Finishing Touches
Now for all the pretty.
Tip and butt blanks are done and ready for the tedious process of bringing your rod to life adding varnish, rod guides and grip.
Varnished the rod blanks with two coats of petroleum-based spar varnish after unfortunately using water-based varnish for the first 32 rods. Petroleum-based is the real deal and gives a much harder and glossier finish. Adding Penatrol to the varnish eliminates ripples and penetrates varnish into wraps and guides. I WET sand the first two coats with 2000 grit paper. Blanks get one last dip of varnish over all the wrapped guides and ferrules.
At first tried brushing the varnish on but only got drips, streaks, runs and bubbles. Came across yet another Rube Goldberg device that fixes this issue. Got a rotissery motor and rigged it up with a stand and simple pulley to sloooowly retract a rod section out of a PVC tube filled with petroleum-based spar varnish. Works like a charm.
I've really gone down the rabbit hole now and am making my own snake guides with an Art LeClair Snake Maker. I touch up guide feet with a Dremel to create a flat base on guides for wrapping.
I hand wrap the snake guides, agate stripping guide, tip-top guide, and Rush River Rods Z-ferrules with Pearsalls and UTC silk thread.
Looking for a way to set my rods apart aesthetically from the teeming masses I discovered enameling on copper. I create very liberal interpretations of fishy patterns on the slide band reel seats and keepers. Maybe not the traditional presentations Garrison might have approved but then WTF!
The reel seats and slide bands are 5/8" and 3/4" copper pipe caps finished with Thompson Enamels. Enamel comes in powder form sprinkled onto the metal then fused with a 3750° Map-Pro Gas blowtorch. Fun.
I use a variety of assorted exotic woods for the reel handles: Cocobolo, Bocote, Bubinga, Padauk, Purpleheart, Black Palm, Granadillo, Spalted Tamarind, etc. Lathe turning from 1" and 1-1/2" square stock.
