Since I recently decided I am going to start building my own rods, I have been doing a lot of homework on this site. Last night I decided I would try the marble technique described in the library. However, since I don't have all of the supplies needed for building yet, I thought I might try using some 2 ton epoxy instead of regular rod building epoxy just to get the hang of it (I'm a cheapskate and didn't want to waste my Flexcoat High Build trying this out)
Although I was using the 2 ton stuff it turned out better than I had expected other than it is very uneven. I did make the mistake of getting my heat source (a propane torch) a little to close in the area that is the worst so I know not to do that anymore.
So I decided to try it again today and had the same problem with it not leveling evenly. This time I didn't use any heat and the problem is not nearly as bad as the first attempt but is still noticeable. I should also mention that I am not using a rod blank but rather a wooden dowel. The only reason I mention it is that I know the dowel itself is almost perfectly level.
So my question is how or what do I need to do to get the finish level (even)?

First you need to understand that what you are using is NOT a finish but an adhesive. Wrap finishes are not adhesives, they are casting resins. 2 completely different animals! It is doubtful that it will ever level

You have the right idea by practicing, but you need to practice with
the finish you will be using.. Each brand of finish has different working charcteristics and has a learning curve to it, e.g. Flexcoat hi build would require a different technique that LS Supreme or Glass Coat.

Next, why are you using heat?? I have no idea what effect it has on adhesives (I would guess that it might speed up the cure time, which would not be what you want).
Heat is SOMETIMES used to remove bubbles from the finish and help the flow, but is only used sparingly when needed.

They don't come any cheaper than me, but rod finish goes a long way and I would be surprised if a marble job would cost a buck!

I didn't mean to get long winded and I hope you don't take this wrong, I'm just trying to help.

Mike

Chris , Mike is right on the money with what he stated about the "finish" you are using . Try it with Flex Coat and I'm sure you will have better results . It's not hard to do , and your practice will pay off . Heat on any finish epoxy should be used sparringly. You will be surprised how much working time you will have with the right finish .
Good luck , piece of cake and a fun thing to do on rods, JD

Hey Mike,
Thanks for your response and by no means did I take any of what you said the wrong way. I was just using the 2 ton (adhesive) as a way to practice. The only reason I was using heat on it was that I could tell when it was turning that it was uneven and I was trying to basically thin it with heat (help it flow easier) in an attempt to level it. And the heat definitely made it flow!!! What you said about the two items being used for different purposes never even occured to me when I had this brainstorm. Thanks. I will give the Flexcoat a try tomorrow. Hopefully with better results.

Chris,

When you use the Flex coat let it set for 10 minutes or so before you put your colored base coat on and let it turn for a few minutes to let it level before you use a toothpick to add your different colors and pull/swirl it around. Don't use too much pigment or it may affect set up.
have fun and beware. It's addictive! Let us know how it turns out!

Mike

You still can get uneven bumpiness with any rod finish. The only way to really avoid it is to make sure you have the same amount on in all places up and down the are to be marbled.
There's quite a few ways of doing this (I'm not even going into how I do it), but the easiest after you've applied your base coat pigmented color is to use a playing card or something similar to get the same thickness up and down the area you're marbeling.
After that you can swirl in your other colors and avoid any "bumps & lumps".

Putter