I used Crystal Coat Finish on my rod and got some pimples on several of my guide wraps. I used CP first. Can someone tell me why they appeared? Thanks

i am kind of new to building but i have noticed that every time i use cp. i have some sort of imperfections in the finish.i think its from air trapped in the threads under the cp. that gets released from the chemicals or heat from the curing process of the finnish .it seams like they come out later in the curing stage.and pop leaving a dimple that stays.then if i try to flame it that late to let it smooth out,i can see more coming out. and end up with more bubbles.i get better results without cp.i have tryed all kinds of tricks to try and figure this out.curing the cp longer,thinning it out using 2 or 3 coats. packing the finish in the threads using two coats of finish,the best thing i have figured out about it is not to use it.i took apart a broken rod with it and noticed the cp keeps the finish from bonding the thread and guides to the blank also..i striped a rod with out it and found the finish bonded through the thread to and under the guid foot and on the blank.looks like a better way to go for me.

Hi Kenny! I am new to rod building. This is the 3rd rod I've completed. It looks great from a few feet away, but if you look closely, you can see some pimples. I'm not going to use CP on my next rod and see if that makes a difference. Thanks

your welcome,you may want to wait to get some more sugestions on this by some of the more experienced people here.i am new to it also.i have been fooling around with it for a little while.i never got serious until about 5 months ago.i can't remember how many rods i have built over the last few months,i know i have done 5 in the last 2 weeks.there are people who do a few a day. i know am addicted to it. i have the same problem as you did with the dimples /bubbles and i can't quite figure them out.this is the only thing i can point to though.i have mainly used flexcoat finish but have tried 2 different brands of cp. with the same results.my finish is almost good without the cp.i cant say perfect because i don't know what that looks like yet.one thing about not using cp. is you get used to finding colors that work together because they change/darken up without cp. like you say from 2 feet you can't see them. but they light up in the sunlight.and bite me.i guess all this will work out over time,as i get beter at it.i have to say i have a good selection of fishing rods now.even the less expensive blanks i have used.fish just as good if not better than any high end factory rod i have ever owned. i have owned a few and tied a few high end blanks for my friends.

what kind of Cp did you use? how did you apply it? how long did you let it dry before proceeding with the epoxy finish?

i just used gudebrod cp for the first time last week. i noticed there was a lot of little bubbles, kind of sudsy looking actually. i used a brush to apply and after a few minutes, used the brush to pull up a lot of the bubbles and extra CP. i think i only let it dry half a day, maybe only 4 hours max before continuing with flex coat high build, the first time i used that formula. i applied the flex coat with a portion of a plastic card, cut from those fake credit cards they send in the mail. the finish came out great!. flat, nearly bubble free. i had some problems with thread nubs and maybe 3-4 bubbles overall, but that was it. perhaps i simply got lucky. or have failing eyesight! ;-) i had to use CP since the thread i used does not come in a NCP flavor (i think).

eric
fresno, ca.

I've had zero problems with CP on thread wraps in the last 15 or so years; ever since I quit using it...

Putter
Williston, ND

I'm not as experienced as a lot of guys here but I just don't understand the CP thing. I have used CP (all the wraps, including guides & metallics)on an awful lot of rods and have done a grand total of 2 without. I don't consider myself a "highly skilled" builder but have NEVER had a dimple, pimple, bubble or whatever you guys are talking about (A lot of wavy finishes until I got the hang of that!). I realize that I may be awfully lucky.

I don't do anything unusual but I don't understand how CP could introduce bubbles if properly used. Actually, I THINK that it would seal any air bubbles in so that they couldn't get to the epoxy. I think that their may be a propensity by many builders to find it easier to blame the messenger, so to speak!! than teir method.

The CP debate will go on forever because their is no proof as to which side is right! I will say that I use CP/metallic threads on the majority of my rods all the way up to Musky and downrigger/Dipsey rods and have yet to have a guide wrap fail (other than getting stepped on or crushed) I have found that the guide itself will fail before the wrap does On the other hand, I do a LARGE number of repairs where guides have pulled out of wraps or the wrap failed on factory rods which, as far as I know, none of the factories use CP (economic reasons, not strength reasons).

I will conced that wraps without CP MAY be stronger, but steel is also stronger than graphite but I don't want a steel blank. IMO, the concern should be what is strong enough!!

This is just my opinion and I could be wrong, but I know guys that are known for their Tuna sticks that use a LOT of CP on their rods. I have asked before if anyone has ever had a CP treated guide wrap with a locking wrap fail (other than abuse) and no one has ever replied with an instance.

Mike

I suspect contamination of the Crystal Coat by either mixer, container or brush. Clean everything with acetone before ever finishing again.

Thanks, Ed! One of these days I'll show you the rod and you can decide what happened for yourself after an inspetioni.

Thanks, Ed! One of these days I'll show you the rod and you can decide what happened for yourself after an inspection.