blank restore?

[elongatus]

I just removed all of the guides off a jig stick, and sanded down the blank (500 grit). Now i'm not sure if i should put a top coat on the blank before or after i wrap it? Also, will flexcoat work for a coating the entire blank?

[SALTYDAWG]

I wouldnt use flex coat. I use Perma Gloss. The trick is getting it on evenly before it dries. I wouldnt do the whole blank. Lay out where your guides will be and just do the areas that will be exposed. That way you can apply PG with a brush while spinning it on the lathe. I've restored a lot of old rods and thats the best way I have found

[bajaspearo]

I use Envirotex (buy it at Michaels) to coat guides as well as the whole blank for restoration. I will actually coat the entire blank first without the guides on.

All you need is a pretty thin coat but just thick enough to give it a new glossy sheen. The best results actually obtained by wearing a latex glove and applying directly with your fingers, just gliding the resin from the base up to the tip. I've heard some people will use a cone shaped coffee filter with small hole, cone filled with resin and push the blank through.

Finish it by chucking the butt on your power wrapper (dryer motor) and using 1 pulley support on the handle of the rod so that the part of the rod you just resined is not touching anything. Blow heat from a heat gun to even out the resin and let dry.

After completely dry, usually 1.5 days is plenty, wrap as normal. Using this method, the re-wrapped sticks come out looking brand spanking new, you would not be able to tell. As long as you have done a good job sanding and cleaning the blank beforehand.

[elongatus]

do i have to sand all of the old epoxy/resin off the blank or can some stay on? will products like envirotex react with the old stuff? it is just very time consuming to get everything removed.

[SALTYDAWG]

Originally Posted by elongatus

do i have to sand all of the old epoxy/resin off the blank or can some stay on? will products like envirotex react with the old stuff? it is just very time consuming to get everything removed.

If you are very careful and watch it very closely, You can use a good paint stripper to get the old finish off, Butt you have to know when to stop the chemical reation before it gets into the fiber. Probably best to just keep sanding, The more you get off the better the finished product will work

[bajaspearo]

Originally Posted by SALTYDAWG

If you are very careful and watch it very closely, You can use a good paint stripper to get the old finish off, Butt you have to know when to stop the chemical reation before it gets into the fiber. Probably best to just keep sanding, The more you get off the better the finished product will work

Definitely would recommend sanding as opposed to chemical stripping.
Using water with wetsand paper helps. Also, I will chuck the rod on the wrapper and use it as a lathe, spinning while I use 400Wet with a small block and just work it till it comes out smooth and clean. As SALTYDAWG warned, don't get into the fiber but do get all the old resin off.

With grooves, scratches, etc, when you coat the blank, it will cover most of those.

Hope this helps.