wood inserts

[xp_erienced]

im turning my own wood inserts for my reel seats; im wondering what ican use to seal it up when im finished. marine varnish comes to mind but im not sure what i really should use.

[MontanaMoose]

Welcome to the best fly fishing site on the planet xp_erienced. You could try any number of finishes. Spar varnish perhaps, bar top varnish might be good. I Think most of them are polyurethane (sp) by now though. I just talked to a guy that was doing something with tung oil and wood and he said it was a really good looking finish. You've got lots to choose from.

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

[Arkriver]

Go wally world or a gun shop and get a little bottle of Birchwood Casey Truoil. Try it on a scrap and see if you like the look. It is most commonly used on gun stocks so it will handle the elements

[cheffy]

Try over at Rodbuilding.org. There is also a way to do a finish with super glue.

[RS1]

Try over at Rodbuilding.org. There is also a way to do a finish with super glue.

CA works great. Just turn it slow when final sanding/polishing.

[dleo6446]

Sealing the grain and putting a finish on go hand in hand. After I turn reel seats, I usually submerge the wooden insert in a solution of Varnish, Turpentine, and Mineral Spirits for a few hours to let it saturate into the grain of the wood really well. When I take it out, I dry it off with paper towels (inside and out) and hand it in the drying cabinet for a day or so to let the residue fully cure. Then I can put a finish on the reel seat that will give it better aesthetics. I found out long ago that just finishing the outside of the seat isn't quite good enough as the inside can still take on moisture and cause swelling of the seat that can cause cracking and other issues that are unfavorable. The ideal situation is to get some of Mike Brooks' impregnation sauce and use that. Takes a bit longer but the results are outstanding. Full impregnation is the way to go on most woods used in reel seats.

[cheffy]

If you are doing an oily wood such as Cocobolo remember to wipe it down first before apply any finish. I've actually soaked mine in acetone or alcohol for a few minutes wiped them down resoaked and air dried then apply the finish quickly. I havn't tried it but I hear perma gloss is a good undercoat on Cocobolo.