I am building a rod and need the thread to be the brightest it can be. I am using hot orange and would like it to stay that way. My NCP hot orange thread has the washed out look. kind of muted. I bought some non NCP thread and it really bright like I want. if I give it a few coats of color preserver will it get that washed out look? Also does color preserver keep some of the epoxy from soaking in and making it weaker? I will be using size d thread. Also any brands better that another? Thanks for your help!

Kevin Gross
Many men will spend their whole life wondering if they made a difference. Marines dont have that problem - Ronald Regan

You can try the NCP thread with a couple coats of perma gloss let dry then epoxy. Do a test wrap.

The purpose of CP is to prevent the top coat of finish from penetrating the thread. Don't worry about having a weak wrap - CP does not cause weak wraps.

If the blank is dark under the wraps, then even CP will tend to see the thread lose a shade or so. You can paint the blank white underneath if you want to maintain maximum brightness. Otherwise, two wet coats of CP on a wrap that is evenly and tightly packed is about the best you can do and should work fairly well.

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

Is the spool white ?
and the blank is black your eyes will play tricks on you with color richness
it will appear dull after cp is added but will be fine after finished

The best day to be alive is always tomorrow !!
Think out side the box when all else fails !!!
Wi.

Kevin,
Another thing to maintain color thread brightness is to do a 100% underwrap with silver thread.

NCP will never have the "color pop" of regular nylon, as a chalk like material is added to NCP to prevent color change. Like Tom points out and others have also mentioned, if the orange is going onto a dark colored blank, it will change! If you absolutely want to maintain the regular nylon thread color, put something light colored under it, paint, white NCP thread, silver metallic, etc.

All good answers. I especially like Roger’s silver metallic underwrap. I’ll remember that one.

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

Plaid acrylic craft paints work well as a basecolor on blanks. Cheap and easy cleanup.

If the bulk of an under wrap is not an issue then go that route, but if you need a slim profile try using silver or white Mylar tape that is sold at craft stores in place of the under wrap. I try to find rolls that are 1 1/2" wide which will cover most fresh water blanks

Dennis J. Danku
(Sayreville,NJ)

Kevin, I have scrap blanks laying around, so I always do a short test wrap of each color to see what it really looks like with and without CP and finish. You can't judge the final color just by looking at the thread on the spool. As someone else mentioned, I will occasionally paint the blank white in the area of the decorative wrap to keep light colors light. I like the shimmer of regular nylon so I always use that with CP.
I do use NCP for narrow white/yellow/tan trim bands in guide wraps. The bland look isn't noticeable in thin bands.

John Shear
Chippewa Falls, WI