Writing on a blank

[The Handsome Stick]

Can anybody suggest a pen/ink for writing on blanks?

Thanks

[enfieldspares]

Any cheap fountain pen dipped in normal, slightly thinned if required, white paint.

The pen will be ruined BTW! Or visit a good craft shop and explain your requirements. They may have the old steel nib "dip pens" available. It is what was used at Alnwick. A "dip pen" and white paint!

A lot depends on what surface you are writing on, of course, Indian Ink, would do on some surfaces.

You could probably find steel nib "dip pens" on eBay also. Or even, perhaps, W.H. Smith!

[Silver Stoat]

I always use gel pens and find these very easy to write with. I think gold looks nice but there is a wide range of colours to choose from (or mix 'n' match).
From the pen, the ink is water soluble so any mistakes can be wiped off with a damp cloth. You can try different layouts until you are happy with a result.

Before you write on the blank give the area a wipe over with meths to de-grease it or, if you plan to epoxy over your text, a light scuffing with a well worn piece of Scotchbrite will give a good 'anti-skid' surface.
The ink takes a while to dry if just left but will dry in a couple of minutes with the use of a hair drier.

It's best to seal the text before varnishing or coating with epoxy and this can be done with a very light spray of clear cellulose or acrylic lacquer. I often use SWMBO's hair lacquer and this seems to work OK. Whatever you use, after masking off any parts of the rod you don't want sprayed, only give the area one pass with the spray and hold the can well back from the surface.
When the spray has dried, usually a couple of minutes, you can go ahead with whatever coating you wish to use.

Dave.

[The Handsome Stick]

silverstoat said:

I always use gel pens and find these very easy to write with. I think gold looks nice but there is a wide range of colours to choose from (or mix 'n' match).
From the pen, the ink is water soluble so any mistakes can be wiped off with a damp cloth. You can try different layouts until you are happy with a result.

Before you write on the blank give the area a wipe over with meths to de-grease it or, if you plan to epoxy over your text, a light scuffing with a well worn piece of Scotchbrite will give a good 'anti-skid' surface.
The ink takes a while to dry if just left but will dry in a couple of minutes with the use of a hair drier.

It's best to seal the text before varnishing or coating with epoxy and this can be done with a very light spray of clear cellulose or acrylic lacquer. I often use SWMBO's hair lacquer and this seems to work OK. Whatever you use, after masking off any parts of the rod you don't want sprayed, only give the area one pass with the spray and hold the can well back from the surface.
When the spray has dried, usually a couple of minutes, you can go ahead with whatever coating you wish to use.

Dave.

Just raided the daughters pen case. Bingo!
Thanks

[micklen]

Yes I used a gold gel pen on mine

Not that easy writing on a curved surface

I think I heard somewhere you could get blank transfers for that sort of thing

Any ideas on that

[Silver Stoat]

miklen,

Have a look at the topic further down the board :

flyforums.proboards53.com/index.cgi?board=rodbuilding&action=display&thread=1133358493

I think the handwritten information personalises your rod more than a professionally produced decal can but, as with most things, it's all down to what you want the finished rod to look like.

It can be tricky writing on a curved surface but the thing about using gel pens, as I'm sure you discovered, is that you can practise as much as you wish by just wiping off the failed attempts.

A reasonable quality pen helps as some of the cheaper ones don't have a consistent ink flow and poor quality tips which can scratch the surface.
I've found the Pentel Hybrid Gel and Rotring Star Gels pens work OK.

Dave.

[fredaevans]

Mick, if you go to the Rodbuilders web site you'll find a couple of suppliers who will custom design/make decals for you. Not cheap, but if you want quite a few, not a bad (professional) way to go.

That said, if your 'hand writing' is 'ok,' just use the gold or silver pens mentioned above.
Fred

[enfieldspares]

Not a fan of gold, at least as it was done on the Hardy Origin. Looked B'AWFUL!

Practice makes perfect. Try writing on pieces of dowel of approximate same diameter painted the colour of your rod. Then you can see what various colours and styles look like.

It may help if you have the blank fixed in a rotor so that you are writing on a rolling surface.

Rest the writing hand and turn the blank with the left hand.

You may find that the reason most handwritten rods are either along the blank or at a "slant" are that it is easier and as you can read all the info looks better.