# White film on the rods?



## fishingeek (Aug 30, 2004)

I left some my of rods on top of my truck for a week. The sunny side up sides all had a white residue/film on the them that I can almost completely scratch off with a finger nail. Is this clear coat breaking down? How do I fix?


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

fishingeek said:


> I left some my of rods on top of my truck for a week. The sunny side up sides all had a white residue/film on the them that I can almost completely scratch off with a finger nail. Is this clear coat breaking down? How do I fix?


I'm not a rod builder but I have had that stuff on my rods numerous times, most recently after the striper tourney and the east wind blowing sea spray. My guess is it is just salt spray as each time I just wash em good with soap and water.


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## fishingeek (Aug 30, 2004)

Cdog said:


> I'm not a rod builder but I have had that stuff on my rods numerous times, most recently after the striper tourney and the east wind blowing sea spray. My guess is it is just salt spray as each time I just wash em good with soap and water.


Not the same thing, I've had that before, and this is different. Its not coming off with soap and water.


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## dawgfsh (Mar 1, 2005)

sprayed my rods with wd 40 and all that white film went away.

good luck


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## Clyde (Oct 18, 2003)

I've had this happen in the past and I'm still not sure exactly what it is. I do have a theory, bu can't back it up. I used to spray all my rods with WD-40 regularly after trips, and I would eventually have this white film on them after extended trips on the beach if the rods were exposed to the elements alot. Now, I don't spray them with WD-40, only soap & water (if at all) AND I keep them inside the truck out of the elements. Not sure which solved the problem, but I don't get it anymore. I personally think it was the WD-40 affecting the epoxy somehow, it is a solvent afterall.


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## junkmansj (Jul 23, 2005)

Try using a grey Scotch guard pad you should be able to get it at a auto parts that sells auto paint, cut a piece and use it like sand paper to scrub off the white. (try a small area first


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## Newsjeff (Jul 22, 2004)

Once again, Clyde is on the money. 

Leave that WD-40 off yer rods.


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## Cdog (Mar 18, 2002)

Ok


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## WALT D. (Dec 18, 2003)

I think you're right about the WD-40 Clyde; I used it for years but I have a Purglass, that is now a Pure Mess and I think the WD-40 was the culprit on that one. I just use a little carnuba car wax on them about twice a year and it keeps everything looking pretty good.


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## fishedn (Aug 18, 2008)

The problem comes from moisture soaking in under the epoxy finish, whenit dries it disappears, prolonged moisture and color fades. Just part of the aging of rods and exposure. If it happens on a new rod, a small area was not covered properly.


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## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

I do as Walt said. A little carnuba wax and the rod will be easy to wipe any salt/sand residue off after each trip. 

WD 40 or most any alcohol solvent that gets under the finish can cause the whiteness to occur - if it is truly under the epoxy/finish- wiping/sanding on top of the finish won't do much to make it go away.

Keep in mind - WD 40 is a penetrant- and most finishes do not form a perfect air tight bond - which is why you will sometimes see rusting of steel guide feet- even tho they are covered by epoxy/finish--- saltwater can creep in and cause damage- and eventually will with age.


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## Ed K (Mar 1, 2007)

fishedn said:


> The problem comes from moisture soaking in under the epoxy finish, whenit dries it disappears, prolonged moisture and color fades. Just part of the aging of rods and exposure. If it happens on a new rod, a small area was not covered properly.


the problem they are talking about is on the blank itself not just areas with finish on them. I used to use WD-40 had the same thing now I just use Meguires Carnuba and have not had any of this stuff show up plus it makes anything else easy to get off of the rod.


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## Clyde (Oct 18, 2003)

If you are getting a whitish discoloration on your wraps UNDER the epoxy, that's a different problem. What is happening there is that you have moisture seeping under the epoxy somehow. This is more pronounced if color preserver was used. Set it out in the sun & it will go away.


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

i know what your talking about. good or bad, rubbing alcohol gets that crap off your rod. its from moisture. windex even gets it off. i left a rod outside for like 2 years, half the wraps were white, its all surface stuff. i took acetone to it and it came right off and looked fine. i know i know ed, keep acetone away from my rods....


