# Gorilla Clear



## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

I _*HATE*_ messing with rod guide thread wrap epoxy. Just not my cup of tea. Back in the day (50s and 60s) we used clear nail polish to strengthen and make durable the thread wraps. These days I've been wrapping guides with tape, like the UK casters/fishers do. Very functional, super quick, easy on and off with no rod blank residue, lasts for seasons, yadda yadda yadda. Love the tape, extremely functional and durable ... but kinda ghetto ugly looking.

Now, some of y'all may know about this thread wrap finish, but I stumbled on it only a few weeks ago and in the last few days I gave it a try on an old 8-1/2' super stiff glass blank someone sent me. The results have been nothing short of spectacular, for me. The finish is clear, tough, and glossy like epoxy. I used a rod dryer, but as Kevin @ TFH explains, that's not at all required. Kevin came up with the concept and has been using it for over 2 years with great results. Looks like I'll be replacing the taped guides on some of my rods.


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)

I refurbished an old St Croix "Brownie" blank 5 years ago and used this glue. Instead of painting the blank, I put a very thin coat over the entire blank. It turned out great and my buddy has been enjoying the renovated rod for a.couple of years now without any problems.


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## dboyd (Apr 2, 2011)

excellent info!
To me the single most troublesome aspect of putting guides on rods is the necessity to slowly turn the horizontal rod while the epoxy cures
Looks like this eliminates that hassle.


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)

Looks good for freshwater rods...


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

Sandcrab said:


> Looks good for freshwater rods...


It's good for ALL rods.


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

dboyd said:


> excellent info!
> To me the single most troublesome aspect of putting guides on rods is the necessity to slowly turn the horizontal rod while the epoxy cures
> Looks like this eliminates that hassle.


Yep, no need for a rod dryer.


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)

IMHO - I dunno about saltwater rods. I have a couple of jetty rods - Allstars 1265"s that have withstood the test of time for over 23 years. Both are my go to rods for everytime I hit the beach or jetty and the wraps still look brand new..

I'll probably try this on some of my freshwater rod builds though...


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

Sandcrab said:


> IMHO - I dunno about saltwater rods. I have a couple of jetty rods - Allstars 1265"s that have withstood the test of time for over 23 years. Both are my go to rods for everytime I hit the beach or jetty and the wraps still look brand new..
> 
> I'll probably try this on some of my freshwater rod builds though...


Did you watch and hear the entire TFH GC video? Did you read the video comments?

FWIW - saltwater fishermen have contacted Kevin that their GC coated rod wraps have been going strong for over two years.

Skepticism is good and understood, but unfounded unless negative results support such skeptics - so, give it a go on a saltwater rod and see for yerself.

The GC is UV resistant, more flexible than epoxy, skin cures with a flame or heated water vapor, and is extremely durable. 

I dunno what more one could want from a thread finish.


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)

Maybe I'll give it a shot on my next build, a freshwater Point Blank spinning rod.


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

Sandcrab said:


> Maybe I'll give it a shot on my next build, a freshwater Point Blank spinning rod.


Please do and report back the good, the bad, and the ugly.


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## Thorhammer (9 mo ago)

I always have a backlog of guide replacement / tip repair on friend's light stuff, as well as flea market finds. For simple stuff, especially just tips (I overwrap the tip after gluing on), I'll use five minute epoxy on the lathe, generally Gorilla because hard to find devcon. You have my attention- I'm gonna try the clear this week. I like the idea of squirting directly from bottle on the lathe, then smoothing with brush. No mixing, no fuss. I need some more sample size from people before I build someone's UC or CTS with it, but I think this could be a winner in the right application.


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

A rod dryer makes the entire process mindless - spin on the goop with a brush, get it to look nice, leave it spinning for a few hours and it's ready to cast and fish.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Has anyone done this with a four inch long thread wrap for a Surf Rod or a ten inch long Butt Wrap?

Seems like it works nice on small wraps but small wraps are also the easiest to cover with ThreadMaster lite of regular.

The issue I have with Epoxy is generally a temperature related issue or the expoxy is too tight by the time I get to the end of a Heaver blank.


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

Garboman said:


> Has anyone done this with a four inch long thread wrap for a Surf Rod or a ten inch long Butt Wrap? ...


