Basic questions

[thorarinna]

Hi there.

I've built a rod with the help of an instructor once, now I bought Pacific Bay kit, it comes with glue and "everything".

I have a few questions.

I read here on faol that you should put masking tape on two places on the rod under the reel seat and fill the gap with epoxy, I did that but the amount of epoxy that came with the kit was not enough to do this and I read on another place that you should fill the whole thing with masking tape or what? How do you do you fasten the reel?

I'm also quite confused about all the glues and stuff.
What kind/brand do you use for the coating of the thread and what to glue the reel seat and what for the top...
I was maybe thinking of buying flex coat "regular" (one layer).
I like thick coatings.
Any comments here?


And maybe which thread?

I understand that this is probable a question of "religion" what brand you use, but I take the change and ask it anyhow

And yes I know this question has probable been posted her million times.

[dleo6446]

Not bad questions at all...and I am sure that you will get many responses as the good folks here on FAOL are very helpful.

Using the masking tape as a spacer between the blank and the bore of the reel seat is and has been practiced for a long time. Folks build them both ways, with the tape at each end then filling the gap, or taping the whole thing and gluing to the tape. IF I were going to use masking tape, I would glue at each end of the reel seat and fill the void with a good grade rod building epoxy, like the U-40 paste epoxy. the little packets will not be enough for you to do that.

As far as the glues go, there are a lot of different preferences that builders have. I like the U-40 for reel seats and grips. This is a 2 part paste epoxy that has a longer cure time than most epoxies, but is , IMHO, easier to work with.

Thread coatings...Flex Coat is hard to beat and the only advice I will offer on this is that if you apply it too heavily in one application, that is an invitation for problems with the finished product. I would go with 2 or 3 possibly very thin coats so that I avoided the "footballs", air bubbles, and other issues associated with heavy applications.

If I were you, I would go into the archives, and look for the rod building articles by Al Campbell that are outstanding to say the least. They, have great instructional value and pictures to help in the explanations.

[dudley]

Using the masking tape as a spacer between the blank and the bore of the reel seat is and has been practiced for a long time. Folks build them both ways, with the tape at each end then filling the gap, or taping the whole thing and gluing to the tape.

I like to use a few sections of the masking tape, not just at each end. I use narrow tape and then a space for the epoxy of about the same width. I end up with 4 or 5 tape sections.
I have had tape deteriorate on older builds so I can not recommend useing the tape for the entire lenght of the reel seat.

[Arkriver]

I like to use Rod Bond epox for the reel seat and handle. It will fill those gaps and not run all over the place. When it is mixed it has the consistency of vaseline and its not fussy about getting the two parts right. When you attach the seat and handle be sure you scuff the rod surface a little with very fine sandpaper or the 3M abrasive sheets. Rather than masking tape you might fabricate your seat shims from the fiberglass drywall tape. That way you can force the epox all the way in and you are not hoping the masking tape will stick

[dleo6446]

Quite frankly, I prefer to make my own inserts when I cannot buy one that is sized to fit the blank...and it is rare to find one sized. any time you can avoid using the tape, you should.

[kengore]

I like to use 1/2" wide masking tape as a spacer. I use several wraps spaced evenly along the handle, leaving about a 1/2" gap between the taped areas. I then fill the voids with epoxy mixed 50/50 with epoxy filler to form a thick paste.

I use 'micro-balloons' as an epoxy filler, it is found at any most model airplane supply shops. The filler will accelerated the epoxy set time, so it's best to use something with a long set time, such as Devcon 2-Ton Epoxy.

Most off the shelf epoxies will work for the handle, reel seat and tip-top. The bond on most epoxies can be broken with heat, this becomes inportant if you ever want to remove a handle or reel seat for repair. Avoid using polyurethane (Gorilla Glue) just in case you want to ever remove something (like if you accidentaly glue the reel seat in upside down!)

For finishing the wraps you want a special purpose epoxy such as Flex-Coat. It has a longer cure time and is thinner which helps it to penetrate the threads. It will also dry crystal clear, most other epoxy tends to yellow over time.
Mix the stuff VERY well and be careful to get exact proportions, or you risk it not setting up. Post-It note pads make a great mixing pallette. If you spread it out in a thin layer and blow across the top the air bubbles will escape like magic. Mix a fresh batch as soon as you feel the stuff getting thick. Always use a fresh clean surface ans stir stick for mixing, any old epoxy on the mixing surface will effect the curing of the new batch.

A light pass with a hair dryer will help the finished wrap spread out into a smooth layer. I find a toothpick or a thin plastic strip to work better than a paint brush as an applicator.

Note: you can clean up any epoxy that got where it doesn't belong with house hold vinegar and a rag.

[Bear742]

PC-7 (a two part epoxy paste from the hardware store) has worked well for me for reel seats. I used either masking tape bushings or electricians tape where I was not worried about the weight and wanted something more solid.

[thorarinna]

Thank you guys for helpful and interesting answers.

dleo6446 what do you use for your own inserts?
I can understand the arguments for not putting masking tape on the whole area under the reel seat, but isn't the glue strong enough and the tape just used to hold it in place while drying?

Do you prefer the thin or the thick Flex Coat and why?

Nice to know that you can use most of the off the shelf epoxy, I used Bison water proof epoxy.

[dleo6446]

Thorarinna, I use various hardwoods that I get from local hardood suppliers. They have various domestic and exotic woods that are already in 1" square by probably 4 1/2" long. and yes the tape actually is serving only as a shim to keep the reel seat concentric with the rod shaft. and epoxy will hold the reel seat or grip in place quite well, it is simply a matter of preference for me.

As far as the epoxies go, I don't use very many finish epoxies but when I do it is the Flex Coat lite build. I prefer to apply 2 or 3 thin coats versus one heavy coat. Some builders like the one coat application and can make it look outstanding. I prefer a flatter look and it probably could be achieved with the regular build but the lite build works best for me

[wet_fly_action]

I've built 3 rods using drywall tape under the rell seat (fiberglass mesh type). Thanks to my local fly shop owner for the tip.