building on my 4th rod and like always I wouldn't leave well enough alone.I decided to put another thin layer of epoxy on a couple of wraps that wasn't quite smooth enough for me.Long story short is that I must have mixed the epoxy wrong because on one wrap the epoxy clumped up. The finish is smooth but wavey .Should I just leave it as is , sand it smooth and epoxy again or is there another easier way to fix this
Thanks
Ken Blevins
So many questions, so little time

There is no easy fix and at this point I wouldn't recommend that you continue to add more finish.

If you can't live with it (I'm sure it's fine functionally,) then you're left with either sanding it flat and adding a thin gloss coat, or removing the wrap and guide and starting from scratch.

............

I would spend your time fishing or working on rod #5.

I'm a long time Flex Coat user who has recently started playing with LS.

Most everything I do with LS comes out wavy no matter what I try. I always wind up sanding them out flat and topcoating with permagloss. It works very well, but it's a pain to do all that sanding.

As a general question here, to learn from this, and hope to prevent this from happening again:

Why does this happen, as Ken Blevins put it; "...the epoxy clumped up. The finish is smooth but wavey,..." What is causing this in the first place?

Or, as Mick McComesky said: "Most everything I do with LS comes out wavy no matter what I try."

Which brands of thread finish / epoxy casting resin are doing this?
Is there too much time between coats, such that a "water-break-free" surface has to be re-established by a light scuffing before the next coat?
Is the epoxy's 50-50 mix off balance?
Are the syringes being used contaminated with silicone?
Does the rod need to be turned more often while drying?
Are there intermittent air currents in the room blowing on the rod, like from a central air conditioning unit that cycles on & off?

As you all can tell about me by now, I am a big believer in "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," and learning as much as possible from others, and returning the favor freely. Any thoughts & comments to that affect would be much appreciated. Thanks, -Cliff Hall.

Wavy finishes drive me nuts, and I define "wavey" as a finish where the light bar reflected by the finish under a strong light does not remain straight as you rotate the blank. The closest I have come to the perfect wrap is 2 coats of thin varnish, followed by 1 of Klass-Kote epoxy paint. I was varnishing a grip last night and a speck of dust spoiled the light bar in one spot. Sanding wraps with a block helps, but another coat of something must be applied on top. I usually make a bigger mess and have learned to live with very small defects.

You know, I think I may be the only one around here that uses the stuff but Amtac lite or low build always levels very well for me. It's remains clear and gives you a longer working time than many others with the only downside being (which is a big deal for some) is that it does consistantly take longer to set up.

Here are some thoughts (and personal "whoopsies") on wavy finishes. This has happened to me in the past when the FIRST coat has not dried sufficiently. What you are doing is dragging a small "lump" of finish frm the first coat up into the second. When the second starts to harden it contracts and pulls up just a bit more. Ok - second "problem" I've experienced is (as in the post immediately preceeding) - trying to "stretch it" and applying epoxy that has already begun to take a set - this stuff will almost never level correctly.
Having said that - What I have done - on purpose is to use either or both "techniques" to achieve a finish on a butt section of a rod that looks like water. To do that you apply a first coat with either blue or green extra fine glitter. Allow it to partially set and then over coat with tinted epoxy (again either blue or green / opposite of the first coat). The finish will be a transparent "marbleized" appearance - keep the lines wavy but eliminate "swirls" as in standard marbleizing techiniques. Doing this is several layers you can build a 'seascape mural' but very muted by building breaking waves - with white caps at the forward edge.

Cliff,
The troubles I have with LS high build are only with LS. The mix is correct, using the supplied syringes, single coat, not much air currents, on a drying motor. I get ripples and waves no matter what. I've used it as soon as I've mixed it and I've let it sit for ever increasing time intervals before applying. Used it cold, used it warm. Applyed with spatula and by brush. Applied very thinly, applied heavily and wicked excess. Last time over a butt wrap, even used my steel rule with tape bushings on it just for the purpose of levelling finish. Doesn't matter. LS is not idiot proof, because I'm an idiot who can't use it.

I've given it a good shot, but I'll stick with FC. I'm used to it and know how it works. By the time I figure out LS, I'll be a very old man. lol.