# Painting a fiberglass push pole



## DuckNut (Apr 3, 2009)

Sand it then wipe it clean with acetone and spray it with the paint of your choice.

I never heard of paint that won't scratch when rubbed against metal.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I have had good luck with Rusoleum plastic paint for seats and PVC but if you bang it around it's going to scratch. Epoxy is a choice or a new pole. Check Pole Cat or Stiffy. Glass poles are reasonable


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## WhiteDog70810 (May 6, 2008)

I painted mine with oil based paint thinking it would be a bit tougher. It scratches just like anything else. Therefore I second the rattle can suggestion. Touch ups are easy. Don't be nervous. You won't hurt the fiberglass.

Nate


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## Alex4188 (Mar 18, 2014)

spray in bed liner? probably would hold up better but would make a noticable weight difference.


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## GSSF (May 25, 2013)

Over time, it will scratch, but here is my recommendation. Sand, hit it with some adhesion promoter spray (used for painting plastic bumpers, etc) that can be found at auto parts store. Then Krylon Fusion that sucker. Done.


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## tomahawk (Mar 9, 2012)

http://www.shop.monstaliner.com/main.sc

A buddy did the inside of his boat with this stuff. I'm going to use it on my GF16 build on my rubrail and possibly the inside as well. Good product.


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## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

Anyone ever thought of having a decal wrap made and installed instead. I would think that a decal shop could cut you a strip of 3m in your color you want and then you could sand and install. Just a thought, but it probably would hold up better than paint. That said, if you do paint, allow plenty of time for the paint to cure before use. I would wait atleast a week or so personally..


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## flyfshrmn82 (Oct 12, 2007)

Quick and easy

Pack of ScotchBrite, spray-can of paint, spray-can of clear acrylic, pint of acetone. 

Sand it, clean it, paint it, clear coat it (2 coats). Good for a year or two. 

Keep it out of the sun as much as possible.


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## Capnredfish (Feb 1, 2012)

I did the spry can refinish. It actually works well but, is really slick when wet so scuff when cured. It did scratch easily for first month so let it cure for a long time. Now it no longer comes off easy. It did wear off on the pointed end about a foot up because of using it to stake off. It has added many years to a worn pole.


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## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

I lightly sanded mine with 0000 steel wool, then rubbed it down with Acetone and painted it with a spray can of epoxy based Rustoleum appliance paint and it has lasted for about 2 years. I plan on redoing it this weekend actually. 

I have a Stiffy Hybrid.


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## saltydg0089 (Apr 15, 2013)

What color paint did y'all use?


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## Salty_South (Feb 25, 2009)

I just refurbed my old loomis pole and painted it with appliance epoxy from Home Depot. It turned out great after 5-6 light coats. The only trouble was that I painted white over a black pole so any scratch is pretty obvious. Easy touch-up but if they sold black epoxy paint in a spray can that would be ideal.


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## davefishing (Dec 16, 2011)

Go to a good hoppy shop that sells model airplanes. Graves hobby in orlando if it is still there. http://www.klasskote.com/
Don't know if it is still available but black baron epoxy came in spray cans and i used it on airplanes and a few fishing poles.


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## browndogrods (Oct 21, 2010)

I have not used it on a push pole, but google U-40 Perma Gloss or go to Mudhole.com and search for it. It is a 1 part urethane lite build that will hold up to the sun and elements.


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## chevyrulz (Feb 25, 2014)

krylon fusion

or sherwin williams kem-400 if you have a spray gun 

each of those allow for flex yet have excellent adhesion & strength.  the more coats of clear on top, the longer the color will last.  2 or 3 thin coats of color, & at least 2 coats of clear (not to thin or too thick), for clear you have to spray it heavy enough to get the gloss, but the thinner you can spray it, the stronger it will be & the less likely you'll have runs.  it's going to be a pain to paint a push pole.  i'd hang it from the mud foot & use a ladder

nothing is going to be as strong against rub damage as resin.   so it may be better to do the color with the cheapest white, matte spray paint you can buy & then spray or brush the whole thing with epoxy resin, epoxy & polyester resin will yellow over time from the sun.  i use the stuff from west marine because it's easy to get the ratio quick for any size batch using their pump system (1 pump of resin to 1 pump of hardener, or 2 of each, or 3 of each, & so on)


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## SemperFiSH (Jun 19, 2013)

I just did mine again. Similar to other only I used a product called Plasti-cote. Got it from Home Depot. It is pretty tough. Like on other poster said. Plan on letting it cure good. I have used it on my grab bar and poling platform and it holds up really well.


