Im just wondering how ya'll keep the dust out of your thread and epoxy. I know that when i wrap and leave it out for a while the black gets pretty dirty looking, or course, i guess once i coat it you wont be able to tell with black.. but any ideas would be helpful.

I always take masking tape to my thread before i coat it just to get the big stuff off.

Off topic..who else besides me has had a beautiful rod with the last coat of epoxy drying and had a fly land in the epoxy and get encased like in jurrasic park?? its bad!!!!!

Stephen,
A lot of builders use a drying box setup to prevent that problem from occuring.
Check the Library and FAQ buttons for more info. Doing "search" might find
some plans or at least some examples to build one yourself.

Also, a search will locate a past thread discussing the insect in epoxy problem
along with solutions.

I bet a past issue of Rodmaker magazine has an article on the dryer box. Email
Tom Kirkman or go to link on the left to find out which issue and how to order it.




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

I don't use a drying box but I don't have trouble with dust in my epoxy. I do work in a dusty area. So, how do you keep the dust out of your thread? Well, once you wrap a rod, if you're not going to finish it right away, you need to cover it with something. Airborne dust settles from above to below, so draping something over the rod or the wraps will keep that dust off of it.

Next up, keep in mind that if you finish early in the day, before you or someone else starts walking around stirring up dust, you won't have much problem with dust alighting on your wraps, even if you're in a dirty or dusty area.

Nothing wrong with building a drying box, but in most cases you can eliminate the need for it if you keep your rod covered whenever you're not working on it and allow whatever dust is in your finishing area to settle before doing the actual finishing.

....................

Using the good furnace filters with a box fan or any sort of fan really works to remove dust. In fact it works so well I plan on using this sort of set up in my office at home. Of course one can buy a portable commercial unit too but for a lot more money. I know there are several pictures of this type of set up in the photos--i think Mike Barkely has one posted. (spelling???)

I always try to cover with sheets of aluminum foils for a few days too.


john kepka

I've wrapped all over this country west of the Mississippi, in my bedroom, living room, kitchen, outdoor balcony, garage, wherever I don't have people bugging me. From humid No. MN to SoCal desert. I've never noticed dust. I think dust is overrated at being a culprit of bad finish. For the first time ever in my life, I now actually have a shop area to build in and dust collection never entered my mind. The only protection I need to build is a box of some sort just to protect finished rods from cats who think they can offer assistance and little kids who are drawn to anything wet.

By the way, for any builders who own cats; Do yours go crazy at the sight of a rod blank? Mine will drop a catnip mouse for the opportunity to chew on the tip of a rod. I just wonder is all.

Stephen......nothing more aggrevating than a fly spinning around on a blank when you wake up in the morning!!! People will notice the fly before they notice any dust...IMHO.!

Works Great but I don't think that I would use it around my wrapping area as I would think that having it on would do a pretty good job of keeping the dust moving around until it trapped it.
[www.rodbuilding.org]



Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!

I agree with Mike on fans around drying finish; this includes hair dryers and heat guns. They'll cause as much trouble as they'll solve. Keeping the room clean and trying to keep the rotating rod from being charged statically will solve most problems.

With bugs, they're drawn to lights. Turn on a light away from the rod; that helps me out.

I also made a piece on a piano hinge on the wall from a screen door's screen frame. I removed the screen, cut down the 4 sides to a size that I wanted, and replaced the screen with tack cloth. Once I get the finish on the rod, I move it to the rear of my bench and fold down this screen just over the butt wrap and first guide area (have cabinets on the walls and can't make it long enough for the whole rod).

Putter
Williston, ND

Easiest thing to do is get a clean spray bottle and fill it with water.
Spray all around the area before you wrap, don't spray the rod .
This helps greatly in keeping the water down.

Keep the kids and dog out



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/18/2005 04:01PM by bill boettcher.

Hi Dust fighters,
Dust & especially Lint are verminous scourges to our art. You can be meticulously wrapping your carefully ground guidefoot, when a piece of airborne lint having remained suspended in the still air of your rod room for days, unerringly lands on your wrapping thread just in time to be tied into the wrap. It lays there, invisible, until it forces its ugly head through your otherwise perfect epoxy finish.
Meanwhile other lint particles are poised to land on your thread art just after you clean it in preparation for the finish, or just after you have pulled off the best epoxy job of the year, and are peacefuly contemplating your next fishing trip.
I do most of my wrapping & epoxy during our very dry winters when a trip across the room can generate a big enough static discharge to light up a small town.
So here's what I do:
Put dust filters on the air register for the rod room.
Keep my thread in a sealed box when not in use, to prevent dust getting to it.
Vacuum my rod room regularly.
Use lint free wipes ("Kimwipes") for any cleaning, degreasing work.
While wrapping I really watch for lint on the thread & have a patch of masking tape ready to remove it. Its in continual use while wrapping as there always seem to be a legion of dust passengers travelling along the thread on their way to permanent inclusion in my precious wraps.
prep for epoxy
Vacuum the room & passage leading to it.
Run a hepa filter equipped air cleaner for at least two hours before epoxy application. Shut it off while epoxying to remove the draft it causes.
Water mist spray the rod room and self about 10 minutes before epoxy.
Wear low lint clothes while doing the epoxy work.
Wipe the brushes, stir stick, mixing spoons, mixing foil etc, anything to do with mixing & applying the epoxy.
Scrutinize each wrap before the epoxy goes on & use masking tape to remove any suspects found.
Have masking tape ready while applying the epoxy, as there always seem to be a few lints loitering on my wraps, despite all the previous precautions.
Close the front of my rod box when done epoxying & leave the room, very carefully closing the door behind me.
Go to the fridge & pour myself a cold beer. This part is very important as it helps put you in a positive frame of mind. Have more beer if doesn't seem to be working.
Don't look at the rod again until the epoxy sets, so at least you can deal with any lint you find right away.
Good luck in the war on lint fellow fighters.