How do you get the wraps to finish nice and smooth. My finish is wavy – I have used the light flex coat and have applied 3 layes. The finish itself is smooth but Wavy.
I started some with a pre-mix as recommended by one of the rod builders.
How do I get the smooth and even finish from this point forward? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Sounds like you were applying it after it was already beginning to set up, which is not unusual on a first rod since you were probably going pretty slow and careful. Keep the rod turning on a turning motor the whole time and realize that you may only get one rod section per mix. As soon as it starts to hold its shape in the slightest bit - stop, mix a new batch, then continue. It will only self level for a matter of minutes once its mixed. After you get as far as you can in one batch (maybe only 5 minutes or so) use a lamp with DENATURED ALCOHOL to make a quick pass of the flame over the wrap while its turning. This will flush out any bubbles and further level the coating. Keep the section turning for the next hour or two. Good luck.
Bill Oyster
[url=http://www.oysterbamboo.com:d46b5]www.oysterbamboo.com[/url:d46b5]
I found that warming the epoxy tubes in a bowl of warm water, will help with the mixing, and the penetration of the thread wraps. I keep the tubes in the hot water bath between mixing, replacing the water, as the temperature drops.
There is a tendency to apply more epoxy, then called for, when coating the wraps.
Less epoxy is better, then too much epoxy. You can always do another coat (if needed), versus, either living with a mistake or ripping the whole epoxied thread wrap off the rod. ~Parnelli
You might already be doing this but after you mix the finish, pour it out on a piece of aluminum foil. This will reduce the setting time of the epoxy. Jack
The set time / working time has not been the problem. In fact, I have had to rotate the rod for hours because it sets so slow. I keep the excess in a small mixing cup and check it for set/ tackiness, etc… I don’t get bubbles and the surface is smooth per sey; however, it is wavy – like the epoxy doesn’t slump and flow out evenly.
What I did was sign the rod and write the date and rod wt. Then after the ink had dried, covered it with epoxy-- about a 3 inch area between the hook holder and a decorative wrap. Rather than a nice even surface between the wraps, the surface is smooth but wavy.
I don’t know whether to sand it down, add more epoxy in the low areas or just forget about it.
[This message has been edited by Orthoman (edited 02 March 2006).]
Hey ortho man,
did you apply the epoxy in lengthwise strokes along the length of the signature or did you use circumferential strokes like finishing a wrap?
For long areas like that use a lengthwise stroke along the length of the signature and see if that works.
you can try to gently sand out the wavy epoxy til its flat and then do lengthwise application.
That happened to me once, on a Sage XP no less. Sanded it smooth and re-epoxied and it came out great.
Wavy finish and “footballs” are often the result of too much epoxy more than anything else. With applying most of the stuff on the market today less is more. That may mean that you have to apply more than one coat but that is the price you will have to pay for a quality wrap finish.
As others have suggested it is important to use thin layers. You can always add a second coat but it’s tough to undo them. Heavy coats will result in waves.
Be careful if you choose to sand, I have tried this and if you nick the threads it’s hard to fix cosmeticly. I ended up cutting the whole thing off and starting over.
Even the light version of Flex-Coat can go on too thick. I have trouble coating large areas evenly with a brush, you might find a mini-spatuala cut from an old phone card or butter tub lid works better. I sometimes hit the coated wrap with a heat gun to smooth out the layer. I can also use the spatula to remove excess.
I read somewhere that rod manufactors spin the rods as fast as 200 rpm when finishing. Since then I use my rod lathe to apply finish and it helps to distrubute it evenly. At 3 rpm the rod turner was too slow. Good for drying but not application.
I recently switched to a one part ureathane finish (U-40 Perma Gloss) it is about the consistancy of water and has less tendency to glop up. It takes a lot of coats but each coat only needs to cure an hour or so.
When all is said and done I am still trying to get that perfect ‘dipped in water’ finish I see on the best rods. But as far as I can tell the fish don’t mind as much as I do.
There is an article in the recent issue of Rodmaker on this subject. Based on the collective advice given here, this could be the article. In summary it says wavy and uneven finish is the result of applying excess epoxy. Thinner coats are the key to an even finish. The waviness is due to epoxy sagging downward as it sets, even with rotation. They suggest you apply your epoxy, let it sit a few minutes and then brush off excess. That is assuming you are applyong excess. They also say the once the epoxy thickens, mix a new batch. Finally temperature is important. Higher temperatures thin the epoxy at first, but also accelerate the setting. The optimum temperature for applying and setting epoxy is 68 - 75 F.
If you are interested, the article is in Volume 9, Issue 1 of Rodmaker.
Dr Bob