Backwater

Thanks for the information and reply. I am new to rod building, just finished wrapping one and applied the flex coat to the guide wraps with no problem, when I applied the finish to the butt of the rod I could not get a good even finish, small spots would show up where the flex coat would not stay in place. I had wiped the blank down with a damp cloth and allowed it to dry befoe attempting to apply the finish but for some reason I failed to get a good even coat.

What substance is best for cleaning rod blanks of oil, grease, etc before appling the finish?