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Advice Tip tape?

I used to use fluorescent paint which was luminous way back when & before the manufacturers copied my idea ;)
 
Hey just wondering if anyone knows if you can use 90% IPA to clean your rod before adding tip tape? Father in Law has recently got a couple of Century Fireblades and tried adding tip tape last weekend and it would not stick properly. Would IPA cause any damage to the rods varnish? Thanks in advance for any advice
 
SirGunner said:
Hey just wondering if anyone knows if you can use 90% IPA to clean your rod before adding tip tape? Father in Law has recently got a couple of Century Fireblades and tried adding tip tape last weekend and it would not stick properly. Would IPA cause any damage to the rods varnish? Thanks in advance for any advice
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Should be OK. Other alternatives would be Meths or Lighter fluid (petrol).
Give it a quick wipe and it should evaporate too quickly to do any damage.
If the Tip tape isn't sticking properly, it could be down to the Tip tape quality?
 
Trampster said:
Should be OK. Other alternatives would be Meths or Lighter fluid (petrol).
Give it a quick wipe and it should evaporate too quickly to do any damage.
If the Tip tape isn't sticking properly, it could be down to the Tip tape quality?
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Cheers Trampster. I dont think it's the quality of the tip tape as it's Mighty Bright which seems to have a great reputation. It's far more likely my Father in Law forgot to clean his rod after going fishing and there being a salt residue left on the tip, he can be forgetful sometimes lol
 
SirGunner said:
Cheers Trampster. I dont think it's the quality of the tip tape as it's Mighty Bright which seems to have a great reputation. It's far more likely my Father in Law forgot to clean his rod after going fishing and there being a salt residue left on the tip, he can be forgetful sometimes lol
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I use white spirit, just because it’s what I have to hand.
A bit stinky but it works fine, just need to ensure it’s fully evaporated before applying the tape. (Which doesn’t take long).
I usually wipe the tip down after with something like an absorbent kitchen towel but I’ve also just applied direct once the spirit is dry and is also fine.

Much like applying decals or sticky vinyl etc, it does need to be smoothed down with force and any air bubbles carefully worked out as you go.
It’s another reason why I apply the tape horizontally along the length of the tip rather than spiralling it, because it’s easier to stick it down forcefully and then carefully worked it around the length of the tip while turning the rod.
But many prefer the spiralling, so there’s no right or wrong imo.
 
Mr Fish said:
I use white spirit, just because it’s what I have to hand.
A bit stinky but it works fine, just need to ensure it’s fully evaporated before applying the tape. (Which doesn’t take long).
I usually wipe the tip down after with something like an absorbent kitchen towel but I’ve also just applied direct once the spirit is dry and is also fine.

Much like applying decals or sticky vinyl etc, it does need to be smoothed down with force and any air bubbles carefully worked out as you go.
It’s another reason why I apply the tape horizontally along the length of the tip rather than spiralling it, because it’s easier to stick it down forcefully and then carefully worked it around the length of the tip while turning the rod.
But many prefer the spiralling, so there’s no right or wrong imo.
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Cheers Mr Fish yeah I'm probably going to go around and do it for him tomorrow. The reason I asked about 90% IPA is, like yourself with the white spirit, it's what I have without having to go out and get something specific (although I may well have some white spirit under the sink).
 
SirGunner said:
Cheers Mr Fish yeah I'm probably going to go around and do it for him tomorrow. The reason I asked about 90% IPA is, like yourself with the white spirit, it's what I have without having to go out and get something specific (although I may well have some white spirit under the sink).
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I imagine it would be fine. Just need a strong spirit basically.
I’ve used lighter fluid when I had it but don’t smoke now
 
Mr Fish said:
I imagine it would be fine. Just need a strong spirit basically.
I’ve used lighter fluid when I had it but don’t smoke now
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Unfortunately I do still smoke but don't have any lighter fluid. I'll see if I have any white spirit and if not I'll try the IPA 🤞
 
SirGunner said:
Unfortunately I do still smoke but don't have any lighter fluid. I'll see if I have any white spirit and if not I'll try the IPA 🤞
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I think either will be fine. As I say, it’s more that I have white spirit to hand in the shed, so that’s what gets used, not that I think it’s any better than anything else
 
SirGunner said:
Unfortunately I do still smoke but don't have any lighter fluid. I'll see if I have any white spirit and if not I'll try the IPA 🤞
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Make life easy, just use mild soapy water. I`d be very wary using the IPA unless you know exactly which finish was used on the blank
 
stan m said:
Make life easy, just use mild soapy water. I`d be very wary using the IPA unless you know exactly which finish was used on the blank
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I normally need a spirit to get the old tip tape off but tbh most of my rods are a long way from their factory finish these days.
I haven’t noticed that white spirit damages anything though.

Never tried IPA, I don’t have any
 

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