I do a lot of simple open wraps but I'm struggling a little bit with the finish. Obviously after the first 1 or two coats of epoxy you can still feel and see the contours of the wrap. In addition I often have a small (1/4" to 1/2") space between the hook-keepper wrap and the tie-off on the butt-wrap. The epoxy naturally necks down in this area. If I were to continue applying more coats will the epoxy eventually level out completely or will it tend to follow the contours established by the open wrap?

Thanks

Jim

It will tend to follow the contours but will also tend to fill in a bit the more applications you add. Most don't find anything wrong with the contoured look, but if you want a perfectly flat top surface, you'll have to add enough finish to allow you to block sand flat, and then overcoat with a final topcoat to restore gloss.

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

What I often do that helps a lot is after the finish has started to thicken a little I hold a simple playing card LIGHTLY against the back (away from me) of the slowly turning rod. This smooths/levels the finish and also removes excess. The cards can be cut to the length of the wrap and the best part is you get 52 of them for less than a buck.

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!!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/2006 01:56PM by Mike Barkley.

Dear Jim,

I usually apply 3 to 4 coats of AMTAK Clear Coat Hi-Build with the Flex-Coat brushes to any decorative butt wraps I create. The first application is usually right after I mix up the batch of epoxy. All other coats are after I have applied it to the guides when it is much thicker. I give it a little extra help with "flowing out" with the goose neck lamp I use to work by and I have never never been concerned with the contoured look. Place finished rod in rotating dryer to cure.

I tend to look for the "glassy, hi-gloss look" regardless of the underlying thread work. That's just the way it's gonna look unless you keep putting it on layer after layer until it looks like the rod blank - and wouldn't that be thick now??

Good luck.

Charlie

I too grieved over this. (Well not actually grieved)
Then when pointed to Vol 9 - #1 "Better Apoxy Finish" p. 26 RodMaker back issue, after reading it I knew something good was about to happen.
First I applied this technique to my guide wraps. The end results were as different as night and day. It impacted all aspects of applying apoxy, footballing, airbubbles, barreling disappeared with the next rod.
Then using the same approach I applied it to on my open wraps after I finish the guides, as a seperate operation. I wanted the extra time just concentrateing on the Open
I found what made the biggest difference in the open wraps is after the "sag" or "drool" is complete I would wick with a playing card (like Mike mentioned and the straight sharp edge makes a very good tool for this) and I can without getting into the open get very close using care not to touch the wrap.
Then rotate 180 and let the drool take place and wick again. The sagging apoxy and wicking combination as the apoxy takes a set allows the "opens" to fill and the wicking keeps the build up on the "non-open" to a minimal. It usually takes about 2 hours for the sagging to end and there are multiple 180 combos. I let it dry now on a 6 rpm dryer. The next evening I do it again. Then once more if necessary but usually 2 times and its filled, straight, no waves and looks very very nice with the focus on wrap and the apoxy no longer takes away from work you put into it.
The technique was available in the Library in the forum. Check it out. It made a part of Rodmaking I dreaded into something I love to do now. I think Tom Kirkman should be the president of the United States.