The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Posted this over the frog'n'toad but as this is pretty much the default internet repository for information on all things cane, it may as well go up here too.

My next project, this:








An Aquilla. 12ft 3 pc. and, I think, Lee & Sons top spec. rod. Got it last week and it's been tinkered with but I'm going to re-do it to it's original order, as apart form an average restoration job it is in otherwise first rate order: steely cane, no signs of delamination, label's almost perfect, ferruls all cushty, clean cork handle, lock down reel seat looks brand new....

I'll put up the finished pictures when it's done.

Looks a lovely rod Haydn.

Very nice. I would be happy to use that as it is, cant wait to see it when you have finished it.

It's perfectly fishable, John. I'm not keen on the Hardlon guided and it should have stand offs instead of the open bridge type rings it currently wears. The varnish is a bit toffee apple, too. The rod deserves the work as it's got the potential to be rather nice.

Look forward to the finished article Haydn.

Little secret, and only now 've got my hands on one myself... it's a very nice rod. I've watched three or four of these go for peanuts in the past six months. This one cost £19.00 plus postage.



And thanks to Bob I have the spec. sheet too.

So it's about time I got this project started. I had a quite hour today and I got the rod stripped of it's guides and got all the varnish stripped too. First, I need to source the correct guides. I do already have some but probably not all that I need. Every time I need to do this I'm always horrified at the cost of just getting the guides alone. H&H are about three quid each for just the stand off wire guides. By the time you've added Agates, postage, VAT etc. the costs can be quite expensive. For anyone who's knees slightly buckle when they get a quote from a professional rod restorer....trust me, there aint much money to be earned in this game.

Anyhow, After carefully masking up the all important lables, the rod is now stripped at least:











I always find that after using stripper you get a rather pronounced step-down where the varnish that still covers the labels meets the stripped rod. I always feather these down with some 180 paper, as well as slightly rubbing back the varnish on the labels so's to key it up sufficiently for varnishing:







I have now very lightly sanded the whole rod with 180 grit. I know others avoid sanding the cane but I prefer to sand it with either 150 or 180 grit, not too fine, basicly. It's an old thing I learned from a floor laquerer who told me years ago not to go to fine with the sanding as the courser the paper the better bond you get with the varnish or laquer.



Next it will have a thinned coat of varnish before I start the whipping, which I think will be either Piper's Forest green or something similar.

So, now the painful bit... buying in the hardware...


P.S Apologies about the poor iphone pics.

Coming along lovely Haydn.

Following this with great interest, Sir.

So, THAT's why you didn't go in to work today, Haydn!


Actualy those i-phone pics aren't half bad....