I know of one product I will NEVER use again after this!

[kbproctor]

I finished wrapping a rod yesterday and applied Cason's Water Based Crystal Clear Color Preserver to the wraps. Tan wraps tipped with Gudebrod Olive and Silver metallic. I applied according to directions and had two solid coats of this stuff on them. It almost looked like I had the first coat of finish on the threads. Well packed and nice and smooth. I let it dry between coats and then overnight and most of today before applying ProKote. I just checked to see how things were going and the wraps are blotchy in the tan and the olive went black on me. I am oh so excited that I get to strip this rod and rewrap. I get to order more tan, too. That was the last of what I had.

The lesson was learned to test a product I have never used before on something other than a production rod.

[jimsnarocks]

Kevin. Hopefully a lesson well learned and thanks for the product heads up. Hope you get the rod stripped and redone with better results. Jim

[Bass_Bug]

I took a 3' 3/8" dowel, cut it in half, painted both pieces black then wrapped two 1/4" bands about 1/4" apart of all the threads colors I have (over 30). Then used CP on one band and not on the other for each color. Then gave each band a couple coats of thread varnish. This gives me a pretty good idea of how much each color threads changes without a CP. I can hold up my test sticks to a blank and get an idea how each colors goes, or doesn't, with the blank. Not fool proof, but does help eliminate some colors right off the bat.

After hearing your bad experience, I think wrapping on a test dowel and trying a new product on a single wrap sounds like a good idea.

[Denny]

As many rods as I wrap per year, I always do a couple wraps on a graphite arrow before I go to the rod. Using an old arrow I find the warps are very similar to what I will get on my rod blank. Easier to get the wraps tight like I will want on the rod than on a wooden dowel. A little practice never hurts no matter how good I think I am. Archery shop should have some cut offs/rejects they will either give to you or sell for very little.
I like your idea of the test strips Bass Bug. Good tip!
Denny

[kglissmeyer]

Many of the rod blank suppliers will send you some pieces of the blanks you are using and then you can wrap some test samples with the products and colors as well as color preservers that you use. You can then have these test samples always at your work station as well as available to your customers to show them what the finished product should look like when completed. Good luck.

Several years ago a friend and I both purchased some of the two-part rod finish packets from Cabela's. After use they never dried completely requiring stripping and re-finishing. It was a real hassle. Although Cabela's stood by the product and replaced the packets, I never used them again as I just didn't have the trust level there. I since have used the bulk dispensers without a problem since. This is not a bash to Cabela's, just an experience that I had that taught me a good lesson.

Kelly.

[bobbyg]

Might I ask why you used it in the first place?
Why would it make a difference on a custom v/s production rod?
Or maybe I misunderstand what you are saying?

Recommendation, marketing sell?

Just curious.

[kbproctor]

Might I ask why you used it in the first place?
Why would it make a difference on a custom v/s production rod?
Or maybe I misunderstand what you are saying?

By production rod, I mean one that is meant for sale. This is a custom rod, but it has no home as yet. I should have tried this on a dowel or something before ruining the wraps on a 7 pc pack rod. 6 ferrule wraps plus the 9 guides (8', 5wt) plus the butt wrap. Dual trim bands on each end of each wrap, too.

I was attracted to the Cason's because it was water clear. I like the ProKote because the hardener is water clear rather than having a yellow cast to it. Water clear means truer colors. The milky CPs dry mostly clear, but it isn't completely clear. FlexCoat has a slight yellow cast to it even after it is mixed and that goes on your thread. Most folks don't notice it, but I like clear, 100%, absotively, completely clear. I go to a lot of trouble selecting the proper colors and I do not want the CP or the finish changing those colors any more than is necessary or wanted. I want control.

That is why I tried it. I had heard folks liked the solvent based Cason's and thought the water based would be a good choice for me due to my wife's COPD. 2 part rod finish gets to her on occasion.

I have the wraps stripped. They came off fairly easily, as I expected. Now to re-wrap and try it again. I'll use my FlexCoat CP this time. Maybe I'll order up some ProWrap Stayfast thread in the colors I want to avoid the whole issue completely. I just really do not like the way a NCP thread looks, though. It has a plastic look to me. I prefer nylon with CP. It's a richer look in my opinion.

Denny and Kelly, those are both good ideas.