Removing old varnish

[Trout]

Any tips on removing old varnish would be apreciated.

The stuff on my rod is cracks, flakey, and there are loads of patches where there is no varnish at all.

I have had sugestions from forum members and i will try them.

Sand paper (800 grade)
T-cut (not working very well)
knife at 90 degrees (will try)
Ciff (not tryed yet)

Thanks guys

[Silver Stoat]

Trout,

Is it a carbon or a cane rod?
If carbon, is it the original finish or a varnish that has been applied on top ? You can get an idea if the areas where it has lifted are shiny and hard. What make is it ?

Dave.

[ScottRods]

Hot air gun or hair dryer. Heat it until it's soft and scrape off and use some Alcohol??

[avonman]

Hi
If it is cane I did one at the weekend with a knife at 90 degrees to the rod and that seems to have worked well.

[Trout]

SS- it is a carbon "lamiglass" rod. it is the original varnish on there. The bits of the rod with no varnish on are hard and very smooth.


Thanks for the tips guys

[Silver Stoat]

Trout,

I would scrape it using a sharp blade at 90*. If you try to sand it you will start to reduce the blank thickness slightly where the varnish is missing whilst sanding off the varnish from the other parts.

Once you have removed the varnish you can then tidy it up with a very gentle rub down with a fine (800 grit) wet or dry paper using soap and water. A polish with 'T cut' should finish the job.
There will be no need to re-varnish unless you want a super glossy finish - the carbon blank is impervious to water.
Any varnish that you apply (like polyurethane) will be prone to marking and will be easily scratched so it might be best left unfinished.
I think the effect you get from 'T cut' is quite good, a nice semi gloss grey colour.

Dave.

[Trout]

Thanks SS, thats just what i was looking for!

I doubt i will bother re-varnishing it then i thought the varnish was a protection for the carbon, but it obviously just to make it look good and shine!

There is also very little varnish on the whippings, there not in that bad shape though. Im going to give the rings, and whipings a light wash with a toothbriush, as they are a wee bit muddy. Would "hard as nails" do the trick to re varnish them, or would somthing else do a better job of holding them together,

Thanks again!

Trout

[Silver Stoat]

Trout,

Don't use hard as nails. It will be difficult to get a smooth, even coating and the stuff will probably crack and fall off pretty quickly.

The best thing if the coating on the whippings is dodgy would be to re-whip and coat with an epoxy finish sold specifically for the job.
However, you may feel that this is more work than you want to do. In that case give them a good clean, as you planned, and then apply a couple of thin coats of yacht varnish or even an 'exterior' grade polyurethane.

Dave.

[Silver Stoat]

Trout,

Forgot to add that if you do decide to just varnish the whippings give them a light scuffing with a clean Scotchbrite pad or fine wet or dry before you do. This will provide a 'key' for the varnish so that it will stick to the old coating.

Dave.

[goldfish]

Use the old tried and tested method; smash a bottle and use a section of glass at 90 degrees as with the knife and shave up and down the blank. Do not use a knife, if you mark the blank it can weaken it, glass can not damage the blank.

[Trout]

Well i tried the knife at 90* and it worked well. i have only done the top section with it so far. I then sanded it down with some wet sandpaper (similar to 800 grade) and i have a lovely smooth finish!

I have got most of the old varnish off the whippings (there was very little left anyway) I dont think they kneed re-whiping, but i will get some epoxy for them.

I think i would actualy like to re-varnish the rod, if its not to expesive. I have seen yagh varish in ltre tubs for £5 but im not sure if its any good. I think i may go to my tackle shop and see whats in stock.

Thanks everyone!

Goldfish, i will try the glass method on the but section of the rod.

[John Gray]

I would agree with Dave in recommending that you don't varnish the rod itself. If you now have a smooth matt finish, I would leave it at that. It is difficult to get a really smooth and durable finish with something like yacht varnish and, as Dave said, the blank is impervious and needs no protection. I would tend to concentrate on getting a neat finish on the whippings using something like Flex-Coat epoxy varnish.

See: www.harrisonrods.co.uk/Rod%20varnishing..htm

If you want a little shine and protection, you might polish the finished rod with a PVC polish such as Armorall:

see: www.armorall.com/prodcat/pages/ultrashine_2.4.html

[Trout]

Well, i have varnished the rod already, just got to out the last coat on!

its actualy a really smooth finish, and the varnish went on ver eaisily.

I have left the bit in between the handle and the first rod ring though, as i want to put my name on it. i shall do this soon.

One more question guys. If i wanted to paint the whippings, should it have been done before and varnish was put on the rod if not then how what paint should i use.

Thanks again everyone!

[John Gray]

Why would you want to paint the whippings?

[Silver Stoat]

Trout,

Yes, you should have coated the whippings with an epoxy finish before you varnished the rod, but all is not lost.
Just apply several ( 4 - 5 ) coats of varnish to them but be sure to allow at least 24hrs. drying time between coats.
This is the way we used to finish whippings before epoxy finishes were available.

Dave.