A Thomas and Thomas 10 1/2 ft 5wt in need of restoration.
All details are taken, including photographs and measurements transferred to board.




More to follow


GARY
Nicho Bamboo Rod Co

Look like its going to be interesting gary, looking forward to following the thread,boorod.

More pictures of the general condition. As you can see the varnish has crazed and is beyond repair. The whippings have become loose and discoloured with age.





A complete restoration is in order to get the rod aesthetically pleasing to the eye and also useable again.

Last look at how the information is stored on the wooden board
C = claret
O= yellow ochre

Spacing and guide positions are marked directly on to the board to be used for duplication and reference.



Gary

Removing all the whippings from the rod with a sharp scalpel. The varnish because it is so dried out and dead is carefully removed with the back of a scalpel blade take care not to round off the corners.
The name of the original owner, which was added to the rod in 1931 is retained as part of the history of the rod.

If the varnish is difficult to remove use the chemical procedure using
standard Nitromors paint stripper, but please use with extreme care because if incorrectly used you could end up with a delaminating problem. No matter which method is used proceed at a slow pace. Many fine rods have been destroyed by hobbyists in a hurry to get the job done.

When the majority of varnish is removed, sand the blank very lightly (little pressure is used) with 600 grit (wet and dry) abrasive paper working one flat of the rod at a time. Again, take care not to remove more than is necessary and try not to round the edges of the hexagon shape. It helps if the abrasive paper is glued to a flat stick, something like a wooden ruler is ideal for this.
Check the rod is clean under a strong light. If it isn't clean sand again.
When the blank is clean polish it with 0000 wire wool working in the direction of the rod.








Retain all the original whippings and guides, you will need the whippings to closely match the thread colour.

This is going to be a cracking thread!

Looking forward to the continuance of the restoration!

great to see how a skilled craftsman works his magic!

Very generous of you to show us work in progress Gary, excellent job so far, looking forward to seeing more.
S.

__________________
"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.

Hi Gary

I'll be following the steps with you, restoring an old bamboo rod sap so thanks for beginning this thread, not only have you given me a little push to finally restore that old cane rod, you've given me the confidence to actually start - you da Man!

Mick

__________________
"I will give him seven feet of English ground, or as much more as he may be taller than other men"
http://derbyshireonthefly.blogspot.com/

Check the rod for being straight by sighting from the thick end of the individual rod sections towards a good light source.
Any bends must be removed by the application of heat.
There are many different methods of applying heat to the defective area.
I use a standard spirit burner the “Garrison method.” Heat is applied directly on to the blank in the area of the kick or bend. You must keep the blank moving. As it is placed near the flame the correct temperature for the newcomer is learned by trial and error. Work on the side of caution- you do not want to scorch the blank. On a flamed rod you may get away with it but on a blond it means a total disaster.




Counter bend the rod and hold in that position for approx 2 minutes then remove.
Allow the rod section to cool and check for straightness again. If the bend is still there repeat as above until it is arrow straight.




When the individual sections are straight, connect the rod and sight from the butt section through to the end of the tip. It’s not unusual to find a slight bend around the ferrule area. If so repeat as above until it is perfectly straight.

This thread is starting to get really interesting now!

I'll not attempt to restore a rod! Although I find it fascinating to see and know how it is achieved. Seems a great deal of patience is required.

Great to see how it's done.