One other consideration here is that when you apply varnish to a wrap on a varnished blank (or varnish to a blank over varnished wraps via dipping) you create a cohesive bond as well as an adhesive bond i.e varnish-varnish and well as varnish-cane.  (Nick Kingston)

The loss in surface tension doesn't take much silicone and is difficult to remove or impossible to remove. (Dave Burley)

Not if you use an auto body repair chemical that is designed for doing just that.  I think DuPont makes it,  and it's called "SurfacePrep" or something like that.  It's a spray on, wipe off solution, with the consistency of soapy water.  (Mark Wendt)

In a note to me, and that I don't find here, Dave Burley answered a question for me, and in doing so, mentioned that silicone causes "fisheyes" in wrap finishes. This contention is made routinely and regularly by the cane guys. My mentors,  and the other custom rod makers to whom I have been exposed, all but one working exclusively with graphite, have all contended that "moon craters" (="fisheyes") are caused by dust particles settling out on still "green" finish, and to the individual they stress applying and drying the wrap finish in as near dust-free area as possible. Occasionally, one will see comments on the cane sites where it is recommended that finish application and drying be done in a bathroom that has had a nice steam cloud created earlier to make the air as dust free as possible. My question is: Have any of you ever seen anything based on a definitive study as to what actually causes "fisheyes"? If so, will you pleas provide a reference or link to such a report?

If, as Dave has suggested, silicone is responsible on graphite rod blanks due to contamination by the mandrel release compound, the question then becomes: Why do we not see "fisheyes" on finished graphite rods more often than we do? Or are these reputed causes based solely on assumptions and correlations? (Correlations can be a very dangerous minefield to try to safely negotiate!)  (Frank Schlicht)

The interference of silicone to getting a good bond is well known and I used fisheyes as a visible example.  One "solution" to this problem, and why you don't see fisheyes on rods, is the use of so-called "fisheye eliminator" which, in fact, is more silicon added to the coating. I am speculating that because silicone oil is used as a release agent in the rod preparation it is highly likely the rods are contaminated on all sides and is so difficult to clean that the fisheye eliminator is used. Once this eliminator is used, the entire shop will be contaminated.  (Dave Burley)

This one is an easy one.

Take a scrap strip of bamboo outside and a can of silicon spray. Spray a very thin mist of silicon spray into the air and then quickly wave the stick through the misty cloud. Let dry overnight and then put on a coat of varnish.

What do you think will happen to the varnish on the end of the stick that was waved through the cloud of silicon spray?  (Jerry Drake)

No definitive scientific study, but I don't get fish eye in my finishes.  I have a varnish room that I try to keep as low humidity as I can, keep the temperature of the room and the varnish at the finish manufacturers recommended application temperatures, have a deionizing dust filter in the room, and just don't get fish eye. 

Of course, I used to varnish in the open air of one car garage and let the rods hang and dry without having them in a cabinet.  I didn't get fish eye then either, so while I can see how a dust particle might be the problem, heaven knows I had plenty of dust in the finishes that I did out in the open and still, no fisheye.

The only thing I do is wash my rods.  I mean I take a sponge and Dawn Dishwashing Liquid and hot water and scrub the living hell out of them (Dawn, by the way is a must in a bamboo rod shop... If you don't have it, it's a great cleaner degreaser for varnishing and many other things), then I hang them in the varnish room on hooks, dry them with a microfiber towel, let them acclimate to the room temp, then wipe them one final time with a microfiber towel dampened with VM&P naphtha, let them dry AGAIN, then dip them.

So, either I'm not getting fisheye because I'm keeping all the airborne dust possible out of the room, OR I'm not getting fish eye because I'm cleaning the hell out of my rods.  My tendency is towards the latter, because when I was open air varnishing in the garage, full of dust, I didn't get fisheye then. I've always cleaned my rods the same way.  I would get dust out of the air settling into the finishes, which left bumps, not fisheye and which required a lot of sanding and polishing to remove, but NO FISHEYE.

