I have been restoring some more older rods I have. The problem I am having is after I coat the rod with Gudebrod rod varnish and after it dries, it will still scratch and come off. Do I need to apply another product before or after I coat rod with rod varnish?

Also, on factory rods, is the varnish baked at a certain temperature to keep it from scratching so easily? I noticed on new rods I have before I started building and restoring rods that the varnish is very durable. Is there a varnish that is as durable as the factory varnish?
Thank you,
Capt. Marvin Engel

Consider PermaGloss - thin and hard finish.
Trondak U-40 [u-40.com]

Thanks Cliff. I will order some of the Permagloss Trondak U-40.
Capt. Marvin Engel

Older rods don't have very durable finishes. Newer ones often have two part polyurethane coatings that are quite durable. You'll be hard pressed to duplicate that at home, although the PermaGloss is pretty darn tough. Much more so than common spar varnishes.

Make sure you read through this site, or do a search on it, however, as while it's an excellent product, it does require some specific use and handling techniques in order to get the best results from it.

.........

Tom,
Thanks for the information on the Permagloss. I will look up the information and get the exact procedures on applying to get the best use from the finish.
Capt. Marvin Engel

Marvin

I found out the hard way that PG and 3M's blue masking tape DO NOT MIX! It seems there is something in the adhesive in the tape that will eat away a PG finish. Just keep this in mind.

John

Not if you let it dry sufficiently. Once fully dry, PermaGloss requires nothing short of a jackhammer to make it let go.

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

Tom,
I just ordered 4oz. of the Permagloss U-40 Trondak. I can't wait until it comes in to put it to the test.
Marvin Engel

Capt. Marvin - I was gonna send you some of my Archived RBO Posts & Replies in *.DOC form, but your e-ddress is Hidden. Below will give you plenty to read before you use the PG. ... Take care, Capt. -Cliff Hall <[email protected]>

When you do your SEARCH in the RBO Engine:
Try SEARCH = "PG PERMAGLOSS O'QUINN"
"SUBJECT + MESSAGE BODY + AUTHOR"
For LAST YEAR or ALL DATES

RALPH O'QUINN is the career chemist who developed all the Trondak U-40 chemicals & products. ROQ and Tom Kirkman's comments on PG are extensive and especially authoritative.

One recent Reply of interest is: Re: chemical question
Michael Blomme ... September 18, 2006 03:36PM
[www.rodbuilding.org]
"... I use Xylene to clean brushes when using PermaGloss since PG contains Xylene. Denatured alcohol seems to be a good solvent for epoxy finishes and for Rod Bond. We must always be careful when using these chemicals." ETC. Michael Blomme.

Re: How long and frequently do you turn Permagloss?
Cliff Hall ... 03-23-06 08:40 [www.rodbuilding.org]
"PermaGloss is a pre-catalyzed, moisture-curing (poly)-urethane finish in a xylene-based solvent. The room humidity (and to a lesser extent, temperature) affects the rate of curing. The higher the humidity, the faster the rate of curing, and the shorter the PG's pot life. Additional coats can usually be applied every 2 hours. To achieve any sense of depth to the PG finish may require 5 coats or more. But PG is a very hard and durable finish that it hard to beat if you want a hard, non-yellowing thread (or rod blank) finish for a very low amount of additional weight. ... -Cliff Hall+++, Gainesville, FL-USA "

My tip for keeping Perma Gloss fresh
David Wells ... Aug 26, 2006 22:59 [www.rodbuilding.org]
"From reading here it seems to be difficult keeping the stuff fresh after opening. I used to build models professionally and used this tip to keep volatile FloQuil paint fresh. Now it's habit on anything like paint. I have a bottle of PermaGloss I first opened in Feb.’06, opened it 4-5 times since, and it's still factory fresh. In spite of high humidity in Georgia.

Use a can of common "canned air" [**] used for blowing off keyboards, etc. During this brief process keep in mind that your goal is to replace the air in the bottle with a dry gas. Pour out the amount of PermaGloss you need then gently blow the "canned air" (using the long nozzle) into the empty space of the bottle/can AS you lower the cap/lid. Press the trigger GENTLY to get a slight flow, you DO NOT want to use full pressure. As you continue to flush out the air, including the inside of the cap, finish lowering the cap and screw down. This sounds more complicated than it is. It may take a time or two, but it works." - David Wells.

[**] - Office Depot's PC Cleaning Duster (100% TetraFluoroEthane - "TFE") also works as an dry inert atmosphere to displace humid air in the head space over the humidity-curing PermaGloss. See same Thread. Whatever displaces humidity or minimizes the surface area of the PG in the bottle while keeping it cool will prolong the shelf-life & pot-life of PG. ... -Cliff Hall.