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## kfa4303 (Jun 25, 2012)

Honestly, why would it matter if your push pole is painted, waxed or wrapped? Why not spend that time and effort on the water putting fish in the boat?


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## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

> Honestly, why would it matter if your push pole is painted, waxed or wrapped? Why not spend that time and effort on the water putting fish in the boat?


Unless the OP has the money to replace, then something has to be done to preserve the pole. Ever moved your hand across a section of raw glass. Not really fun. In retrospect, we should all be putting fish into the boat rather than posting on this forum also


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## kfa4303 (Jun 25, 2012)

Why is such a relatively expensive item failing after such a short time on the water? Why not just use a pair of gloves, if it's that bad? It just seems silly to spend > $100 on push pole that you then have to turn around and paint every few years and/or worry about it breaking, or someone stealing it. There are plenty of other alternatives that don't have the same issues. What's next, mowing the seadek?


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## NoeSmyrnaBch (Aug 19, 2013)

I did my grab bar and rub rails with the Rustoleum Camo flat black. I didn't expect it to really hold up at all, but to my surprise it looks just like it did the day I painted it and I'm using the gheenoe several times a week. Push pole lays on the rub rail in a few spots and it hasn't made a mark. I sanded with 200 grit lightly and applied quite a few light coats, letting them dry. Touch up would be easy...but so far hasn't been necessary. Fast, easy to touch up if you need to, and its cheap!

I did plastidip on my tiller handle. Its held up pretty well too, but not as good as the spray-bombed rails and grab bar.


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## kfa4303 (Jun 25, 2012)

See, that makes a lot more sense. A quick shot with some rattle can paint for a few bucks and you're done with it. To my mind, if it needs more than that, it's a poorly made product. No custom wraps, or special laser-proof paint needed. Anyway, how/why does a purpose made, presumably rather expensive f'glass push pole come apart in the first place? Are you tilting oyster bars with it? You could literally use an epoxied shower curtain rod that would last longer. Heck, I use a 100% free piece of bamboo and it's never had an issue of any sort, not even a splinter and even if it did, who cares. It was free and I can get another one in 5 minutes cut to any length I like. Besides, it's all the dents, dings, petina and "imperfections" that make your boat your own and "perfect", just like a great pair of blue jeans, or a fine antique. Why would you want to "fix" it? Who wants to drive a trailer queen? Again, the more time you spend "waxing your pole" and admiring your reflection, the less time you're spending on the water, which is what it's all about, right? Did your dad, granddad, or any of the old time fishing legends have a "Carbon Fiber pushpole" with custom made, billet aluminum holders? I think not. LOL!!! In fact, they'd be the first to point and laugh at the guy at the ramp that showed up with that nonsense. Fish more, buy less.


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## AfterHours2 (Aug 2, 2010)

Fiberglass breaks down from sunlight exposure eventually. The overall finish varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and is limited in protection based on how the individual has taken care of it. He may of bought it second or third hand for less than the price of a broomstick. Who knows, but the main focus here is the restore of a push pole. Maybe you need to take your own advice here Satori and spend more time on the water and less time not helping this gentleman out. I don't understand your logic in these posts...


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## kgravo6 (May 29, 2013)

The push pole came with my boat, so I haven't had to pay a dime for a pole and I'd like to keep it like that. The pole was in the sun for most of the winter, and you can tell it faded somewhat on one side. Its still perfectly fine, I just don't want the resin to break down. This would be a preventative measure. I just put some pop up cleats in my boat that required me to mess with raw fiberglass and I've got tiny cuts everywhere. I don't want to deal with that even with gloves. If a $10 fix stops me from having to buy a $400 pole in a few years, I'm going to do it. Just looking for the best way to get it done.  And it will be a while before I do it because I dont have the time to let the paint cure right now.  I'm too busy fishing!!!


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## southedisto (Jun 30, 2013)

I refinished my Biscayne PP last year when waiting on my new skiff. I sanded it down with 120, whiped it clean with acetone, and then hit it with three coats of appliance paint. Added a skinnyskiff.com and SWC decals to it and it came out looking great.

Also, you can wax over the appliance paint for a little more protection and it makes clean up a lot easier.

I would recommend sticking with the same color. Scratches will stand out if the color underneath is different.

I redid a pole once with rustoleum and it looked good but my hands were the same color as the pole after every outing...


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## baconegg&cheese (Dec 27, 2017)

Anyone paint their push pole recently? Stiffy's website recommends using a two part polyurethane such as Awl Grip but I don't have a spray gun. Trying to decide which spray paint to use.


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