Can anyone tell me the "secret" to getting L S Supreme to have that "Smooth as glass" finish. I seem to get a somewhat uneven finish that feels less than smooth. Factory rods I've looked at appear perfect in the eveness of the coating. Thanks for any help you can give.

If you put on a thinner coat of finish you may get what you are looking for. Or wick off more finish to leave a thinner layer. Ralph

If at first you don't succeed, go fishing, then try, try again.

Could you please define what you mean by "wick off"? Thank You - TGM

See the latest issue of Rodmaker magazine.Awsome article detailing the exact subject.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

What I do is to apply a little more than enough, stop the rod from spinning, and as it sits for the next couple of minutes, the excess tends to collect on the bottom. I wick this excess off with a "dry" brush (some use spatulas), and turn the rod normally, which for me is by hand, 1/4 turns every five or ten minutes for an hour, extending the time as the epoxy sets. Glass smooth, and it really helps smooth out long wraps and the label area.

Dave

RodMaker volume 9 #1 has all the information on how to get perfectly level surfaces with any finish.

In most cases, if your finish is wavy, you've applied too much in one application.

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Hello Thomas
To get the smooth as glass finishes Dave, Fred and Tom have given you excellent suggestions. Reading the acticle that Tom and Fred suggest will help a bunch.
To get as clear a finish as possible with Supreme, turn it by hand as Dave suggests. I turn it 180 deg at a time but a quater turn will work too. Do this until the it is set to the point that it will not sag anymore and then turn it about another 1/2 hour every 10 minutes or so. Then you can put it on a rotating dryer if you want to or let it stand overnight at 68 to 72 degree F before handling further to make sure you do not marr the surface of your finish.
You will have a beautiful finish and will be amazed at how well this works. U40 LS Supreme epoxy is formulated to be a thin one coat or higher build by using two or more coats.
Practice and develop your technique on a few pieces of srape rod. Learn how much epoxy is enough. Determine how to appy finish more quickly with out sacrificing quality and clarity. I prefer applying epoxy using a spatula but many apply it using a brush and get equally as clear and smooth finishes. Learn to mix epoxy creating no or very few bubbles due to mixing. I forget which Rodmaker Artilce it is but there is an article showing how to make a very good and simple epoxy mixer.
Joe Kassuba