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As I was calling the local stores that are supposed to carry Waterlox varnish I ran into a paint store that actually stocks Man "O" War spar and only a few miles from my house! So tomorrow I'm off to buy the varnish and the miscellaneous parts for a dip tube. Of course getting this close to dipping has gotten me thinking (always dangerous) about the details of the process. Certainly it's not a good idea to let varnish get inside and all over the female ferrule when you dip it so how do you protect it? I've considered wrapping masking tape in a spiral around it or maybe even taping a finger off a rubber glove over it. I guess another option is to just dip it unprotected in the varnish then later on dip just the end of the ferrule in paint stripper to clean it off. Am I missing something here?  (Larry Puckett)

Most folks I know fill the female with the blue stuff you can get at an office supply that is used to stick posters to the wall temporarily.

If the ferrule is not blued, some dip it and some not. Almost always just one coat, though, so wrap with tape after stuffing it for at least the first few coats.  (Jerry Madigan)

Home Depot sells a masking tape called "lacquer masking tape", and it is lime green in color.  Just wrap the female with this particular tape, allowing some to overlap and hang over the the welt, then just pinch it together on the end to seal the barrel.  Easy to take off too.  (Kyle Druey)

If the ferrules are unblued simply tear off 2  pieces of 3/4' masking tape around 1" long and place them over the ferrule opening one on top of the other. Cover the rest of the ferrule by wrapping the tape around it and over the ends of the 1" pieces of tape. If the ferrules are blued and lacquered over, cover with plastic household wrap before using the tape.  (Marty DeSapio)

If the ferrules are blued, I usually wrap with Teflon pipe joint tape first.  It prevents any of the bluing being disturbed.  (Scott Grady)

This may be old hat to some of you, but it is something that I haven't read about yet, so I thought I would share.  I have trouble getting a good varnish-tight seal when I mask ferrules for dipping, and frequently have trouble cleaning the varnish at the edges.  This rod I tried using electrician's heat shrink tubing instead of masking tape. I used 1/4 in on the males and 5/16 on the females, cut to length, slip over the ferrules and hit with the heat gun.  The edges are clean, the seal is good, and just slice off with a razor blade.  (Ray Wright)

Sounds like a good idea. I have been using plumbers tape. (Timothy Troester)

I use automotive painting prep tape. Sort of like plain old black electrical tape only it's narrower and blue. Painters use it to lay out painted on pin stripes. I use the 1/4 inch for taping off ferrules and the first inch or so of the grip. The 1/8 inch is perfect for taping on guides.  Any parts store that sells auto paint.  (David Atchison)

A couple weeks ago someone posted an idea about using heat shrink tubing on the ends of your freshly glued section to anchor the ends.  I can't remember who it was. Whoever you are, thank you! That really works slick.  (Frank Stetzer, Hexrod, Taper Archive, Rodmakers Archive)

I have an Idea, haven't tried it yet, but why not use shrink wrap to bind down ferrule tabs?  (Doug Easton)

I use the same tubing when i am glueing up sections.  I try to put some tension on my sections as they set/dry.  I find that they come out straighter like that.  I slide some heat-shrink tubing over the ends of my glued-up sections, hit it with the heat gun, it grabs from all sides equally, then I pierce the tubing that extends past the end of the section, and put a spring through the hole to apply tension between 2 hooks.  You can find that heat-shrink tubing to fit tips and butts both.  (Lee Koch)

I certainly would like to see how this is done. I have had trouble when I am binding my tips using the binder that you were giving me help with. When I get to the very end of the tip I cannot ease the tension enough and the tip bends, in some cases the tip has broken. I support that part of the tip with my fingers while I am rotating the handle operating the endless drive belt. The tensioners are as loose as I can make them.

Using heat shrink tubing would be great. I just don't understand the part about piercing a hole in the end that extends and the spring. Do you mean that you put a hole in either end of the extended heat shrink tubing beyond the tip and butt of a section then put a hook through those holes and attach the hooks to springs for added tension? Being a visual learner is tough sometimes. Forgive my ignorance.  (Phil Crangi)

Make sure when you double wrap the driving cord that you tie the binding thread in between the 2.

The driving cord on either side of the binding thread keeps the tip from pulling up and possibly breaking.

I wrap the drive cord once, then attached the binding thread, then take the second drive loop.

The binding thread stays right in the middle.  (Gordon Koppin)