TackleTour

Has anyone stripped the paint off an St Croix blank, or seen the end result? I think I recall reading it was rather unsightly.

I've stripped quite a few. Not the prettiest graphite I've seen. Especially the SCV. Lots of swirls and blobs. Then again, if you're into unique and free form, you'll probably love it.

I strip all of mine (SC5s) and as Matt said, most are not great looking, but once in a while I get a "clean" looking one. They all perform well and the "ugly" ones have added character.

Thanks guys

St Croixs are ugly enough with clothes . It would be blinding to see one naked

Fishing4Fun wrote:St Croixs are ugly enough with clothes . It would be blinding to see one naked

Does anyone have pics? I am curious to see what they look like now

I am interested yet confused by all of this. Why does anyone strip a rod and what do ANY of them look like "stripped"???

DirtyD64 wrote:I am interested yet confused by all of this. Why does anyone strip a rod and what do ANY of them look like "stripped"???

Aesthetically, some may not like the colour of the blank. Most stripped blanks just look like a dark grey tube but some have a woven carbon fiber outer layer too.

Functionally, the owner may want different guides or a different guide layout. Also, stripping the paint removes some weight from the blank making it crisper.

DirtyD64 wrote:Why does anyone strip a rod

A lot of guys don't like St. Croix's colors.

Paint = weight. Weight = reduction in performance.

DirtyD64 wrote:what do ANY of them look like "stripped"???

Its hard to describe but the graphite isn't in a "regular pattern". The graphite will be "normal" in a lot of areas. Very consistent looking. Like most blanks. But then randomly there are areas of the graphite looking very "swirled" and "uneven" in consistency.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I'm sure some guys don't mind the looks. "Character" is probably a term they would use.

I stripped a spinning 3C69MLXF and converted it to a casting. I had to sand down the whole blank and the result was good. I didn´t seal it or anything. It looks like any unpainted raw blank.

Josh-G wrote:I stripped a spinning 3C69MLXF and converted it to a casting. I had to sand down the whole blank and the result was good. I didn´t seal it or anything. It looks like any unpainted raw blank.

The SCIIIs don't look bad. The carbon Pearl is just a tinted clear coat, so you can see what it looks like even with the paint on. It's the SCIV and SCV that aren't all that nice.

Thanks for the info. As mentioned I´m very happy with the result of the SC3. But I´m about to work an an SC5 that needs to be sanded down, too. So should I seal the surface after sanding? Or is it just the irregular apperance of the fibers that irritates?

Josh-G wrote:Thanks for the info. As mentioned I´m very happy with the result of the SC3. But I´m about to work an an SC5 that needs to be sanded down, too. So should I seal the surface after sanding? Or is it just the irregular apperance of the fibers that irritates?

Just appearance

I use carnuba wax when the rod is complete

Josh-G wrote:I stripped a spinning 3C69MLXF and converted it to a casting. I had to sand down the whole blank and the result was good. I didn´t seal it or anything. It looks like any unpainted raw blank.

I would love to convert one of their 5'6" Light Premier spinning rods into a semi-BFS rod. If I had the time and resources that would be a dream project for me, add a really good seat and guides, would be amazing.