So after building rods for three or four years I finally got my wifes first rod done. Not a huge deal because she's just getting into fishing but she was very particular about the design. She wanted something to remind her of autumn, her favorite season. I turned the handle from basswood, used a wood burner to create the leafy design and protected it all with CA. It took two different approaches to get the fore grip graphics right. I created a 6" water-slide decal with her name framed in oak leaves. I wanted fall colors under the decal so tried a varied colored package of gold leaf. Results were so-so...so I stripped it off. Next I tried mixing Pearl Ex powder with a few drops of color preserver and dabbed it on the blank with a brush. Using three different colors gave me the undercoat effect I wanted and it dried fast...another plus.
She likes it!