Label

Question
Hello,
   I have made a few fly rods now but I'm still having a little trouble with a custom labels.  I have used a paint pen it worked fine but it didn't come out as sharp as i would like.  I'm using Flex Coat Lite finish if that makes a difference. Im putting names on these rods so each will different.  I will appreciate any advice it wouldn't bother me if they were going on low end blanks but these are on sage z axis.  Thanks for your help.

Answer
Hi Jerome,

You may wish to try commercially prepared labels like those from Decal Connection (contact Deb at [email protected]); specifically the water slide decals.  You can get these printed in a variety of colors and in almost any font type and size you want to use.  I use them all the time on rods with great results.  I type out what I want in a word document and send it them and get my finished decal in a few of days. They are not expensive.

You apply these decals by putting a thin coat of epxoy (in your case Flex Coat Lite) on the blank where you want the decal to go...usually between a couple of trim bands near the handle end.  When that coat dries, wet the surface with warm water; dip the decal in warm water until the backing is loose (about 10-15 seconds); then place the decal on the wet, epoxy coated rod surface and gently slide the backing out from under the decal transferring the decal to the rod.  If you keep the surface wet, you will have time to align the decal properly, then gently pat it down in place squeezing the excess water out from under it.  Once the water is out and the decal is setting where you want it, leave it alone and let it dry.  

You can apply another coat of Flex Coat in 2-3 hours or you can leave it over night and apply top coat(s) the next day.

You put down a base coat of epoxy to avoid sticking the decal directly to the rod blank.  If you stick it directly to the blank, it can develop a hazy look beneath the top coats.  It is best to have it "float" on a base coat as it will appear completely transparent showing only the name or inscription you have on the decal.

These decals do take a little practice.  You may wish to order 2 or 3 of them and practice on a scrap rod before your real project.  They are not hard to do, just follow the directions and you will like the look.

If you want to hand write the inscription, which I do on the bamboo rods I build, you can improve sharpness by doing a couple of things:

1.  you can use ultra fine pen points or markers.  BIC and Sharpie make fairly good ones.
2.  you can use gold or silver metallic ultra fine point pens found in art and craft stores...these work pretty well.
3.  you can put a coat of color preserver over the area and write on that when it dries...it may help.
4.  you can put a coat of color preserver over your hand written inscription before you apply the epoxy coating.  Some epoxies can blur the inks and the color preserver will keep that from happening.
5.  or, you can use commercial decals that are made to match your handwriting.

I hope this helps.  Joe