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## 05 grand slam (Nov 7, 2007)

ry useing the pen reel and rod cleaner. it is really nice stuff ive been useing it about a year now. it gets up all the nasty spanish and blue scales off of rods and reels and after it is on the rods and reels it is harder for the scales, salt etc.. to stick on them. it also has corrosion blokers and helps to clean up the corrosion that is already on the reels, rods. Took my reel off of my gotcha rod this past aug to give it a cleaning well never knew that i didnt use the reel/rod cleaner on it and also had no clue that corrosion had built up under neath the reel seat on the reel foot. Needless to say its all gone now.


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## dawgfsh (Mar 1, 2005)

Still like wd- 40 for removing the white stuff, not under the wraps but over them. Spray let set and then wipe down with soft rag. All the wax ever did was make them turn white sooner when exposed to damp weather.


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## fishingeek (Aug 30, 2004)

*Here's the deal...*

You can see that I can scratch the film off with a finger nail. Warm soapy water and rubbing didn't work, WD40 didn't work, Windex didn't work...








So I tried some rubbing compound. Don't know if its this is the best way, but it seemed to work. Thinking about using a dremel tool with small pad to get in around the guides.








Looks better....


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## landingcrew (Jun 17, 2008)

its your finish, im probably correct in saying thats a custom job, what happens is is that your finish gets like a sun burn and the hardener in the two part finish oxidizes due to poor or speedy mixing, your best bet is to do what your doing, then take your rod to a custom rod maker or if you want to do it yourself and you have a dryer heres what you need to do....use the dremel tool to remove some of the finish like your doing, then mix up some finish making sure that you follow the instructions and mix it really well then let it sit for about 10 min. come back to it and mix it slowly to pop the air bubbles now add the finish to where you need it and let fully dry wait two days before you use it.

i recomend wash your rods in fresh water before you put them up after a trip, then once a month use some car wash soap and use a soft bristled brush to clean them up, put the rods to dry in the shade then put them up in storage. oh and wd 40 is essentially fish oil with a aresole so buy putting a coating of oil on your rod will screw it up reallllly badly, plus finish doesnt like oil what so ever.

mark


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## NTKG (Aug 16, 2003)

acetone....


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## Ed K (Mar 1, 2007)

Neil 

You know I've told you not to use Acetone on the rods. 

Landingcrew

I think what FG is talking about is on the blank also so unless for some odd reason the whole blank was coated it's not the finish, and it would do it even if it was a factory rod, they use the same finishes as custom builders use. Why on earth would you want to take a dremil tool ( he was talking about a small buffing pad for the rubbing compound) to the finish to recoat, and risk getting into the thread or nicking the blank, scuff with some scotchbrite and apply a thin layer of finish. The finish is not oxidizing from poor mixing, poor mixing will usually end up in a finish that will not set up even if too much hardener is added.


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## TreednNC (Jul 1, 2005)

and WD40 is NOT fish oil, nor does it have fish oil in it


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## Tacpayne (Dec 20, 2008)

TreednNC said:


> and WD40 is NOT fish oil, nor does it have fish oil in it


Yep Treed is right not fish oil
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/wd-40.asp


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## basstardo (Jun 5, 2006)

TreednNC said:


> and WD40 is NOT fish oil, nor does it have fish oil in it


Mr Knowitall...


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## landingcrew (Jun 17, 2008)

ed,

yes i didnt explain well enough use a buffing head on the dremmel, and all your looking to do is remove the slightest of finish that way when you add a light coating of finish it will look brand new, also you could have poorly mixed the finish and not no it, hence why you could have a hard finish and it turns yellow or on the rare occasion oxidizes and turns white. also when the blank comes out of processing they spray it with finish to give it that sparkly new look, but the odds that the whole rod has this problem is one in a million and now looking at the picks closer it looks like he is on the right track and should go with what is working right now.

treed,

sorry if i pissed in your coffee but original wd40 WAS a fish oil based lubricant/degreeser(ever spill some menhaden milk on the deck of a boat that stuff makes astroglide seem like glue) but with the onset of better petroleom products they made the switch, not trying to start an arguement but just wanted to set it straight from what i was told.

now yall go rap a rod or go fishing.


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