Is it common to not use or handle a rod for 5 days or so after the finish has been applied so that the epoxy can achieve it's full hardness?

Had a debate about this with a fella and was just curious what is common practice.

Thank You

Some epoxies harden sooner than others, but two days is very safe for handling and not long after that, it's about as hard as it can get. But they do vary by brand somewhat. The one that I use is pretty fast. I fish with it in 36 hours with no problems, but again, that's a pretty fast set.

Putter
Williston, ND

Ditto!

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

Ditto again! I put Threadmaster on a fly rod early yesterday morning and I am going to do some practice casting with it today.

Brands will vary in curing time, the ones that do not require a dead nuts 50:50 by volume mix may take longer to cure totaly. Concrete takes a full 7 years to achieve its final strength and only then does the curing end. Epoxy is the same to a much lesser degree. Brands that do require a 50:50 by volume mix; if your off a bit can taker two or three days (up to NEVER) to set up and not be sticky, total fishable cure time is also set back relative to tha accuracy of this proportional mixture. I achieve this 50:50 by volume mix by weight (adjusted by experimantation) for the perfect repeatable formula. My mix sets up in 8-10 hours and I don't handle it for 24 just to be sure and don't fish it for 48. Mixing by weight I can use a very small amount with depenability. ALTHOUGH MIXING BY VOLUME WITH SYRINGES, as recommended on this site, is by far the easiest way to achieve the cloest thing to a 50:50 by volume mix.

Ellis,

With Threadmaster, I can put on one coat in the early AM, that late afternoon I can sand it-if needed-and put my 2nd coat on it in the SAME day. Best I've ever used.

DR