In the 70s and 80s sarkanda reed was popular as a float making material but the paint or varnish always chipped off of it. I've ordered some 3mm lengths of sarkanda reed to make some floats. What is the best way to paint them? Thanks.
Painting Sarkanda Reed?
- Thread starter peterjg
- Start date
ian g
Well-known member
Peter , you need to rub them down first with fine sand paper . This will allow the paint/varnish to key in to the reed . I found this myself the hard way 
Ray Roberts
Well-known member
The best way that I have found is to only paint the tip and leave the exposed cane in its natural colour. It’s strange stuff to work with and is easily split when putting inserts for the tip or base in the cane. I prefer to whip down the outside and reinforce the ends where the base goes in with whipping, or if you use a tip insert, to reinforce where the joint is. I seal the cane and whipping with diluted PVA let it dry properly and then varnish with acrylic varnish. The brand I use is Liquitex, which you can pick up on eBay or Amazon. Some people use acrylic floor varnish which is supposed to be very good but is unavailable in smaller quantities. The whipping and varnish make the float far more durable and toughen it up considerably. If I was to paint the stem I would do the same and then paint with clear acrylic over the paint. I varnish the coloured tip too as it protects the fluorescent paint.
In the best Blue Peter tradition, here’s one I made earlier.
This one obviously doesn’t have an insert but you can either make them from bamboo skewers or as I prefer buy hollow plastic tips from a float making supplier. You can get the base inserts from the same source. You can make the base inserts out of skewers and either taper it to fit a float adaptor or whip a eye made of brass wire or alternatively whip on the bottom piece of a small safety pin. The black bands between the coloured bands are best whipped with fine thread as this is neater and easier than trying to paint them with a brush.
It’s nice to catch fish on a home made float in a similar way as it is to catch on a self tied fly or a home made lure.
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In the best Blue Peter tradition, here’s one I made earlier.
This one obviously doesn’t have an insert but you can either make them from bamboo skewers or as I prefer buy hollow plastic tips from a float making supplier. You can get the base inserts from the same source. You can make the base inserts out of skewers and either taper it to fit a float adaptor or whip a eye made of brass wire or alternatively whip on the bottom piece of a small safety pin. The black bands between the coloured bands are best whipped with fine thread as this is neater and easier than trying to paint them with a brush.
It’s nice to catch fish on a home made float in a similar way as it is to catch on a self tied fly or a home made lure.
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Aknib
Well-known member
I like Sarkanda reed, it can vary in what you get and I find the drier, older stems the best.
You can get around it with the newer, waxy stems though and I've found that a very fine quick sand followed by an immediate coat of quick drying varnish will seal the stem ready for painting, if you leave it for more than just a few minutes between sanding and varnishing you will find it waxes over again which is what I put down to the stem's natural healing ability and you don't want this.
If I'm painting the stems then i'll also use a decent undercoat before any paint goes on, both to aid adhesion of the paint and to give them a bright base colour which in turn will bring out the true colour of the top coats.
I think that whipping adds strength and wherever I splice in tip inserts i'll whip over the join, the same where eyes and bodies are added and I also whip the black colour bands on the tips as this also covers the joins in the different paint colours and makes it impossible for it to chip off.
Several coats of varnish and they're ready to go, I've used these a lot now since I first made them and they're as good as new with no signs of any cosmetic damage or weakness and I'm confident there won't be either.
I like both bare and painted stems...
Good luck with it and show us your finished floats, I love to see homemade floats.
One last tip...
If you get into making your own and plan on doing a few the stems are cheap so double up your order and put the other pack somewhere dry to season up, chances are that by the time you come to use them they will have lost any waxiness and be ideal to begin undercoating without having to seal them first.
You can get around it with the newer, waxy stems though and I've found that a very fine quick sand followed by an immediate coat of quick drying varnish will seal the stem ready for painting, if you leave it for more than just a few minutes between sanding and varnishing you will find it waxes over again which is what I put down to the stem's natural healing ability and you don't want this.
If I'm painting the stems then i'll also use a decent undercoat before any paint goes on, both to aid adhesion of the paint and to give them a bright base colour which in turn will bring out the true colour of the top coats.
I think that whipping adds strength and wherever I splice in tip inserts i'll whip over the join, the same where eyes and bodies are added and I also whip the black colour bands on the tips as this also covers the joins in the different paint colours and makes it impossible for it to chip off.
Several coats of varnish and they're ready to go, I've used these a lot now since I first made them and they're as good as new with no signs of any cosmetic damage or weakness and I'm confident there won't be either.
I like both bare and painted stems...
Good luck with it and show us your finished floats, I love to see homemade floats.
One last tip...
