Hi guys,
I build my first cane rod on a blank made by a friend of mine. I have a problem with varnishing the guides. On both sides of the thread the varnish makes an irregular line. So in the end varnish is not uniform and nice. Please help me out with any advice with any useful advice

here are some pics:







Thanks

Lucian

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FFF CI
my blog: www.flyfisher.ro
my old site: www.flytying.ro
my shop with Amadou, CDC and other fly tying materials: www.troutline.ro

Facebook: Lucian Vasies
Twitter: @LucianVasies

Hi Lucian.

Looks OK to me, but have a word with Tim Harris he's on this forum, top man and very helpful.

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www.acgameangling.com & www.acgameangling.co.uk

Lucien ,

Is this rod for fishing with or for showing the World how clever you are ? It is excellently finished for fishing with - what more do you want ?

Steve Parton

Hi Sage
thank you for your help, you are very kind

Hi Steve,

I made it for fishing - of course, but I saw better and more uniform varnish applied on guides and I wandered what I done wrong and what can I do ( in future ) to improve this


cheers
Lucian

__________________
FFF CI
my blog: www.flyfisher.ro
my old site: www.flytying.ro
my shop with Amadou, CDC and other fly tying materials: www.troutline.ro

Facebook: Lucian Vasies
Twitter: @LucianVasies

Hi Lucian.

Fantastic job on the whipping , don't think I've been able to see anything that fine for the last 20 years let alone use it for whipping!

I guess you've used epoxy ?
I think something much thinner , applied in several very thin coats , would look better on cane , Permagloss or whatever the split cane builders are using would be my suggestion.

I'm with Steve though , perfectly good for fishing with!

Regards

Jeff

Looks Ok
Is that you first rod if so well done. Nothing wrong there.
Tiny bit of advice
In future one thick coat will spread and run more than two thin ones.
Downside is takes longer to get the job done.
Maybe next time think about it. But you still need to cover the wrap and slighty on to the blank or the water gets in.
But really its fine go and enjoy it. I am sure you will.


Gary
www.nichobamoorods.com

Believe me the fish won't notice.

Alan

Surprised SP didn't suggest re-doing with single-foot fiji ceramics

Two suggestions I have come across for multi-coat finishes but never tried, being firmly of the 'she'll be right' school

- UNwaxed dental floss to pull back the excess finish to the wrap edge or a straight line

-NOT to lap the blank with the finish, but to work with a bodkin to fill the wraps from the centre to the edges, then blot off the excess with the edge of a coffee filter. The idea being the finish on the end wrap itself acts as the seal. If you want to lap the blank do it on the final coat (best with a very fine brush on a rotating rod wrapper)

For actual fishing you're right - single legs are better - however , aesthetically they are wrong on splitcane and spoil the classic look of one .

I've been thinking hard about Lucien's problem and two things spring to mind

i) Is the blank impregnated ? Because typically in the olden days you whacked coat one of Spar Varnish onto the blank then ringed and coated the whips with a) Cellulose Sanding Seal and b) a final of Clear Cellulose ( which was Croda 47000 ) and then finish varnished over the entire rod

ii) This was usually done with a spray gun in an extracted booth in the Trade on Volume stuff - or by talented amateurs like Garrison with a tube ( occasionally 5 feet long ) filled with Spar Varnish in which the entire section was vertically dipped and then extracted fairly slowly ( so no dripping took place and surplus fell back under gravity ) usually with a home made ( and frequently clockwork based ) motor winch !
Three coats with no build up was the way of it !

But the above systems aren't useable with twin pack epoxy varnishes ! Or with impregnated blanks ! But they worked lovely for about 60 years !

Best wishes

Steve P

Steve looking at the blank I would say it’s varnished.

Another thing is if you want low build up thin the epoxy with industrial meths.
Or you can use yacht varnish in a rod turner. There lots of different ways to get the job done and almost each individual has there own person way.

Varnishing the blank after you have the guides coated with smooth over the step on the guide wraps and make for a smooth transition from blank to wraps.(The classic Garrison dip method)

Or another way to go is use the Turkey baster method devoloped by my mate Paul Blakley


Gary


Nicho Bamboo Rod Co