Do you wax your rods?

[LeeO]

I don't use wax. I am not convinced it would provide much protection. I usually wind up with 6-7 coats of "varnish" on a rod, so a thin layer of wax isn't going to do much. It may add some luster to old finish. I would be concerned that it could be incompatible with the finish on the rod and soften it.

[BambooNut]

This.

[Kaneman1]

I like to wax my rods during the winter doldrums with Casey's gun stock wax.

[DukeAlum]

Renaissance Polish, Wonderful stuff, used by Museums.

Especially British Museums!
Very expensive for start. Great on my home furniture!

Actually wipe with a warms , wet rag. Wax, even once a year is too much. Bamboo is not like a cherry. It is wood. And the new wave about 20 years ago, advises wax, but every couple years.
Just my thoughts

Nice day
Jimmy

[Cane Head]

Nope. The Orvi get a soft cloth buffing one a year just to shine them back up. The rods I've finished in Tru-Oil also get the same. That's about it.

Cane

[PT48]

What about furniture bee's wax - especially one with not many additives?

PT48

[stlhdr1st]

there is a product on the market labelled "miracle cloth"it used to have a cocoa nut oil base within,however this now appears with a slight lemon odour.we use this once a year to clean our bamboo ,polishes nickel silver and aluminum really well and leaves a very fine residue on the blank which repels droplets of water and at the end of the day wipes down well .amazing product!and before you ask ,i did not buy the company

[KatoomRXC]

Glenn Brackett mentioned past troubles he has had with silicone and finishes a couple weeks ago, including once with binding string that turned out to have traces of silicone. I've ran into fisheye problems with silicone and spray paint, so it's not hard to imagine them with varnish.

Dan

[Flykuni3]

That miracle cloth (and similar) can be used to wipe down and clean, but be careful on cork grips, it will groove them.

[PYochim]

I have never waxed any of my rods. After a day of fishing I let them air dry on the dining room table and then wipe them with a microfiber cloth.

[WatercolorMan]

Renaissance Polish

[aged_sage]

Glenn Brackett mentioned past troubles he has had with silicone and finishes a couple weeks ago, including once with binding string that turned out to have traces of silicone. I've ran into fisheye problems with silicone and spray paint, so it's not hard to imagine them with varnish.

Dan

I have always associated silicone finish problems with having the silicone on the blank "before" applying the finish; not after the finish has been applied and properly dried. I personally fail to see how "fisheyes", etc., could be the result of contact with silicone on a finished rod.

Am I wrong in my understanding? Does it actually damage a properly dried varnish, etc., finish?

TIA

[Brian K. Shaffer]

8 years later
It's been eight years after this thread got started...


Google machine landed me here (renaissance wax).. and I still cannot make heads or tails on what I am reading...
Reading that issues can arise while refinishing work that has been waxed... hmm...
does the finished bamboo need to breathe ?

[DrLogik]

I still use Town Talk orange wax once or twice a year for the last 20 years. Rods still look new. Still working from the same can of Town Talk wax.

[Caneghost]

I very occasionally use the bees wax/lemon oil wax per Cattanach's formula, though I have also used Bowling Alley wax on a few rods in the off season. No finish problems to date.

[Bamboo River]

Just wipe 'em down really well with a soft cloth. Just me.

Me too!!!!

Wipe them down is all I ever do.

[BigTJ]

I wax my car and my skis but not my rods.

I wax fly reels that are painted though.

John

[DaveNJ]

Sometimes in the morning if I'm having a hard time getting out of bed...

[Woodlakejag]

I like to use Renaissance or clear paste wax but I will add that I’m not a rod restorer. From what I’ve read, having any wax that contains silicone on the finish will create real problems when adding varnish for a refinish or touch up. Apparently it’s very hard to get all the silicone off.
That said, if you want to preserve an old varnish without stripping or over coating it, the wax will help preserve the old finish and waterproof any cracks. I’ve had some luck using wax to harden older Heddon finishes that have started to soften.
If you plan to refinish/restore a rod, don’t wax it
If you want to preserve a rod in its current state, wax it
My 2 cents
George

[bamboo]

Once a year in winter for years. Minwax paste wax. Kind of like Butchers wax. I like the extra protection.

bamboo....mike