If you get into making your own and plan on doing a few the stems are cheap so double up your order and put the other pack somewhere dry to season up, chances are that by the time you come to use them they will have lost any waxiness and be ideal to begin undercoating without having to seal them first.
rayner
Well-known member
From a self-confessed ruffian in float construction terms my offerings look ready for the bin but still go under with bites.
I don't sand ever even with balsa, does the paint chip off sarkanda reed, yes it does.
PS to prevent reed from splitting with inserts I wrap a turn of sellotape around the end then remove after. I have a more Weston style or is that cowboy.
I don't sand ever even with balsa, does the paint chip off sarkanda reed, yes it does.
PS to prevent reed from splitting with inserts I wrap a turn of sellotape around the end then remove after. I have a more Weston style or is that cowboy.
Ray Roberts
Well-known member
From a self-confessed ruffian in float construction terms my offerings look ready for the bin but still go under with bites.
I don't sand ever even with balsa, does the paint chip off sarkanda reed, yes it does.
PS to prevent reed from splitting with inserts I wrap a turn of sellotape around the end then remove after. I have a more Weston style or is that cowboy.
If you put a coat of clear acrylic lacquer over acrylic paint it doesn’t chip.
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no-one in particular
Well-known member
I have these to do up over lockdown, I would like to remove all the old paint and varnish first. I cant seem to find any in the shops though.
rayner
Well-known member
Ray Roberts
Well-known member
That to me would come under faffing, I don't purposely faff.
You can go into a tackle shop and buy a float for next to nothing, now that’s how not faffing about is done properly.
If you are going to take the time and trouble to actually make something, then why not make it so it doesn’t look like it’s been assembled by a dyspraxic five year old.
Fishing with a float that takes on water is more faffing about than doing a decent job first time around.
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rayner
Well-known member
Sarkanda reed is a product that doesn't need sealing to my mind, I also think so what if the paint comes off, the float still does what I want.
I'm far from saying don't do as you do, I just don't need instruction on how to do anything. Truthfully I enjoy my haphazard look.
Over the years I've had occasions when I've made my floats, at present, I'm back in the production mode that may not last too long while it does I'll stay with my scabby look. I don't have floats too long before they hit the bottom of my bin.
I'm far from saying don't do as you do, I just don't need instruction on how to do anything. Truthfully I enjoy my haphazard look.
Over the years I've had occasions when I've made my floats, at present, I'm back in the production mode that may not last too long while it does I'll stay with my scabby look. I don't have floats too long before they hit the bottom of my bin.
rayner
Well-known member
Soz for missing this when I read your post-Raymodo I was more concerned with why you think I need a quality control guru. ? the job is taken, I do the job myself. By the way, if I want to faff in any context that is my concern. Self-appointed experts are normally not.
To liken my efforts to a five-year-old is a little rich, I can understand why you think as you do when you come across as a sophomaniac. ??
Just for the record, my amateur efforts do the job very nicely and are to my pleasure very watertight.
I sure if you spot any other failings with my below-par attempts you'll let me know. All information you give will be received in a similar fashion to post 10.
I truly hope my reply isn't to your displeasure Ray. I feel it did need saying.
Of course, I expect you'll bring anything I said that's not right to my attention.
Ray Roberts
Well-known member
Soz for missing this when I read your post-Raymodo I was more concerned with why you think I need a quality control guru.the job is taken, I do the job myself. By the way, if I want to faff in any context that is my concern. Self-appointed experts are normally not.
To liken my efforts to a five-year-old is a little rich, I can understand why you think as you do when you come across as a sophomaniac.
Just for the record, my amateur efforts do the job very nicely and are to my pleasure very watertight.
I sure if you spot any other failings with my below-par attempts you'll let me know. All information you give will be received in a similar fashion to post 10.
I truly hope my reply isn't to your displeasure Ray. I feel it did need saying.
Of course, I expect you'll bring anything I said that's not right to my attention.
the job is taken, I do the job myself. By the way, if I want to faff in any context that is my concern. Self-appointed experts are normally not.Are you always such a **** or are you putting a special effort in just for me.
It was you that said your float making efforts were fit for the bin was it not.
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rayner
Well-known member
I hold sole rights to diss my floats you as a non-descript do not.
I did say you would bring anything that's not right to my attention, it seems everything I said is sound.
This will now conclude our tiny chat.
Just in the way fairness have a few ********
I did say you would bring anything that's not right to my attention, it seems everything I said is sound.
This will now conclude our tiny chat.
Just in the way fairness have a few ********
Ray Roberts
Well-known member
I hold sole rights to diss my floats you as a non-descript do not.
I did say you would bring anything that's not right to my attention, it seems everything I said is sound.
This will now conclude our tiny chat.
Just in the way fairness have a few ********
Seems that I was also right and you are always such a ****.
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rayner
Well-known member
?