Hey I am finishing a Gator build right now and I am contemplating if I should leave it with the raw unfinished look or finished completely. I have seen and read that people like the way they look unfinished but unsure if I should do that. Any opinions on what I should do? And if so what product would you recommend for finishing the rod with a glossy look? Thanks Jaret Hunter

I like the retro look myself, I vote unfinished.

I like that look too, but will it affect the blank in the long run being exposed to sun and salt with no coat over it?

I used to build on some Shakespeare blanks years ago that had a similar unsanded raw finish. What I found was that the rods seemed to collect and show dirt more readily than smooth blanks do so they require more frequent cleaning. Asking me to speculate as to the effects of long term sun and salt exposure? I'd suspect that if rinsed and cleaned regularly the finish will last and perform similarly. If not cleaned frequently in a marine environment, It probably would experience an accelerated finish decline compared to a similar sanded, finished, smooth blank. At what rate that acceleration would be, who knows, there are too many factors and variables to consider.

You can use the raw blanks But after completed ( not before - fisheyes ) use an auto dressing over it every once in a while I like Mothers
I also like to sand them smooth

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/2015 08:38PM by bill boettcher.

jaret the gator blank the i did had rings on it and was not a smooth finish. What I did was after the wraps where done and coated i mix up some rod finish and coated the blank in between the guide wraps with a thin coat of the finish. I fished with that rod jigging with a good bend in the rod and it held up.

There are a lot of blanks that are sanded and smooth

Some thing to look into - less work

Bill - willierods.com