OK - two coats of U-40 Color Lock 2 ourght to do it, right? Two good coats? Right? Right? Well, an interesting thing happened when I spilled a little spar over the foot and into the gap - the spar ran into the gap and darkened the wraps above the gap, as it no CP had gotten to them.

1. What is the best way to get CP under that gap w/o leaving it on the blank?

2. On graphite rods, it seems standard practice to apply a dose of Flex Coat to the foot just below the bend and outside of the wrap, to help seal the gap I would assume and hold the foot to the blank. I may not be explaining this well, but I bet you know what I am talking about. Is this historicly done on cane rods? Perhaps not on rods that will be dipped as that will take care of itself, but what about impregnated blanks where all you are doing is sealing the wraps?

Thanks in advance for your opinions!

Sean

Just gob it in there probalby about 6 coats, you can scrape off access with fingernail.. I have been haveing big time problems with color preserver, so I got turned on to Guderod 840 rod finish.. This is not a colorpreserver but you can apply two or three coats of this stuff to wraps and it wont changer color of thread, man it works great for bamboo restorations and new rods.. Most bamboo builders do not use any CP because of the problems you are haveing, and Laquer makes threads brittle.. If this is a new bamboo just go without CP, or you will just have to apply about 6 coats and then after you gut about 2 or 3 coats of spar on wraps and everything will look ok but after you dip it you will have 2 or 3 wraps you will have to do over, and thats a lot of fun, believe me been there done that.. Tons a Fun... Thanks Dave

Actually, one coat will do all that need, although many people do use 2. The key is in having the color preserver completely soak the threads so that they are sealed through and through, with not just a layer of sealant sitting on top of the threads. When that happens, any finish that gets at the underside of the thread via the tunnel between guide and blank, will soak into the thread and turn it dark.

I have not found it necessary to do so, but many builders go the extra mile and use a drop of CP on the end of a toothpick to insert a drop into the tunnel area. The thread will normally wick this color preserver into itself from underneath.

In the end, it is not the number of coats of color preserver you use, it is how well the thread has been saturated and sealed. Remember, after the first coat of color preserver is applied, additional coats just sit on top of the thread, building depth but not much more. This is why the first coat is so important.

I am beginning to believe more and more that many builders are missing spots on or at the edges of their threads when they apply color preserver. All the color preservers I am aware of will completely penetrate the thread right down to the blank if they are applied properly.

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Apply CP from the tip to the base, saturating completely as you move towards the base of the foot. I apply very generously and actually have CP oozing out from under the foot. After completely covered, I wipe off all excess with a brush. I only do one coat and have never had that problem. Lay it on thick to penetrate, then wick away extra. BTW, I have used Brilliance from the beginning, never had a reason to change, so don't know if it is the "best", but works great for me.

Tom I have been restoring about 2 rods a week and I have tried every trick in the book on useing cp which I use Guderod 811, I have a bottle cutt 50/50 then a bottle cut 60/40 I start out useing 50/50 2 coats then 2 coats 60/40 then I apply 3-5 coats full strength CP and this Color preserver just dont hold up to useing Spar varnish, this is the main reason why Bamboo rodbuilders are not useing CP now days.. They spend enough time planeing bamboo and they dont need to spend a bunch of time replaceing wraps.. So if this amount of CP is not enough 2 coats is surely not enough.. I ve had failure useing this much CP on ferrule wraps, and there is no tunnel there??? Also 2 coats is not enough on Graphite rods also.. I have only used Guderod, Flex Coat and Clemens CP.. I have thinned all of my CP and I usually apply 3-4 coats full strength on Graphite and 3 coats thinned, I dont like takeing chances on a Fancy Butt Wraps, because I have had failures on butt wraps, not to many on guide wraps... Thanks Dave

I have used the 811 very recently under spar varnish and had good results. No blotching and pretty darn good color too. But I didn't see anywhere on the bottle where it said to thin it so I didn't. I believe that is also what the Rodmaker article said. Just use one coat no matter what type finish I am using and thus far so good. No blotches or problems that I am aware of. I like the 811 and rate it the easiest and best I have ever used. I may change my mind if I start having problems but its been great so far.

Since following the advice in the story and moving to a single unthinned coat I have had no problems. I still use the Flex Coat white colored preserver.

I dont have problems with CP doing graphite rods, but the problem is only useing Spar MY bottles of Guderod 811 say.. Before coating rod apply serveral thin coatsof CP Wipe excess, allowing ample time between coats for orginal color to return to wraps.. Then it says Thin with alcohol and clean up with water..

I would bet every rod in my house that if I wrapped a Bamboo Flyrod 2/2 or 2/3 and only used 1 coat full strength Guderod 811 on wraps, that I would at least replace half if not more.. I dont care what Rodmaker magazine says, because I have been restoring 2 rods a week and I at least have to rewrapp 1 or 2 guides, also I have got rods I restored 2 months and the wraps were ok after I dipped rod but after a period the wraps get darker..

But I now have a fix for this problem, a Bamboo builder that is a Guderod Rep turned me onto Guderod 840 Rod finish, now I have no problems with my wraps..

I would also suggest wrap a guide foot with white thread and use one coat of your favorite CP and then apply varnish on wraps, then dip rod and then look at wraps then let me know what you think....

We may never reach a point where everyone is able to get good results with each type of color preserver and type of finish. I can use a single coat of color preserver of almost any brand and get good color retention with any type finish, including a marine spar varnish. Others can't. Obviously there is a difference in application technique or as one builder suggested to me recently - these color preservers may vary in content from one bottle to the next or from batch to batch. I suppose that is entirely possible and know that the viscosity of both Gudebrod 811 and Epoxy Coatings Company SC215 seem to vary a bit in the bottles I have on hand now.

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The problems usually occur after you dip a rod.. I have put 4 coats of Spar on wraps before and no problems, then sometimes it may take 2 or 3 dippings in a dip tank when the CP Fails.. Rember these dip tanks are heated, so the Spar is very thin.... Tom did you test these wraps by dipping rods???

I would say that what is happening is that when you dip the rods and the warmed spar has time to get under the wrapped threads. Then if your color preserver application was not perfect and completely sealed the threads in and out, the spar will be absorbed and you get a blotch.