hi i would like to get some info on brilliance color preserver how does it compare to the others? can LS supreme be used over it? has anyone ever used the cabelas color preserver? i've been using flex coat it seems to work ok i just wanted to know if there is brand that gets better penetration? by the way this site is the best great bunch of people thanks

I tried the Cabelas Color preserver once and did not like it. My wraps changed color and became "blotchy". Admittedly I am a newbie and the experience could have been user error. I went back to Gudebrod CP that I thin rather heavily with alcohol and it works very good. I have a feeling that if I thinned the Cabelas in a similar manner it would work good too. Sometime I will try it.

I had built a flyrod almost two years ago (dark green), and used Light Blue Wraps (Nylon thread) and UV protected Formula Flex-Coat.
Now, the "back of the wraps" look light grey, almost white. Is it because of the SUN ?
How terrible could UV rays be ?
Is there anything to protect that light or bright colours?
How does CP work ?
Does it "keep working" after epoxy-coat dries?

THANKS!

Ron: I aint no chemist and there is no merlin in my name. All I know is color preserver works. Dont know how but it does. Somehow blocks UV rays from penetrating. When I use Brilliance, I thin 50-50 with distilled water for my first 2 coats. Then 2 coats full strength. To check the coverage of the cp, I dip a brush in alcohol after the cp dries and go over the wraps. If your not getting total coverage you will get spotting. Dont forget the tunnels at the base of the guides. Dont get cp on the blank only the thread. When you finish extend your epoxy a little past the thread. This seals off the blank and encapsulates the thread and cp. If your not getting 100% coverage go back with full strength brilliance, wait till it dries, and do the alcohol terst again. Brilliance I is dry when totally clear. If there is ANY repeat ANY haze to it, its still wet. And your gonna get blotches. Run a test on your buttsection where the seat and grips are going to be. CP and finish.. As a sidenote Briloiance II should be thinned at least 30-40% with DENATURED alcohol. Rubbing alcohol is 30-70% water I am told. The Gudebrod color preserver 811 also works well. Should have no compatability problems with LS Supreme, just make sure its dry. Good Luck

Color preserver works by penetrating and sealing the thread against penetration of the eventual finish you will use. The carrier, which is normally water in the acrylics and similar in the urethane/acrylic types evaporates and leaves the solids behind to seal the thread. One of the most common problems with the use of color preserver is over-thinning. When this takes place, you are simply applying a solution that is mostly water or alcohol to the threads and not enough solids are left behind to effectively seal the wraps. This is just one cause of the dreaded "blotches".

There are many other common problems, along with their cures in the volume 4 #2 issue RodMaker which had a very in-depth article on the make up, use and problem solving issues of the various color preservers on the market today.

......................

I love the original Brilliance and never had a problem with it. I am making the transition to Brilliance II and I like it also. Brilliance II is better thinned with denatured alcohol than water. Al Goldberg wrote an excellent article about Brilliance II in the July-September 2000 Rodcrafters Journal. He uses 1 part alcohol to 9 parts Brilliance II. You need to apply a flood coat to let it soak in and then wick off as much as you can. Let it dry and apply a second coat the same way. Let the second coat dry 24 hours before applying finish.

Hugh Miller