i have already put 2 coats of flexcoat lite on a butt wrap I have been working on.
I still want to put another two thin coats on it to even out the finish on the closure
wraps at the ends etc.
I got everything ready ready to go....rod on dryer, flex coat mixed,brush ready to apply,
turn motor on......POOF!!!smoke noise ....dead motor!
I had to order a new one as I can't find any type of motor around where I live to replace it.
It will take at least 5 days to get here...by then the first few coats of epoxy will have cured.
Will I have problems finishing up the epoxy when I get my new drying motor?
Do I need to sand down the existing epoxy before the new coats are applied?
If so what kind of sanding and with what do you recommend?
Thanks! I'm so close to finishing, yet so far away!!!

Eric,

Yes you'll have to create a water break surface for the new epoxy to adhere to the old epoxy. Use the grey pad by 3m to do this. You can get these pads from Andy - Lamar Reel Seat of most Napa auto parts have the pads. Be very careful not to cut into the threads.

What you can do is to finish the wrap by hand turning the rod. I did this a little while ago and it was the best finish I've ever had. I think most people that hand turn their rods turn the blank 180 degrees every 10 to 15 min for the first hr. Then turn every 20 - 25 min for the next to hours. I did mine a little different - I turn it 90 degrees each time instead of 180 degrees. After the 3 hrs of turning the epoxy should be setup. This is how I did it and it worked for me. If the timing is off maybe Tom Kirkman could correct them.

Hank
On The Rocks Fishing
Wells, ME.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2005 05:46PM by Milton (Hank) Aldridge.

Eric,
If you're using a lite finish, you may want to make your initial turns (90 or 180 degrees) at shorter intervals. I used to use a digital kitchen timer, set initially for three minutes. After five 3 minute intervals, change the timer to four minutes for a few intervals, then reset to five minutes, etc. At some point the epoxy will begin to harden and your intervals can be extended to longer time periods.

Jeff Shafer

Eric,

I think Jeff is giving you good advise on that. I used Flex Coat High Build

Hank
On The Rocks Fishing
Wells, ME.

Thanks for all the helpfull input!
The hand turning thing is out of the question for the moment...
I'll make a new waterbreak surface as i doubt I'll mess up my thread.
whats already down is fairly thick.

Eric, use a block when you sand. That will help you get a nice level finish. I use a similar approach to hand turning as Jeff, using 90 degree turns every 2 to 3 minutes and slowly expanding the time between turns about every 15 minutes. I've never measured the time as I usually go by feel, but it is pretty close to about the same as Jeff does, when I think about it.

I've built about 40 rods in 4 years and have never owned a rod dryer. I use flex coat regular and lite and if you apply it thin enough, you can get by with less turning. I turn the rod 180 degrees every 10 minutes for about an hour. Then I turn it every 15 minutes for another hour. Usually that is enough if you apply thin coats. Most of my rods are finished with two thin coats of regular or lite depending on how heavy the blank is (2wt-9wt, etc.).

Good Luck and get that rod finished. You don't need a rod dryer.

Lou