I used the search and found plenty of stuff on applying finish. I read Joe's tutorial on using a spatula at (hisrodshop) and it's very good. It would be great if someone would make a DVD just on finishing with a spatula and brush.

Use a brush as if it were a spatula - hold brush containing finish stationary - let rotating rod pull finish from brush. The clean edge at the end of the wrap can be achieved easier if the rod is rotating faster.

Bruce,

Where was that tutorial on spatula technique?

Thanks,

Steve

Stephen, Here it is.

[www.hisrodshop.com]

Bummer. Under construction. I'll check back, and thanks!

I just finished my 1st rod, totally unhappy w/ the finish on the wraps. Tried both spatula and brush. I need help.

Did learn how amazing a little heat is for smoothing out the application, though.

Steve

Stephen,

What are you unhappy about with them?? If it takes heat to smooth it out, I would suspect that you are using way tyo much finish. Are you getting wavy, bumpy finish?? If so, the only thing that causes this is too much finish. Do a search here for wavy finish ALL DATES and you will get a ton of info
I think that you probably used to much epoxy which can't help but make waves. Try applying your finish and leaving the rod stationary until the finish starts to sag on the bottom. Wick the sags off with your brush or spatula and rotate the rod 180 degrees and repeat. Do this a few times and when you no longer get sags, then you can turn your dryer on. Turning a rod with to much finish will create "waves" every time as the "sags" just rotate around the rod as it turns.

Another thing that you might want to look at in addition to too much finish, is having the center line of your blank perfectly level. If the blank isn;t level, the finish will kind of roll towards one end, making waves. Make sure that the blank is aboslutely level!!!!!! If not, the finish will tend to "roll" down and create sags/waves. Us a regular playing card LIGHTLY held aginst the back side of the blank as it turns to level and remove excess finish. You can get 2 decks for a buck (104 spatulas)



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!!

Mike,

Most of my problem was in getting the finish into the guide channels w/out going too far up the blank. And I was using a really coarse brush w/ little give, so it was hard for me to work around the guides w/out getting too much finish up the guide frame. Also learned that putting gold length markers on top of a yellow trim wrap is not too hot for visibility. Then the peel and stick GL sticker popped up out of the finish (finger oils on adhesive, I'm sure), and after 2 hours I took the rod off the dryer and stuck a thumb print right into the best looking wrap/finied guide wrap. When I leaned the rod against the gunsafe, some dust bunnies off the top gently floated to the rod and made my SECOND best wrap/finish look like a cottontail's fanny. They didn't cover all this stuff in Tom's book and the DVD's I've got. That's probably for the best, if the goal is to get people to start building their own rods.

My location on the learning curve is very near the bottom, looking approx. straight up.

Good news is the rod should fish just fine, I enjoy the project, and will get to do another coat after trimming the label. (More practice!!! Yeah!!!!) I am learning so much every time I touch the dern thing. This site is really a big help, and looking at the work you guys do is a real inspiration.

At this rate I figure to be almost competent sometime around the time Brenda puts me in a home.

Hope I can take my thread and stuff with me.

Steve

Steve,

I use a toothpick and put a drop of finish in the guide channels before I put any finish on the wraps themselves.
Dust bunnies, thumb prints, etc. everyone here has done something like that at LEAST once.
Don't get discouraged, it's all part of the game.

Remember when you are looking straight up that there is a ceiling fan that will eat the tip!! She may have a few blemishes that you will laugh at after a few rods are in your war chest! They will not have anything to do with the way it fishes! Go catch a few with it and come home and order some more stuff - you sir are learning the good part first!

Gon Fishn

The tunnels will fill themselves. One of the biggest headaches is sitting around fiddling with the tunnels when in reality you don't have to mess with them in the first place. I never even think about poking finish up under the foot into the tunnel.

Before you begin your epoxy application put a drop on the 'toe' of each guide foot. After doing all the feet go back and put another drop up the foot just above the previous drop. If you are doing a rod with small blank/guides, this is likely all you'll need to do. After a couple of minutes you'll start to see epoxy pushing out the ends of the tunnels. Guess what? They are now full of epoxy and devoid of air...and you didn't even have to poke any up in there.

Larger blanks and guides take more time and more epoxy, but you still use the same technique of starting at the toe and slowly working your way up the guide foot until you see epoxy comeing from under the tunnel. Easy as pie.

If you're having a problem of getting epoxy on the guide frame or areas of the blank where you don't want it, be sure to wipe it off with an alcohol moistened paper towel. You can also square up any uneven edges after applying epoxy to the wrap by taking an alcohol soaked paper towel and holding it against the blank while it's turning. This will remove the excess up to the point you want it.

Best of luck.

Jay

Excellent advice, all! Particularly eager to try Jay's guide tunnel trick. Of course, with wraps as tight and smooth as mine, the finish may not be able to penetrate. (I'm an experienced fisherman, but new to rod building..... do rodbuilders lie???) Bill, I learned the ceiling fan thing first day while waving the blank around. That's the only reason I am not at the absolute bottom of the learning curve.

Thanks for the help. This is a great hobby. Can see how it becomes addictive.

Steve

DISCLAIMER

The 'tunnel trick' isn't mine to claim. I learned it here a few years ago...don't even remotely remember who posted it back then, but it has become standard procedure for me.

Jay

I have a dumb question: what is considered the toe on the guidefoot? I have an idea, but enlighten me. It's a good thing I don't hang with you guys because I'd never hear the end of it. LOL!

I refer to the end of the foot that is normally ground or filed to a smooth ramp as the 'toe'. My own personal lingo...sorry.

Jay

Jay, now that's a great idea. You mean the finish will go right up the foot, filling the tunnel, thus preventing water to seep in? If that works, and I'll take your word that it does so, it will sure make things easier. I'm forever trying to wipe off errant finish in that area. I'm sure going to try that on my next piece of art.

It's the same as poking epoxy into the tunnel area with a toothpick or other tool. Only this way you have no fear of air being trapped inside. The epoxy wicking itself from the 'toe' to the open tunnel area at the end of the 'foot' forces out all the air. I've not eperienced any problems with this method...and it saves the aggrivation of dropping epoxy via a toothpick into that sometimes VERY little tunnel.

Jay

I assume that all of these methods pretty much go out the window if you use CP as many (if not most) of us do.

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!!

Out the window it went........POOF!

Jay

Jay, I have a question; does that method work with metallic thread?

Yes.

Jay