Striping a blank couple questions

[sarcazmo]

Hey guys, I'm stripping an eternity 72 MH blank. (I know it voids the warranty etc)

I did some searching and found a lot of people like to use citri strip. So I applied the first coat and let it sit 90 mins. Did a great job getting most of the finish deep blue top coat off. Underneath appears to be a primer of some sort of a much lighter color.

I applied a second coat and it sat for much longer, 5 hours or so. Starting to see a bit of the raw graphite in spots but not nearly as much as you'd think.

I'm removing each layer with 4/0 steel wool.

Question is is this pretty typical with the citri strip? Would I be better off using a more aggressive solvent?

[Mattman]

I did not have good luck with strippers. They help soften the finish a little bit I guess. But I hate the mess and smell.

I tend to just scrape the finish off with a utility knife blade, holding it perpendicular to the rod blank. I'll use a heat gun to warm the section I'm working on and that helps.

[jim spooner]

I agree with Mattman. I’ve tried strippers and they’re too time-consuming and make a big mess. I’m also skeptical of using solvents on blanks. The utility knife is a bit tedious, but does the job. I strip all my blanks and some have thin finishes, and some, like the Eternity (and St Croixs), are pretty thick…..and tenacious.

[sarcazmo]

Awesome thanks for the advice! I just applied another coat before checking here (stupid I know). Tomorrow I'll go grab a pack of utility knives and get to work.

Thanks for the advice!