I am putting new guides on a Castaway rod. cust. wants an extra guide on blank. My question is, what is the best way to
clean old guide grooves off blank. Should I sand it off or is there something that will clean it down to the blank.
Thanks Don.

you can use citrus strip or if you can do it out doors acetone both will do the trick but the acetone is harsh and could eat in to the old blank resin apply and scrape with a popsicle stick or something with a square edge so you don't scrape in to the blank.
I wouldn't heat a blank that old with a heat gun or hair dryer to remove the finish left from the guides as the heat could break down the integrity of the blank .

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



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2017 08:30AM by Matthew Paul.

Sharp razor blade will do it.

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good luck,
Nick

Many times when one removes old guides one also removes or scratches the finish underneath and around the guides. If you are positioning the guides in the same place this is not of concern since the guide wrap will cover the flaws. However, when you reposition the guides these finish flaws become visible. By carefully removing the guides and associated epoxy finish you can minimize the flaws. After removing guides, I have found that the associated epoxy finish can be removed using heat from a hair dryer to soften the finish and scraping with a wooden edge. I like split bamboo because it is hard and the edge holds up well for scraping and does not remove the under lying finish, but other hard woods also work. I find it difficult to remove epoxy finish with a metal edge without scratching or removing the blank finish. The heat from a hair dryer will not harm your hair nor your rod blank. A heat gun on the other hand can damage the blank if you are not careful (I speak from experience). After scraping, blend the guide area into the rest of blank using extra fine steel wool, or 2000 grit wet/dry paper. These do not remove the finish, but do help to blend things together and remove the final traces of the epoxy finish. This gives a matte finish but looks good, if you want more gloss then use Permagloss to refinish.

However, If the blank finish is removed around the old guides, then you may have to remove the blank finish. This is done by scraping with a single edge razor blade or utility knife with the blade held perpendicular to the blank. This basically planes the finish off without harming the blank. This goes much easier and quicker than you think. Practice first using a scrap piece of blank. When finished scraping use extra fine steel wool or wet/dry sand paper to smooth and blend everything together. I usually use Permagloss to refinish the rod. When done properly the blank will look brand new. Good luck.
Norm



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/09/2017 12:46PM by Norman Miller.