve the minimum of minimalist coating on the threads. If you are planning on applying more than 2 coats of PG on your wraps, you might as well just use low-build epoxy; glob it on to ensure the tunnels are filled and then wick-off as much of the excess as preferred with a wiped-dry brush.
As for applying PG to the blank in between the split grips, I think a 1in wide foam brush would provide the nicest coat. But then, what is the purpose of applying anything there at all?
While it is obvious that NONE of the chemical products we use in rod building are good for us, some are considerably worse than others. The Xylene in PG is probably more toxic and possibly cancer producing than anything else we encounter = use with extreme caution = be safe!!!

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

Leslie, if this is your first time using PG, just a tip for storing it. Store the bottle upside down, that way if it starts to cure in the bottle, you will still be able to get it out. I learned that lesson the hard way. I also store mine in my refrigerator. I've had the same 4 oz bottle for about 5 years. It's about 2/3s full and is as good as the day I bought it

The advantage of PG is that it is water white clear, harder yet more flexible than epoxy and stronger. It really comes down to the look you're after (PG is more of an eggshell surface) and how much time you wish to spend applying finish. Epoxy is pretty much a one-step deal. PG is easier but takes multiple coats to get where you'll likely want to be.

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A trick that has made my PG finishes even and consistent is to apply it by hand, not under power with a power wrapper.

With a flat brush, apply it with one 360 degree turn of the rod, or two180 degree turns, and no more. Move the brush over one brush width, and repeat until the wrap is covered, At that point, get the brush off of that wrap, and move on to the next. Do not turn the rod with the brush in contact even once if you can help it, once you've coated the wrap.

Repeat every10-15 minutes until you've achieved 4-6 coats, and you're done.

I can't imagine anyone trying to apply PermaGloss (or epoxy) under power. Joel is correct in terms of the best way to do it.

I generally wait 1-hour between coats but because PG sets and dries by the amount of humidity present, this can be a little less or a little more.

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Once the layers of permagloss have covered the "bumps" made by winding thread there is no physical benefit to further coats, unless you are trying to slow the action of your finished rod.

Action doesn't change by additional weight rod will still flex the same as it did before. Speed will be reduced, however.

You are correct that additional coats of PG beyond the initial covering of the thread offer no further benefit, other than aesthetics. But even then you'd be hard press to ever get enough PG on the wraps to equal the weight of a single average coat of epoxy. You could put a dozen coats of PG on and still be below a single typical application of epoxy.

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Mark, I wanted to apply PG between the split grips to cover the rod info decal and a couple trim wraps; otherwise, I agree that there is no need for extra material.

In my 'experiments' and/or practice sessions, I noticed the PG does not like to be touched after application.

Thank you all for application and storage tips!

Les

Leslie,
You are correct = ONE pass with PG is all ya get! Trying to improve on the initial coat will likely open Pandora’s Box.

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