Paste Wax

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bamboo
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Paste Wax

#1

Post by bamboo »

Hi Guys,
Just finished putting a light coat of paste wax on my rods for the winter. Do any of you do this ? I just figured that it can't hurt even though they are in air tight tubes. Any opinions ?
bamboo....mike

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Kaneman1
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Re: Paste Wax

#2

Post by Kaneman1 »

I did the same thing to all my rods. It doesn't hurt and sure passes the time. Kaneman1

bassman
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Re: Paste Wax

#3

Post by bassman »

I suppose there are a lot of differing opinions about that, like any subject brought up on the board. I'm not around bamboo long enough to have one, but in your post you talk of the "air-tight" tubes. I've read, and been advised by a couple of builders, to hang the rods in the bags in a corner of closet or other dry, ventilated and temp controlled area. I've got my tubes stored out in the shed, but the rods are hanging on several hooks in the walk closet in their bags. I've used the office style heavy duty clip on the bag to hang them. Just a thought based on advice given me.

Nick

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quashnet
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Re: Paste Wax

#4

Post by quashnet »

Angling author Joseph D. Bates, Jr. and Don E. West (Paul H. Young's friend who asembled and sold Young rods to customers in Texas and the southern states) debated this point in the June 1950 issue of Hunting and Fishing magazine. West claimed that heavy atmospheric humidity along the Gulf Coast permeated rod bags, leading to damaged rods when the rods were enclosed in tubes for long periods. Bates had never experienced this problem in the Northeast. As evidence he cited a rod that he had kept in a tube since 1922 that was still in excellent condition in 1950. Bates concluded that anglers who live where conditions are damp should use their own judgment. For myself, I can say that no harm has come to the rod I've owned and kept cased for the longest period of time, a Summers 275 that I received new in 1986, have fished every year, have dried before putting it away after each use, and have otherwise kept in its tube for twenty-seven seasons. I give it a very light waxing as needed.
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troutnut
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Re: Paste Wax

#5

Post by troutnut »

I've wax yearly since starting with bamboo. I've used gun stock wax or Mcguires car wax. I am thinking of trying a paste wax, very soon maybe as son as I go to the store or whenever I get some time to that is.

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pvansch1
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Re: Paste Wax

#6

Post by pvansch1 »

Butchers Bowling Alley Wax has always been good.
I don't seal them up in tubes but leave the caps loose or off.
Pete

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Hellmtflies
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Re: Paste Wax

#7

Post by Hellmtflies »

I had always used Butcher's Wax on my rods until I spoke with Bill Harms about this. He was to make a minor varnish repair for me and was upset that I had used anything on the rods I have. He advised that it made it very difficult to remove not only the wax but the varnish it was to protect. He stated that the wax made any repair a mess to deal with. Also he advised that, as I had already known but was not thinking about, that varnish needs to breath. It allows moisture in and out and that the wax interfered with that process. I no longer use wax or any other product. I also store all of my rods upright in thier tubes with the caps off for air exchange. Just my 2 cents.
Mark

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bow river
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Re: Paste Wax

#8

Post by bow river »

i'v always used butchers wax or min wax , do my rods in the fall when i'm done , takes some time but it's a nice way to relax for the afternoon
Come book a fishing trip with me on Canada's best trout river , the world famous Bow River , also other fine mountain rivers , I collect old Hardys , Dingleys, Youngs , also buy sell & trade

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Double D
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Re: Paste Wax

#9

Post by Double D »

Harms advice is strongly advokated by the rodmakers I know. Varnish is no strict moisture barrier, moisture is going in and out naturally as Mark was told and stated here.
Therefore I have never done any waxing to rods except of that part where the varnish of the ferrule tabs wipping is cracked. If removing the cracked wipping has become necessary I am forced to use Acetone to remove as much wax/oil off the blank as possible.
Storage is in hanging rod socks. No ultimate answer - of course not- but has been working fine for me many years now.

wb4tjh
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Re: Paste Wax

#10

Post by wb4tjh »

I've been waxing my rods for almost 40 years and have never experienced any kind of problem, including having to rewrap a couple of guides. I used Johnson's paste wax for many years, but in the past 10 or so, I've found Minwax to do just fine.

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gofish60
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Re: Paste Wax

#11

Post by gofish60 »

Wax mine with a pure carnuba wax. No ill effects after many years, and when I have a rod repaired, the maker normally uses something to strip the wax and varnish off before working. As has been stated, a great pasttime during a football game, etc, and you get to really check the rods over.
gofish

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CaneCaster
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Re: Paste Wax

#12

Post by CaneCaster »

I would agree with the occasional light waxing of a well used rod, I do it to mine that have been seeing time on the water once or twice a year, some more... although I fish in the rain quite often too. gun stock wax, butchers and good quality fine furniture waxes all work well, as does auto waxes.

J.

