Scratched rod - Advice needed.

[yodelmiester]

I would be very wary about putting a naked flame near carbon, have you ever seen what a cig can do to a pole, I have when one of the lads decided he could smoke, hold a pole and feed with catapult at same time. It was exceedingly funny to see the pole section explode in his hand and slightly scary....so be careful with carbon.....

[Dunk Fairley]

All,

 

don't apply lighted matches to rod blanks*. On cane rods, ALL glues used react badly to heat. Originally, one of the glue ingredients was melted down horses hooves (I kid you not!).

 

Carbon, Kevlar and Graphite blanks are heat treated as part of the blank building process. They are heated to the same temperature along the entire length, to give an even curing to the resins used. Any heat applied at a section of the blank, which differs from the background temperature of the blank as a whole, will create a weak spot.

 

Gaffer, the only option is to cut the varnish back to the blank, by rubbing gently with fine wire wool. This gives a gently sloping edge. Apply a few coats of Yaught Varnish to the cut back area. When this has dried and cured for about 2 days, you can flat it back using T Cut (from Halfords) If this is done properly, the repair should be invisible. If you know a rod builder he could do it for you.

 

I reccommend Yaught Varnish, as it doesn't react with any other varnish. Cellulose varnish, reacts with Acrylic, Acrylic reacts with Spirit based etc. I know this from my motorbike restoration experiences.

 

Regards.

 

*except when replacing tip rings, which are usually held on with "Hot Glue", which is a stiff wax, which will melt at a tempewrature below which damage will occurr.