I dunno, Kevin sez it will not be easy to keep the goop smoothed out to a reasonable consistent thickness for long wraps, but that's his opinion and hasn't tried it. It's possible Kevin stated that with regards to using the GC without a rod dryer. That's something I just might test out on that 8-1/2' yeller glass rod that I GC'd on the guides.


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## Thorhammer (9 mo ago)

Garbo- that was my concern. No biggy if I don't like it on the tip of a yard sale sea striker, but I aint wanting to be the first one up the hill to see if it works on a butt wrap I spent all day on.


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## Garboman (Jul 22, 2010)

Looks like Threadmaster.

Turning overnight on the rod dryer only turns into negativity if the rod blank gets loose or a big fly gets stuck on the epoxy fly attractant or it is too cold or too hot. I have experienced every one of these issues.

Got to stay with what the ProRodBuilders use.


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## dboyd (Apr 2, 2011)

or if you don't have a rod dryer


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## Drum Bum (Jan 12, 2004)

Hmmmmm.........bucktail tread!


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## Matt Bizarro (Jan 26, 2016)

I just tried this on a small project that didn’t justify ordering ProKote. The big thing that stuck out is Gorilla Clear is not self-leveling. It takes a hand more deft than mine to get that smooth finish with it, apparently.


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

Matt Bizarro said:


> I just tried this on a small project that didn’t justify ordering ProKote. The big thing that stuck out is Gorilla Clear is not self-leveling. It takes a hand more deft than mine to get that smooth finish with it, apparently.


That's a good point to ponder. Are you using a rod dryer?

In Kevin's video, he's using a nylon epoxy brush to even out the GC that he dribbled on the thread wrap without turning on the rod dryer. He puts on a goodly amount of GC, but he'd already been using the GC for over a year. So, perhaps put on a thin first coat and use a flame or water vapor to cure the top layer without using a rod dryer, then do a second coat. With an activated rod dryer, a hefty dollop of GC can easily be spread with a brush. I've done wraps with and without a dryer, thin first coats and hefty first coats - no problem, the results in all cases looks just like a glossy epoxy finish.


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## Don B (Jul 28, 2001)

From the Gorilla Glue website

*TECHNICAL SPECS *


*APPLICATION TEMPERATURE* – 32° to 100° F, best at room temperature
*SERVICE TEMPERATURE* – -20° to 180° F
*OUTDOOR* – Yes

*MOISTURE RESISTANT – *Water resistant – not recommended for continual water exposure

*PAINTABLE – *Yes – Can be painted with oil-based and spray. acrylic/latex and stains require sanding
*SANDABLE – *Yes
*STAINABLE* – Yes – Will require sanding
*EXPANDS WHEN CURED* – No
*CURED COLOR* – Clear
*TECHNICAL STANDARDS* – ANSI/HPVA Type II
*STORAGE TIPS* – Store in a cool, dry location. Store with access to light, if possible.
*GAP FILLING* – Minimal


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

Water resistant only, not waterproof - same as quick set 5 minute epoxies.


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## Thorhammer (9 mo ago)

Good intel- I'm gonna try it this weekend, and report back. NOTE: I used devcon two-ton to do full builds for years before the internet, back when you had to send a check in to Clemens and wait for it to clear after somehow a catalog found its way into your mailbox. Those rods may have yellowed a might over 25 years, but I only used red, gold and black back then, so it actually looked cool, and they are just as structurally intact today. Same for 5 minute epoxy- maybe not "waterproof" but I have repaired several dozen light rods with it on the tips with zero issues, some with heavy use: they come back years later with insert knocked out again, but epoxy fine and dandy. 

My hack: I buy craft brushes from wally and toss them. 10 cents apiece or so in multipack.

Normally I use clear nail lacquer on jigs, but I like the idea of something more durable.


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## BeachBob (Aug 27, 2010)

I've also used Devon 5 minute epoxy on rod guide thread, way back in the day when I didn't have a rod dryer, and I still have a few of those rods, over 30 years old and the thread wraps are beaten up in some cases but tight as ever. Maybe for skishing the GC and 5min epoxy might be an issue.


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## Thorhammer (9 mo ago)

cold as ballzzz but I'm seeing if I can get the shop warm enough to play with this.


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## fishhawkxxx (Nov 13, 2012)

Works great!


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