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quashnet
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Re: Paste Wax

#13

Post by quashnet »

Allowing moisture to travel in and out "naturally" is how wood decomposes, whether within a tree trunk downed in the forest, or an old picnic table left out in the back yard, or a bamboo fly rod. Varnish and a light film of wax are good things.
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eastprong
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Re: Paste Wax

#14

Post by eastprong »

According to the tests done by the US Forest Products Lab, paste wax has almost zero impact on "moisture-excluding effectiveness", which is to say, it doesn't stop water vapor from entering and leaving wood:

http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us/documnts/pdf1987/feist87a.pdf

Wax does provide an effective barrier against liquid water and will absorb/deflect minor dings that would otherwise harm the varnish. It's there to protect the varnish, not the wood. It should be easy to remove with naphtha, which does not harm a properly cured varnish.

rsagebrush
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Re: Paste Wax

#15

Post by rsagebrush »

I use Renaissance 'Micro-Crystalline' wax/polish regularly.

The British Museum knows what they are doing.

Bill Harms must have been in a crabby mood that day when he complained about the wax as I sent back one of his rods for repair and a re-wrap and he never mentioned a thing.

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cwood
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Re: Paste Wax

#16

Post by cwood »

I've never waxed a rod, but I don't end my fishing season during the winter. Does adding wax to an older rod that is simply stored for a collection worth doing if it never goes fishing? I have an old mint Heddon 9 footer that was owned by my grandfather that I don't plan on fishing and want to keep in nice condition. It's been around for a long time and looks wonderful, but I'd like to keep it this way. It's always been stored in the tube..... for 60 years I assume.

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Marty
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Re: Paste Wax

#17

Post by Marty »

I've waxed for a long time.... I don't know how much it truly helps (some at least I think)
It's a pleasant way to reflect on the season wiht a beverage...... like ocd reel cleaning and maintenance, refinishing any lines that need it..... a pleasant way to play with my toys.... we have no closed season in TN so sometimes a rod goes back out in winter. One of my rods was given to me by a friends widow.... he owned and waxed that rod yearly longer than I've been alive... still casts great
Marty's Rules of Fishing #7. Fishing only with store bought flies is like trying to talk to a pretty girl through an interpreter it works sort of …it will work far better if you learn the language and tie your own flies…more satisfying and more effective.

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thegubster
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Re: Paste Wax

#18

Post by thegubster »

cwood wrote:I've never waxed a rod, but I don't end my fishing season during the winter. Does adding wax to an older rod that is simply stored for a collection worth doing if it never goes fishing? I have an old mint Heddon 9 footer that was owned by my grandfather that I don't plan on fishing and want to keep in nice condition. It's been around for a long time and looks wonderful, but I'd like to keep it this way. It's always been stored in the tube..... for 60 years I assume.

No rod-maker here so I've never refinished a stick but I'm in this camp... - To quote Quash "Varnish and a light film of wax are good things."

A light coat of any wax won't stop moisture movement through a finish unless it's 1/8" thick plastic (I'm being a bit goofy here... think of your restaurant table tops) but it will add a little bit of "protection" to your finish. How much? Well, it can't hurt....it's that little but it's nice to have imho. It makes water bead up better.

From some woodworking stuffs way back when, the predominant discussions surrounding waxes (of all kinds) is "wax is wax". That meant what it said, basically that they're all the same.

Also each subsequent layer dissolved the previous one so that old saw of "wax build-up" didn't amount to diddly unless your "wax" (e.g linoleum floor wax") had a little something else other than straight wax added. I'm not quoting Bob Flexner but I do believe I recall him entering in this discussion and he's one of the premier wood finishers world-wide. It's been a long time too but I do recall the gabbbing on this as to many woodworkers it's pretty significant/important on that final finish.

Getting a bit off-topic here (and opening myself to a dialogue of "Oh yeah's") :D so I hope this doesn't dissolve into a miriad of opinions that go awry.

Wax her periodically, it'll be good for the finish.

Jeremy.

edit...on a side note, stay away from furn. polishes such as Pledge etc that contain silicones etc. obviously.

It's a wonderful product/business model for the J/J Co. (did I get that right?). Bottom line, it contains lemon oil and lemon oil never dries, therefore it attracts dust...needing more .... dusting/Pledging!!!!

Great - for the business! :lol ::) Geez.

bamboo 1
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Re: Paste Wax

#19

Post by bamboo 1 »

By waxing a rod, you lose the ability to applying varnish because the finish will fish eye on you and all you can do once waxed is to rewax. Unfortunately you end up with wax build up over time and the rod will have to be stripped. My feelings are to never wax and to use a non-wax spray cleaner such as Endust, that way you can revarnish when needed. These are just my opinions based on refinishing hardwood floors for 26 years and the recommondations and experience during that time. I neither consider myself an expert with bamboo rods but, if they are like any other wood, then they would react the same.

eastprong
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Re: Paste Wax

#20

Post by eastprong »

If the wax has silicon, you're hosed. You'll never be able to get rid of all of it without damaging the varnish, and you'll get fisheye. I'm pretty sure that Renaissance, Butcher's, and Briwax do not contain silicon. Many of the spray waxes do.

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