hello again everyone as always thanks for all the info!

Im ready to color my matte grey blank ive settled on Varithane 900 with artist oil color added to get my color
Thank you Mr O Quinn from a post back in june!

Ive tried using the sponge brush method and it was pretty good but I found it hard to get the color even and dark enough,


I then tried my airbrush with better success but Im not that skilled yet so I ended up with some areas that were sprayed a bit heavy,

this brings me to the 35mm film canister method which appears to work as a mini dip tank of sorts?

my question is do you pull blank up through the canister and how fast ?or does one pull blank down through letting the rubber act as a sqeegie. any info will be a big help!!

many Thanks "John"

You need to go down through the rubber (tip first) so that excess finish is removed. Otherwise you are really doing the same thing as dipping the rod, which considering you are using the Varithane is not necessarily a bad way to go.

We will have plans on how to make this type applicator in an issue of RodMaker next year. Not yet sure which issue it will run in though. Just so much material on hane and so much to cover. Hard to get as much in as I would like, but stay with us and we'll get it all in there over time.

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I saw a similar method in a book called The Best Of The Planing Form which utilizes a glass jar cut in half and a finger cut from a latex glove stretched over one of the openings. This really sounds interesting for someone (like me) wanting to dip a bamboo blank without the hassle of building a more elaborate dip tube. Thanks.

If I were you I would e mail Todd at lamiglas. Lamiglas uses a meathod simalar to what you want to do. I do know they use real real rubber rubber with a pin in it to remove excess finish. I have taken a latex glove that I am wearing and put finish in the palm of it and rub down from the tip. I grip the rod tightly when doing this . Then I hang the rod from the tip.
Good luck Bob

The difficulty I found in using this method is getting a controlled movement of the tube down the blank. It is very nerve wracking trying to move that little tube at something that approximates a controlled rate. You're either trying to go too fast, or too slow, not to mention that with the blank hung at an appropriate working height that you are either going to have to reach to begin with, or stoop over towards the end, neither of which is conducive to maintaining a controlled rate of movement.