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First of all, let?s remember that the purpose of varnish is to set a ligature in place; it?s a flexible yet durable binder. The ligature-varnish combination acts like reinforced concrete, holding your rings in place on the blank.
The varnishes we use are two-component, which means that a hardener must be mixed with a resin in equal parts (that is why we use graduated syringes).
To achieve a beautiful finish, you need to avoid a few enemies... Namely, dust, first and foremost, and an environment that?s too humid or too cold. The best place to do this is in your living room at room temperature. But the worst enemy of all is using the wrong proportions...
Step 1: Set up your workspace
During this step, put the two bottles of nail polish in your pants pocket so that they warm up and become more fluid thanks to your body heat.
You need to set up your workspace and prepare your materials. To complete this step, you will need:
- An alcohol lamp (or possibly a lighter).
- A dryer is a low-speed motor designed to maintain a slow rotation of your rod throughout the drying process and ensure even distribution of the varnish.
- You may also want to have some rubbing alcohol on hand to clean up drips, as well as some painter's tape. Of course, you'll need a container to mix your varnish in and a brush to apply it.
Place your rod on the dryer and the supports, making sure to choose a level surface so that the varnish doesn?t pool on one side or the other of the guide. Protect your work surface with cardboard or newspaper, and tape your KDPS (Quicklock) to the blank (either because you?ve tied a knot at the front of your reel seat, or simply to prevent it from unscrewing while the blank is spinning...).
Step 2: Prepare the varnish
Using the syringes, mix equal parts of the hardener and the resin in a plastic or glass dish. It?s best to make a little more than you need (I use 2 ml of each component) so you don?t run out halfway through and to minimize the impact of any potential dosing errors.
Using your brush?or, even better, a stir stick (which helps prevent bubbles)?stir your nail polish very slowly in a figure-eight motion, taking care to create as few bubbles as possible.
To make sure the mixture is perfect, I spend a full 4 minutes on it... It seems like a long time, but that's the secret to a beautiful manicure.
The varnish will first become opaque when mixed, then become translucent again.
Tip : Place your nail polish bottle in a little hot water to thin it out!
Step 3: Applying the varnish
Your varnish is ready to be applied. Using the brush, apply a generous amount of varnish to your ligature and hold the brush steady. The rotation of the blank will spread it evenly over the ligature. Feel free to keep pressure on the brush for several seconds so that the varnish thoroughly soaks into the ligature and spreads evenly, especially under the ring?s shank.
To get a nice finish, don't hesitate to apply a generous amount. The excess will form a drop beneath the ligature, which you can then remove with your brush.
The best way to complete this step?and especially to ensure that the edges of the ligatures are clean and crisp?is to rest your elbow on a support so that the brush remains firmly in place.
When you have finished the first ring, move on to the next one, and so on, until you reach the scion ring.
Tip : For the tunnel rings, don't try to apply a drop of varnish behind the ring tab; it will spread perfectly throughout the entire area thanks to the rotation of the blank and the phenomenon of capillarity.
Step 4: Remove air bubbles
Here's the key step to getting a beautiful manicure.
Using an alcohol lamp that you have filled with acetone beforehand, you will heat (carefully!) your nail polish to remove any tiny bubbles that may have formed.
- Squeeze your lamp to form a straight flame
- Hold the flame over the varnish?without touching it?and you'll see the bubbles rise to the surface and disappear.
- Perform this step on each ring, then go back to the first one to check that no other bubbles have formed.
Tip : As you heat the varnish, it will become more fluid, and any excess will form a drop, which you can remove with your brush.
Step 5: Drying
The varnish has now been spread out and the bubbles have been removed... But we still have to wait a little longer!
To make sure it's dry, you need to let your cane spin for 6 to 8 hours. Personally, I apply the varnish in the evening and let it spin all night. I then check the small dish of varnish I?ve kept as a test to see if it?s completely dry, and I place the rod on the rack.
Be careful not to touch the varnish with your fingers, as it remains sensitive to touch for another 24 hours. Finally, to ensure it?s completely dry, it?s recommended that you wait a week before wearing your new piece of jewelry!
Tip : At the beginning of this step, I like to regularly reverse the direction of rotation of my nail dryer (by simply pressing the switch) to ensure the polish is evenly distributed.
Final rendering
Your first fishing rod is now finished... All that's left is to try it out!
