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 Post subject: Blade laquering
PostPosted: 23 Nov 2022, 08:51 
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Hi all,

Can you please suggest me an economic blade laquer to protect my blades when i remove rubbers?

The ones sold by Classic shops are very expensive..i'm looking for something cheaper.

If you can't link please pm me.

Thanks for help.

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 Post subject: Re: Blade laquering
PostPosted: 24 Nov 2022, 22:44 
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Blade: Butterfly JSH
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BH: Spinlord Dornenglanz OX
gepi1993 wrote:
Hi all,

Can you please suggest me an economic blade laquer to protect my blades when i remove rubbers?

The ones sold by Classic shops are very expensive..i'm looking for something cheaper.

If you can't link please pm me.

Thanks for help.


I might get shot down for this, but I use cheap clear varnish - a very thin coat. And when dried I'll give it a tiny rub with with some extra fine sand paper to get rid of the tiny bubbles or of an area of the blade has more varnish than another. Only done once, and it should last years. Not sure which country you're in but I'll link to something in the UK so you get an idea of what i'm going on about.

Clear Varnish

You'd probably find it even cheaper in a local discount store


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 Post subject: Re: Blade laquering
PostPosted: 25 Nov 2022, 02:02 
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Blade: Wakkibat Poc-Rocket 10
FH: Focus III Snipe 2.2mm
BH: Xiom Vega Europe 2mm
Water-based polyurethane wood sealant (PU) is the simplest, safest and most foolproof option IMO. It's the exact same stuff I use commercially to seal my own blades.

It's not very expensive stuff to buy, and is available from almost any (every?) decent hardware store.

It comes in matt, satin and gloss finishes - any of which will work fine (though gloss can sometimes require an extra final light sand afterwards, otherwise the rubber glue won't stick to it). One small 250ml tin is plenty!!

Don't bother buying an expensive brush - you really don't need one. The corner of a clean and dry lint-free rag will do.

The stuff looks like milk, and can be runny as water, or else a bit more honey-like when fully stirred.

On that point, be sure to mix the PU well before use. Be sure to use a wide and clean stirrer, as there will be a thick layer of white sludge on the bottom of the can.

Don't shake the can to try and mix it, as this introduces air bubbles, which can ruin the finish.

Some brands of PU are thinner than others, and sometimes the viscosity can vary considerably even when sticking to one brand.

Don't use anything coloured or dyed to stir your sealant - PU picks up dyes and colours quite readily... A single, wide, pine popsicle stick is perfect.

Make sure your blade is clean, dry, and free of dust, grease, and fingerprints - any of these will gum up your finish.

Wear disposable gloves - this stuff ain't toxic, but you don't want it staying on your skin either.

Dip one corner of your rag in the sealant after mixing, squeeze out any excess so the closth is damp but not dripping, then carefully wipe one thin layer on your blade's playing surfaces.

Put your blade aside to dry - on a really hot day the first side you coated can be touch dry by the time you've finished the second side. Room temperature is the ideal temperature really to control the drying process.

To avoid using too much with each coat, first give one side of your blade a consistent coating, so that it actually looks wet and glistens in the light. Then wipe off the excess with a part of the rag that's still clean and dry. This should give you the perfect coat thickness.

One un-sanded coat is usually sufficient, myself however I always lay down two to be thorough (I'm an anal perfectionist when it comes to my blades :lol: )

Once the first coat is fully dry (drying time varies depending on ambient temperature), and if you intend to give it another coat, I recommend you give it a quick and VERY light sand with 200-250 grit painting sand paper. Wipe off all the dust and then repeat the above, laying down another thin coat, again wiping off any excess afterwards.

Once it's fully dry you can sand back this second coat too if you like, but if you've done all the above right, the second coat will be so thin and flat it really shouldn't be necessary.

The above process will give you a thin and even coat of sealant over your blade, which is more than sufficient to protect the wood from years of regluing, but is not so thick that it speeds the blade up or affects its playing feel (or exceeds the 0.1mm limit on varnish set by the ITTF.)

If however you WANT to make your blade faster (and don't intend to enter any ITTF comps where bat control protocols are in place), then do all the above, but don't wipe off as much with the dry rag each time, and do more than two coats.

Hope this helps. :-)

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 Post subject: Re: Blade laquering
PostPosted: 28 Nov 2022, 15:36 
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Yeah, plain old polyurethane varnish (the oil based sort, not water-based) works great. I use Keme's method - use a paper towel to apply it, all over, including the handle and all the corners, then wipe it all off again with another paper towel. Then allow to cure for 1-2 days. The stuff reacts with air to polymerize.

One problem though - since it reacts with air, unless you buy blades every week, the next time you open the can, you'll be unpleasantly surprised to find a hardened layer on top of the liquid (and the liquid has gotten dark). Eventually you won't be able to open the can any more (keeping the stuff off the lid of the can is important). To avoid this problem -

1) don't buy gallon cans.. :lol: (not unless you plan to finish a wood floor or dining table at the same time..) and

2) Instead of removing the lid - drill two small holes in the side of the can, at the top near the lid. Screw in a couple of #6 sheet metal screws (drywall screws will work in a pinch). Tip the can over with the screws in place so that the varnish gets in the threads. When the varnish in the thread hardens it will make a good seal. Whenever you need to do a blade - remove the two screws and pour a small amount of varnish into a Dixie cup and use that. Put the screws back in, tip the can over to re-seal the threads. I've had some varnish that's remained good for over a year doing it this way.

Iskandar


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 Post subject: Re: Blade laquering
PostPosted: 06 Dec 2022, 13:28 
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FH: Focus III Snipe 2.2mm
BH: Xiom Vega Europe 2mm
iskandar taib wrote:
Yeah, plain old polyurethane varnish (the oil based sort, not water-based) works great. I use Keme's method - use a paper towel to apply it, all over, including the handle and all the corners, then wipe it all off again with another paper towel. Then allow to cure for 1-2 days. The stuff reacts with air to polymerize.

One problem though - since it reacts with air, unless you buy blades every week, the next time you open the can, you'll be unpleasantly surprised to find a hardened layer on top of the liquid (and the liquid has gotten dark). Eventually you won't be able to open the can any more (keeping the stuff off the lid of the can is important). To avoid this problem -

1) don't buy gallon cans.. :lol: (not unless you plan to finish a wood floor or dining table at the same time..) and

2) Instead of removing the lid - drill two small holes in the side of the can, at the top near the lid. Screw in a couple of #6 sheet metal screws (drywall screws will work in a pinch). Tip the can over with the screws in place so that the varnish gets in the threads. When the varnish in the thread hardens it will make a good seal. Whenever you need to do a blade - remove the two screws and pour a small amount of varnish into a Dixie cup and use that. Put the screws back in, tip the can over to re-seal the threads. I've had some varnish that's remained good for over a year doing it this way.

Iskandar


Plus one on the above - that's why I personally pefer water-based over oil based, it tends to dry out on me less.

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http://www.wakkibat.com


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 Post subject: Re: Blade laquering
PostPosted: 06 Dec 2022, 16:52 
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I'm using the one from Nittaku, seems to work well, come with a applicator on top


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