Last night I put on a layer of special red-brown lacquer and the rods went into the box. When I rose this morning, it was with some trepidation I lifted the lid to check. Well, it wasn’t a disaster (as has been the case in the past, at my teacher’s workshop) and although the lacquer didn’t quite come out 100% how I wanted, generally the colouration is very rich, and with none of the dreaded specks of dust – the enemy of lacquer – that so ruins the finish.
The joints need to be sanded and re-lacquered maybe once more, then I can wrap the line pegs on and the rods are basically finished! Ready for my trip for wakasagi fishing next week, definitely.
NB: the rod at the front is not lacquered with the special stuff, which still just has the undercoat on.
2 responses so far ↓
Amy // October 27, 2009 at 8:24 am |
They look really beautiful. You must be proud. How are the bamboo segment textures used? What does the lacquer smell like and what kind of brush do you use?
Adam // October 27, 2009 at 11:03 am |
Hi Amy,
The left hand-ends of the bamboo are filed into a nice round cavity, into which the rod tip is fitted. The rod should altogether be no longer than 50cm; it is more like a toy!
The lacquer when dry, is odourless; when wet, it smells like vomit, quite literally. It is also highly allergenic. Real pros use a brush made from human hair, but these are very expensive and I am not a pro! I use a standard hobby brush you can buy for acrylics. The very dark, rich chestnut-coloured lacquer is applied with thumb and forefinger, so no brush is needed.