Of course, you guys are talking about fisheye with epoxy finishes and I'm talking about fisheye with Tung Oil Varnish finishes. So, keep in mind that varnish will not consider Naphtha or Mineral Spirits an incompatible substance, but Epoxy is not compatible with Naphtha and any number of other solvents common in a rod shop. However, FISHEYE IS FISHEYE, and I know enough about automotive finishes (actually Motorcycle finishes, Harley, usually) to know that Fisheye happens sometimes on a $5000 motorcycle paint job in a $50,000 paint booth that's dust free and climate controlled beyond comprehension.

Go out on the internet and look at paint sites, troubleshooting FAQ's from paint manufacturers, modelers sites, etc, They seem to agree that Fisheye is either Lack of Proper Cleaning of the Substrate OR an incompatible substance on the substrate that caused the finish to recede from that substance.  To me, that's poor cleaning practices.  Not saying anyone doesn't try to clean their rods well, just saying, maybe they could add a step or two in the process and eliminate Fisheye and a number of other finish problems.  (Bob Nunley)

I apparently have misunderstood what is referred to by the term "fish eyes". What I am referring to are very small "craters" in the surface of the cured epoxy; NOT something that goes all the way to the blank, as is now clear to me what is meant by "fish eyes". Thus, I can honestly say that I have never seen a case of "fish eyes". However, I HAVE seen my share of the little craters that I have been referring to. It is quite obvious now that we have been talking about two entirely different things. I have been calling Bob's "bumps" fish eyes! Me thinks we are now all on the same page in the hymnal!  (Frank Schlicht)

You know,  those little "bumps" in varnish used to drive me crazy.  I could never work out how come they appeared in the first place, with a section being drawn steadily and dead slow from clean filtered varnish, but appear they do, though not too often.

I used to sand them out, recoat, repolish, all the things you do; but now I just ignore the damn things.  I use International Goldspar varnish and I dry, mainly overnight, in a drying cabinet at room temperature.

What I find is that nearly all of the irregularities that stand out like dogs' balls when the section is wet, all seem to have gone by the time the section is dry.  The very few that persist can be dealt with when the whole varnishing process id complete.  (Peter McKean)

I believe it is your cleaning practices that eliminates any fisheyes or reduced adhesive bonding. Until now, I have never heard it to be believed dust causes fisheyes. Fisheyes are caused by contamination of the surfaces by low surface tension agents.  Silicone compounds are the most effective, but wax and oil will also cause this behavior.  (Dave Burley)

It is imperative to dry the rod after wiping it with any type thinner because the separation of the solvent while drying can cause the fisheye.  Oh yeah & a tack cloth can cause fisheye too. 

Many years in the body shop doing custom paint jobs on cars & murdercycles taught me that one.  Also keep your grubby fingers off the blank after it is cleaned.  I always wear lint free gloves after I clean rod blanks & parts.  Never get fisheye either.  (Bret Reiter)

The main cause of fisheyes is that something is contaminated with silicon or a foreign substance.  Dust does not cause fisheyes unless the dust particle has silicon or other petroleums in it. I'm putting in my 2 cents worth because I hate fisheyes and I hate to see anyone else have to deal with them if it can be avoided. After 30 years in the body shop business, I can tell you that fisheyes will show up even when you think you did everything perfectly. I have even seen fisheyes after the prepped part was exposed to diesel exhaust fumes. Silicone will travel airborne throughout a 120 foot long shop. I have even had brand new lacquer thinner that was contaminated. Bret is right about the tack rags causing fisheyes but you usually have to put pressure on them for this to create fisheyes. The only thing that I have seen that will remove MOST of the contaminants is DuPont 3812 fast drying acrylic enamel reducer.   (Wayne Caron)

Back in the day that I was involved with cars I think they called it PrepSol. It was needed to remove silicone auto waxes.  (Doug Easton)

Yeah, that's the stuff.  Still being sold and used.  Got a bottle of it still sitting on a shelf out in the shop.  Just couldn't remember the exact name of it.  (Mark Wendt)