Hardy Lightwight (sheffield) rod

[Paul F]

I have just picked up one of these, it dates 1934 and is in need of a restoration as the original rings are all rusted.

My question is;
It has a whole cane butt & middle with a s/c tip
The whole cane sections are very dark, which I guess is ageing, coats of varnish or oil, pipe smoke?
Where the cane is so dark, you can only just make out the faint script of Hardy lightweight ect, can this dark staining to the cane be cleaned, brought down to bring the script through?

[Wallys-Cast]

Try rubbing a small area of the cane with a cloth dipped in turps or white spirit, it should clean the dark varnish away very slowly.
Meths also works very well for cleaning varnish and I have in the past removed heavily wrinkled varnish with meths and left the script untouched. Take your time, turning the cloth and do small areas at a time..

Wal.

[Paul F]

Try rubbing a small area of the cane with a cloth dipped in turps or white spirit, it should clean the dark varnish away very slowly.
Meths also works very well for cleaning varnish and I have in the past removed heavily wrinkled varnish with meths and left the script untouched. Take your time, turning the cloth and do small areas at a time..

Wal.

Thanks Wal. I thought you would know.
I will give it a go

[Nobby]

I have this idea that Hardy used a varnish of their own blend as their rods all seem to take on the same dark caramel colour, even the whole cane sections that on other rods are much paler. Since that varnish is oil-based and the Indian ink water based you should be able to get it down with care. I've done it once on an Aspindale that had been varnished in thick dark 'orrible somethingorother using White Spirit and a very fine wet and dry paper.

Once I'd got a lighter colour I neutralised it with water and polished the remainder smooth again with T Cut.


A final coat of modern varnish and it looked OK again, though the old 'varnish' did wrinkle up, but I'm sure that was something to do wiith what it was made from because it also 'melted' in the sunlight!

[Paul F]

I am sure you are right Nobby about Hardy's own recipe of varnish, I guess it was a tung oil based or something along those lines.

Apart from the crazed appearance I actually like the dark colour, but I also do like to see the script, which you cannot very well on this rod.

for the tips

[Nobby]

I was told it was the same lady writing-up those Hardy rods up for years ( Sue, possibly?)...I agree, too special to cover up.