Been an avid follower of this board for some time, but this is my first post. I'd describe myself as a "hobbyist" rod builder having built mostly for myself and a few friends. Kudos to Tom and all on this board, I'm constantly amazed at the insight and info readily shared. I went thru the thread list quite carefully to avoid asking a question that has already been covered but couldn't find an exact answer. Here goes-I recently bought a CTS blank in alpine white. I wanted to have a minimalist look with matching white wrap; but having read much on this board about UV degradation of standard wrap finishes I'm not sure it's feasible. Would Permagloss be an option on the wraps? From what I've read it's a very thin build and wouldn't provide a smooth finish. Anyone ever try a white wrap and if so what did you use to prevent yellowing in the finish? I assume a white wrap would show yellowing in the finish more quickly, but over what period of time? I'm going to be using this rod for Great Lakes Steelheading, so it's not like the rod would be in constant sunlight. Should I just use a normal 2 type wrap finish or is there a better solution? Much appreciate any advice!

Yes, PermaGloss is not only an option but a very good one. It will take about 3 to 5 coats to build any depth and it won't look quite the same as a high build epoxy, but it will never yellow. You should consider giving it a try. You may like the way it looks.

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Rob,
I read and understand your post.

However, if it was my blank, I would build the rud using black thread for contrast.

Just try wrapping a couple of guides with white and then try wrapping a couple of guides in black. Choose the one that looks best in your eyes.

Be safe

Look in the M & M posts in the archives, there is some info in there about the bass guys letting the finish set and thicken a bit to get some body in the finish. Might have been posts from Bill Stevens, you can put him in as the author and see if I'm right.

Rob

As Tom advised, Permagloss is a great option when a non-yellowing finish is desired. However, it comes with the cost of not protecting the underlying thread from UV radiation and fading. How quickly white thread will degrade due to UV radiation is unknown to me, but my guess is it will be slower than a color such as red. Unfortunately, we do not have a perfect means to protect all rod components from the pesky UV radiation that damages our eyes and our rods. This is neither an argument against using Permagloss nor a promotion of an epoxy. It is simply an encouragement to be realistic with expectations over time.

If you use a two part epoxy, the white wraps on a white blank will eventually appear an amber color, unavoidable!

I haven't had any trouble with white thread fading. I suppose this is because white is white, although I suppose the thread itself could yellow, but I've not experienced this with NCP white covered with PG.

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I have built a white rod with white wraps--in fact the carbon fiber handle was white and the real seat was painted white.
I wish now I had used Permagloss instead of epoxy for the wraps because they are slowly turning amber. The rod is
about 9 months old but the color change started about 3 months after the build. Eventually, I may strip it and
use Permagloss.

I assume you painted the carbon fiber grip to white?

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Dave & Rob,
As Tom alluded to, Carbon fiber cannot be colored. There are numerous fabrics out there claiming to be colored carbon fiber, but in reality, most are simply colored fiberglass including silver which is commonly referred to as Texalium, or possibly colored Aramid (Kevlar). In any case, coloring the fibers weakens the ultimate strength of the laminate by as much as 25%, although that may not be as much of an issue here.
As for the yellowing issue, listen to the previous veterans as I am too new to wrapping to afford any viable advice. While I may not always agree, my experience pales in comparison.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Many thanks for all the advice, NCP white and Permagloss seems the most viable option. Thanks to all who offered your hard-won info, I'll post on how the build ended up.

Yes, Tom, the grip and foregrip were painted white. Actually, that paint has remained true and has not flaked or chipped.

Dave

Anyone planning to use light-colored thread (yellow, pink, etc.) to wrap a blank that is NOT white should heed Tom's advice to paint the blank white beneath where the thread wraps will fall.

Maybe add white pigment to your 2 part epoxy would this eventually yellow?