I am sure this has been touched on several times, but didn't find much in the search. I have been having problems with epoxy finishes cracking around guide feet. The cracks aren't affecting the structural integrety of the rod, but are basically unsightly. I have tried wrapping at different tensions on over wraps, grinding the guide feet differently, and varied the thickness and number of coats during finishing. I also pride myself on proper guide placement and don't think that is the issue. I basically notice this trend on rods that are used frequently and are under stress quite often. In particular, heavy conventional surf rods for throwing heavy lead and bait as well as heavy live bait rods used for livlining bunker and herring. I use Flex Coat light and generally use two to three coats depending on the rod. Has anyone else experienced this problem? If so, what did you do to remedy it? Is there another finish epoxy that is as easy to work with as Flex Coat that may be better for these applications? Thanks in advance for any help!

You can't stop it - the guides and the blank are made from different materials and flex at different rates. Most guides are greatly overbuilt and unless you grind/sand/dhape the ends of the feet to a very shallow taper, that cracking you mention is going to happen. Guide feet simply do not flex. A very shallow taper helps them flex a bit out near the tips and can reduce, although not always totally elminate the problem.

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As Tom says, also maybe several coats of permagloss first then a light coat of Flex Coat?

I just double wrap the guides and apply two coats of Flexcote. If they crack, they crack. I will dab some Flexcote on them if they get too unsightly, but it's cosmetic and the guides will hold.

Like Tom says, there's very little if anything that you can do about it.

I have applied Pliobond, that doesn't crack, to guides on work rods, but I don't think that you want to do that. Makes them ugly. C2

SO why don't they make guides that flex? A graphite guide would be plenty stong for most people. Just as long as you don't step on it.

10-4 on a strong, flexible guide frame. Tom et al were discussing how the company that comes up with this technology will be ahead of the competition in an earlier post.
And stepping on any guide is probably gonna wreck it...

Putter

So it sounds as if I am not the only one with this problem. Do any of you use a different epoxy with the same cracking I am describing? I was really hoping someone would suggest a different product, but the more I think about it, Tom is right. I guess the key would be to find a guide that's durable enough to hold up to the heavy stress, yet have the ability to flex with the blank. If someone finds such a thing, let me know. Thanks for the input.

Your guides are coming. American Tackle Titan

I wouldn't think that Titanium frames would have any bearing on epoxy cracking. Hard titanium isn't likely to flex any easier (probably harder) than any other material and that's what causes the cracking

Mike

The only thread coating that has never cracked at the guide feet is Crystal Coat sold by Dale Clemens Custom Tackle. Some of the rods have been fished for greater than fifteen years.

Jeff Shafer

I had the same problem with my LM bass rods used for striper, but I found a pretty good solution.

First, I grind the guide feet thinner, with smooth transitoins
Then I use VERY high thread tension.
I then apply LS Supreme heavily, (no CP) including the "tunnel" area and after it soaks in, I immediately wick away all I can.

On the second coat, I used Flex Coat Lite, and 1 year and many 20-30# fish later, my favorite rod still has no visible cracks at the guide feet.

I attrribute it mostly to the high thread tension, for what it's worth.

Hope this helps.

TH