What is the best way to get a smooth epoxy finish on larger covered areas such as where it is inscribed. I have used Flex Coat and U-40 LS with a sable brush and it is never quite perfect and always has a convoluted surface. Any suggestions?

You're appling too much finish. Back up and put on less.

Now, even though I often tell people not to brush the finish on their wraps (you load the brush and lower it and allow the finish to flow onto the wraps) I will tell them that on bare inscription areas, you want to brush lengthwise and draw out the finish along the area. This usually helps you keep from applying too much and results in a much smoother surface.

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Hi Daniel,
You can find a lot of opinions on this subject by doing a search on the board and looking in the FAQ
and library.
What works well for me is as follows:
1) I use Flex-Coat lite for the first coat applied with a brush ( I intend to try a spatula one of these days).
2) the second coat is Flex-Coat High build and I apply heavy on the butt wraps and or weaves while
the rod is turning on the dryer. I sometimes poor the epoxy directly onto the rod in small lines back and
forth.
3)Heat is then applied via a propane torch or alcohol lamp to pop bubbles and also the finnish seems
to thin somewhat and self level.
4) 3rd and 4th coats are sometimes appied but of course not so heavy.

Works for me and the only problem incountered was at first If I wasn't carefull I would end up with football
guides. ( I don't apply to thick on my guides any more! ) Butt-wraps always came out great though!

Good Luck and Have Fun !!

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/12/2005 09:25PM by Raymond_Adams.

I have gone to Flex Coat Lite for all of my rods. I put on a very light coat that has been diluted with acetone. For every four cc's of the mix I add a couple of drops of acetone just to get it to really flow smoothly. I apply the first coat while the rod is still in the rod wrapping machine. I turn the rod at a fast speed and just barely cover the thread. Next day I put on the second coat while the rod is on the dryer turning. I have been using the same brush for over two years. When the acetone that I keep the brush in starts to change color, I dump it out and pour fresh acetone in the bottle. I use some containers called plastic palette cups that I buy at an art supply house. They are three inches across and shallow. perfect for mixing the finish. After the finish drys in the cup, I simply squeeze the sides and pop out the old finish, clean the cup with acetone and it is ready for another mix. I have used a spatula but I still prefer the brush. Another thing I have been using to dispense the epoxy is a set of pumps that Flex Coat sells. I have not used syringes for quite a while with no problems. I just make sure that they are primed. I get no air bubbles coming out of the pumps and the priming only wastes a couple of drops of finish.

Following advice I received on this board (slightly modified), I started using the following procedure on large areas like buttwraps and inscription zones. The rod must be level:

First, I build a drip pan from aluminum foil. I want it bigger than the area to be refinished.

Next, I mix way more FC than I will ever need (probably the least expensive item on the rod but most important for eye appeal, why skimp?). I'm talking 6-12cc depending on the size of the area to be covered (I work a lot of stand-up saltwater rods). I scrape the side of the cup to ensure mixing, then complete the stir with a ballbearing and magnet (no bubbles).

Now, with the rod mounted in the dryer but not turning, I "flood" the area with as much finish as will stand on the rod...I mean pour it on and let it sag and drip. Then I turn the rod over and flood the other side. I turn the rod slowly to make sure I have not missed anywhere. At this point the the finish is dripping steadily into the drip pan.

Take a credit card or spatula or your favorite tool (brushes are too small and not flat). With the rod stationary and sagging, run it down the underside of the rod touching only the sagging finish, wicking away the excess. Turn and wick as required but only touch the bottom of the sagging finish. The finish will flow onto the card, then recoil with surface tension and show no contact mark at all. Do not physically touch the finish beyond this. Now get 'er spinnin'.

A quick once over with the alcohol lamp mostly as a superstitious ritual (there are no bubbles) and walk away from it.

Let physics and gravity do the work for you. The finish will level perfectly and like glass as long as you don't mess with it. Really unlevel areas like big open buttwraps will require more than a single coat and maybe some sanding inbetween to get a fairly level surface to work with.

When doing an entire rod (7-8 guides) and buttwrap/inscription area at a single go, firsdt I wick finish under the guides and do the area under the foot that I can't get when it's spinning, then I flood the buttwrap. Then with the rod spinning, I spatula a portion onto each of the guides, come back and quickly level and torch the rod. Plenty of time as long as you are not trying to get each guide "perfect" before you move on. Put on more than you need, wick the excess, let the planet work.

My $.02.

I cover the area with the epoxy (not to heavy) and while the rod is turning, I hold a playing card cut to the desired length against the epoxy for a few revolutions. It does a great job in spreading and leveling the epoxy.

Mike