scratched blank

[herefishy]

I was just starting on a new build and noticed a little(well, not so little) scratch on the blank. I probably did it, not the company, but wondered if there is a way to buff it out(takes off the shine) and then refinish it(with epoxy thread wrap?)

[Sully]

SOMETIMES ( notice the caps and the word sometimes...) you can use clear fingernail polish and the tip of a sewing needle and get some "finish" down into the scratch and then buff out gently.

I scratched a T&T blank ONCE with what must have been one single piece of grit down inside the cork handle. TALK about a PITA to get out...geeze

[kbproctor]

I scratched a T&T blank ONCE with what must have been one single piece of grit down inside the cork handle. TALK about a PITA to get out...geeze

I wondered about that when I saw the abrasive grip reamers. When wood carving, I will NEVER touch a knife to something I have started to sand. The abrasive from the sand paper gets embedded in the wood and will ruin the edge on a knife in a heartbeat. I use a rat tail file to ream out the grips for that very reason.

[Sully]

I wondered about that when I saw the abrasive grip reamers. When wood carving, I will NEVER touch a knife to something I have started to sand. The abrasive from the sand paper gets embedded in the wood and will ruin the edge on a knife in a heartbeat. I use a rat tail file to ream out the grips for that very reason.

Well...Back in the old days......lmao. Problem with rattail files is that they cant "match" the actual shape of the rod blank....and you want that hole in the grip to fit really good...so that when you glue it the glue "line" will be as thin as can be and hence the strongest it can be . So.. during the rod making "process" over time a guy will buy various "blem" blanks just to cut up and coat with "grit"

Barber pole them with that 1/4" wide masking tape ( or wider even)...slop glue all over them and roll them in the grit..."Viola" a tapered reamer....and you remove that masking tape then.

They have some "new fangled" reamers out now but the $$$$ almost makes me gag!

[kbproctor]

I see the sense in that, but the grit is more likely to come off that way than if you used the self adhesive stips of sandpaper some rod building supply houses sell for that purpose. To that end, I think it would be wise to use an air compressor to blow out the grip and follow that up with a quick swipe with the rat tail file to knock any other grit loose then blow it out again.

As for the original question on repairing scratches, you should be able to repair some of those by lightly buffing the area and then putting a decorative wrap down with thread work or a feather inlay or some other kind of decoration that gives a "reason" to cover the area with an epoxy rod finish. If the scratch is on the "side" of the blank, put a feather inlay on it and one on the other side to balance things. Cover it with thread work, but repeat the thread work as necessary on other sections to make it all look like part of the "plan."

Some of my best pieces of leather work or wood carvings evolved from needing to cover a mistake. Of course I royally messed some stuff up trying to "fix" it, too, but you can usually come up with a nice way to hide it.

[herefishy]

Yes, I was just thinking I would cover it with something decorative.

[Sully]

I see the sense in that, but the grit is more likely to come off that way than if you used the self adhesive stips of sandpaper some rod building supply houses sell for that purpose. To that end, I think it would be wise to use an air compressor to blow out the grip and follow that up with a quick swipe with the rat tail file to knock any other grit loose then blow it out again.

As for the original question on repairing scratches, you should be able to repair some of those by lightly buffing the area and then putting a decorative wrap down with thread work or a feather inlay or some other kind of decoration that gives a "reason" to cover the area with an epoxy rod finish. If the scratch is on the "side" of the blank, put a feather inlay on it and one on the other side to balance things. Cover it with thread work, but repeat the thread work as necessary on other sections to make it all look like part of the "plan."

Some of my best pieces of leather work or wood carvings evolved from needing to cover a mistake. Of course I royally messed some stuff up trying to "fix" it, too, but you can usually come up with a nice way to hide it.

By the time you guys get done covering scratches with thread and then finish....you'll have a blank that weighs 16 ounces.....LMAO...