My first post got deleted - I did not adhere to the forum rules - sorry Tom!

Ok, I just completed my first rod - 7' ML action spinning rod built on a St. Croix blank. Needless to say I'm addicted to this fantastic hobby, even after only one rod. I found a LOT of things to improve on for my next rod - but my main problem is that I ended up with bubbles in my guide wrap finish, and I didn't notice before I put in on the dryer. Now, I have cruddy looking finishes - is there a way I can sand these out and recoat with a thin layer of finish? Any other suggestions? Next time I will take much more care with my mixing/applying.

Thanks in advance!

Rich

You can sand it down. Go to the cosmetics department at Walmart or Target and get some emory boards for filing fingernails. I have one with four different grits on it and have used it a lot for this kind of thing. Work carefully so you don't sand the thread. After you have it smooth you can apply another coat of finish. After mixing the finish, pour it out on some aluminum foil and blow on it through a small diameter tube or straw. That should eliminate nearly all of the air bubbles. Make sure your brush is really loaded with finish because the bristles of the brush can trap air which can be tranferred as bubbles. If you see any bubbles after applying the finish, you can pop them with a needle or by using the straw. I use a magnifier to check for bubbles as I apply the finish to the wraps.

There is only one first rod. Keep it and fish it hard, you'll get fond of it. For your next rods, make sure you mix the epoxy gently but thoroughly, pour it out on a flat surface and blow any bubbles away, apply the expoxy not by brushing it on with a lot of strokes, but by just gently layering it on and moving it around a bit (with a brush or a spatula), then watch for bubbles, pop them with your tool or with a pin, look for bubbles again early in the drying process, and flame if necessary.

Rich,
Like many others I had great difficulty with bubbles in epoxy in my early efforts. I chose to employ an Motorized Epoxy Finish Mixer as described in RodMaker Vol. 6 Issue 4. If you do a search on this shite you will likely find many references for this great tool. There are many ways to build one or adapt a ready made drying unit. By immmersing a steel ball in a proper sized receptacle the epoxy gets mixed without any air bubbles being introduced. I mix 3cc of each part and pour it into a plastic cover from Pringles potato chips which provides a nice depth of the blended epoxy. Then I load a pointed spatula tip and lay a line of epoxy around each end of the wrap. Next I load the flat end of the spatula enough globs of epoxy on top of the wrap in excess of the amount actually needed. Spreading it over the wrap while turning the rod without actually touching the spatula to the threads yields a nice coverage for total saturation of the threads. Fill the tubes and press the epoxy through the threads to be sure to fill the gaps along side the guide feet. Let stand until the excess collects at the bottom so you can swipe it off. Rotate the rod 180 degrees and when more excess settles remove it as before. Continue this until you have an even coat with no sagging. Then you can place it in a drying rig and let it run. When the remaining epoxy in the plastic cover is dry to the touch you can cease the drying operationj and set the rod aside for at least 24 hours. I prefer to leave it sit quietly for 48 hours befoe handling. Temperature and hunmidity will affect the drying time. I try to keep the room at 72 degrees and keep the air as still as possible to avoid dust being sent airborne. A drying box is on my list of future projects to improve this operation.
I hope you find this helpful. For a great spatula see Joe Kassuba at :

hisrodshop.com

His grinding makes a big difference.

Best wishes for great results,
Dave

Hi Rich,
After wrapping the guide I burnish the threads, ( flatten them out) less area to get any air trapped, then I use Color preserver/thread sealer, this also helps give a smoother finish and less area for air to become trapped in thread.
I always use a brush to apply epoxy, then using a hair dryer set on low I go over the epoxied areas, this warms the epoxy makes any air bubbles expand and come to the suface and pop by themselves, also smooths and levels the epoxy.
just don't get it to warm or it will sag, if you added any thing like a pearl in to the epoxy that could also sag easier. Just take some time to get used to the heating of it.

Dave von Doehren
PRRODS......If man built it , man can fix it.and if man built it man can break it !

Hello Rich
I second the idea of using the rod to catch some fish. Your first rod is special and catching a fish on it is very special.

To develop your finish techique:
Find a piece of scrap rod and put some guides on it and pracice coating the wraps with epoxy.
There are good articles in the above library and a wealth of suggestions you can find doing a search on epoxy finishes on this board.

Soon you will be mixing epoxy without creating bubbles and putting it on without making bubbles too.

Not all epoxy brands are the same when it comes to using heat to burst bubbles so when practicing using heat go slow with the amount you use and note the results. If for example, you use U40 LS Supreme or LS High Build heat is not required nor is it recommended. Flex Coat on the other hand recommends heat as a means to remove bubbles. Rest assured that with practice you will find a techhique that will work for you.

There is an article on my web page about using spatulas to mix and apply guide wrap epoxy and paste epoxy .
To fins this article on my web page menu select Navigate and select Product for the spatula article. I hope it helps you.

Regards Joe Kassuba
www.hisrodshop.com


His Rod Shop
Joe Kassuba

Thanks everybody for all the help - it's nice to see how willing you are to help out a new guy! Joe - I checked out your article,and it was very good info - thanks alot. Rest assured, I plan on using this rod for as long as it holds up, I'm sure many walleye and smallmouth will come as a result.

I do have one more question - do most of you use rod bond such as the U40, which I understand is basically a paste epoxy, or do you use the more "liquid" type two part epoxies for bonding reelseats, grips, etc. ? I have used the liquid epoxies and am wondering the if the pastes are more user friendly??

What have I gotten myself into? :-)

Rob Bond is a product made by Trondak U-40 and most people here use it or the Flex Coat equivalent for reel seats and grips. Some people use 5 minute epoxy for that, but I had one bad experience using a 5 minute epoxy and haven't used it in rodbuilding since. The really nice thing about Rod Bond is that since it's a paste, it doesn't run all over the place. Also, Rod Bond is really tolerant of unequal mixes, you don't have to be very precise about the quantities of the two parts, just eyeball it. It has a good pot life so you have plenty of time to get things positioned just right.

Thanks Gerry - that's the kind of info I was looking for. I've used 5 minute style waterproof epoxy for my first rod, as well as ice fishing rods I've built, but it sounds like the U-40 or equivolent is easier to work with.

To back up what Gerry said, the more I use Rod Bond, the more I simplify the measurement step, since it's so tolerant. And when you finish with the rod job, look around to see what's in the house that you can repair with that batch, it's great for almost anything and is easy to use. Just allow overnight/24 hours for a good set.