Shooting reflective surfaces

[OwenD]

This will probably seem strange, but I need some tips on photographing fishing rods.
My wife & I custom build them and include decorative thread art like these below.
They are done by weaving threads back and forth whilst wrapping another thread around the rod.

They're a real bugger to photograph, because the epoxy is very reflective.
Also if you get too close you can see details that you can't pick up with the naked eye.
Gaps between threads etc.

The best lighting for colour detail seems to be direct sunlight, but then you have to worry about flaring and reflection lines across the shot.

As the weaves wrap right around the rod we have to make a composite photo in the end, so it's important the lighting be consistant.

I've tried diffusing the light with white paper and making a reflector from foil for the underside, but it's not really any better.

I'm only using a Canon Coolpix 4300 so my options are limited as to the camera.

Any ideas?

If I was to look at a digital SLR, what should I look for to do this kind of work?

Thanks,
Owen