Hello again,

Im doing the guides on a bamboo rod Im refurbishing. Im using Varathane 900. Tm doing thin coats and not spinning the blank.

My finish is now sitting just above the wraps should I sand with 600 -1000 grit wet dry paper or buff over finish with the gray scotch bright pad instead?

I will use this method as well on my next graphite project. Let me know your thoughts please.

Many thanks "John"

Hi John,

I've never used the Scotch brite on wraps, so can't comment on it's efficacy. But 1000 grit sandpaper, used dry, works quite nicely with the Varathane 900. Others use 4/0 steel wool with good results.

Hope this helps,
Harry

If you apply the finish within a few hours, or say a day or so, there is really no reason to sand between coats. If you are attempting to rid the finish of imperfections, that is another story. Most "varnish" type coatings recommend using very find paper or steel wool between coats for this purpose.

On your graphite project, and if you are using an epoxy type finish, you do not need to sand or scuff between coats unless you are applying the applications more than 48 to 72 hours apart.

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Dont get me wrong but i have been building for years as a full time rod builder here in Australia and never once have i sanded between coats on rods that have sat there for more than a week. I have had rods sit for months and then put another coat on and had no problems and thats on rods from light spin to unlimited chair rods.

Stuart Mackenzie
Australia

I don't doubt that. What happens when you put on multiple applications within the given time frame is that they meld together to form a single coat. If you could do a cut-away you would not see individual layers, but rather a single layer of finish.

With applications applied several days, or weeks apart, you do wind up with more than one coat - individual layers on top of one another. Nothing exactly wrong with that, but some of us have experienced one layer peeling off from the one below it. It does not aways happen, but can and sometimes does. I have seen in on quite a few rods. Thus the recommendation for a light scuffing between applications that are applied more than 48 to 72 hours apart - to better adhere the layers to each other.

With most of the varnish type finishes the sanding or scuffing between layers is more of a finishing technique to remove imperfections and dust, etc., so that the final top coat is as perfect as can be.

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