I have trouble making the epoxy over the butt wraps and inscription look nice and smooth. It is such a large area so any dust or lumps or uneven epoxy adds up. I haven't been satisfied with my first three rods in this area, though it is just a cosmetic thing. I want to be able to say "I made this rod" and not have anything to embarrassed about.

On my fourth rod, a 3 wt, I just finished the butt section with LS Supreme instead of high build, thinking it would flow out better. I used the decal that came with the blank. The epoxy ended up fish-eying over some of the decal and I ended up messing with it too much so it looks all lumpy. I should have cleaned the decal off with denatured alcohol to get any adhesive off the edges. Unfortunately, learning by your mistakes means you will make mistakes first.I have been saving my 4wt kit untill I get up higher on this learning curve since that will be my go to rod.

On a positive note, for those that like the thin look over the guide wraps, the low build epoxy looks great with one coat. I used the spatula method to apply it generously and then skim off the excess. Also, thanks to those that replied about how much thread to start the guide wraps with. I kept it to three turns before going up the guide foot and it looks awesome.

Greg