Abstract: A holder for rotatably mounting the metering rod in a rod-type web coating apparatus, such as used to coat paper, is made of a rigid but yieldably deformable material, such as a plastic. The holder includes a plurality of longitudinally extending conduits for carrying water to lubricate the rotating rod and removing coating particles which are carried by the rod from the web surface and into the rod cavity. The holder has a surface opposite the rod cavity for receiving a uniformly applied load along the longitudinal length of the rod holder for aligning the rod surface and/or applying a uniform nipping load between the rod and surface of the web being coated. A second surface also extends longitudinally for the length of the holder along a lip portion which protrudes from one side of the cylindrical rod cavity.