Like I asked, is it really that important to mix 3 cc's of thread finish together to get a correct mixture and proper curing and all that stuff? I use Threadmaster. Man, I just hate to mix that much together and waste 95% of it? Or, have the makers told us this to get more $$$? It has to be a conspiracy! LOL Any comment would be greatly apprciated..

Paul

Do you NEED to? .... No.

I have often times mixed up 2cc's of each and even 1cc of each component to do some jig heads or some other not terribly important task. And I've never had my finish not cure properly.

But...that is a good ratio to ensure that everything will come out right. And given the scenario of what it takes to correct things when they're not right... Its worth it to me to throw away a little finish. The hours of fixing something that would have been so easy to prevent certainly outweight the few cents worth of finish that doesn't get used.



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

Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

Matt...

Thank you sir, I appreciate the field experience! I can empathize with the screw-up part..!!!

Paul

yeah you can....but think of it like this the more you mix the more you can be "off"

example: if you mix 10cc and you are off by 10%..well if you did the same with 5cc you would be off by 20%

if that makes any sense at all??? haha

with other finishes, ive had issues, but with threadmaster, ive been able to use as lil' as 1/2 a cc, and have gotten perfect results. Threadmaster seems to be alot more forgiving than other finishes.

"There is a principle which is a bar against all information,which is proof against all arguments and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance--that principle is contempt prior to investigation."
- Herbert Spencer

I've never had an issue mixing smaller quantities and like Danny above, I've mixed as little as 1/2cc of ThreadMaster. I too hate to waste it (since it costs to much to ship it to me). The trick for me is to use a syringe to measure the two parts.

If you are extremely careful and know how to use syringes accurrately you can get by using 0.5 cc. of each part. Much less you are in jeopardy of makeing a real mess. I have never had a problem when I use syringes but I used syringes for 40 years before I started rod building. Mike Barkely's method of drilling a hole the exact diameter of the lure tip of the syringe in the top of each part, make exact measurements an easy task.

Ed Smith

Fantastic you guys...I tell ya, I have learned sooo much from this sight and you ole' buzzards and young ones too! Hearing this from you guys is music to my ears as far as quantity goes. I use syringes as well, just cause I'm anal about building rods and take the extra time to not "rush" things. Thanks again you guys! I really apprciate it!

Paul

and...I think the next "rodbuilding conclave" should be in Alaska..I'm sure Tom and the other leaders won't have a problem financing all you guys to come up here and fish! HAHA!! Your stellar Tom!

Paul

No, you can mix smaller quantities, but you'll have a lot less margin for error. Example, if you're off by one drop on a total 6cc mix, you won't likely have a problem. But mix a half cc of each part and be off by that same single drop, and now the percentage of error is so much greater than you may end up with a coating that will never cure.

So which is cheaper in the long run... a guaranteed properly cured finish where you toss out a few CCs of finish, or a finish job that doesn't set up resulting in the need to add a second application of finish, or worse - a total rewrap.

When you break things down into how many batches you can get out of a finish kit, you're only talking about a very small amount of money per rod, even mixing 3cc of each part.


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The rational you give as usual, makes sense to me Tom. A complete rewarp would spell agony. I had to do a re-wrap on just the hook keeper and my sticker application area and that was so painful! I can't imagine a whole section of a float rod...Now how about that conclave up here in Alaska? LOL

Paul

Hi Paul,

I can understand you fully. I also had similar thoughts as you - and also the problem of expensive transport from the US to Germany (intl. transport costs, customs e.t.c.)

When I mix my epoxy I use syringes I buy here locally from the pharmacy which are free of silicone. Their maximum content is 3cc / 3ml. Price per syringe is between 0,10 and 0,15€ depending on teh mood of the pharmacist. In most cases I fill up the syringe with exact 1cc / 1ml each, markings on the syringe would allow me to go with 1/10th of a cc/ml.

Never had a problem with non curing / or continuous tacky epoxy, you just have to bring out the bubbles and then both syringes to same volume. I leave teh remaining epoxy in my application room (under same ambient conditions like the turning rod) on the aluminium foil as a reference to see how hard the epoxy is already. So if it does not cure I could see it as a reference also on teh aluminium foil.


RGDS,
Ole
Ellerau/Germany

If you want to attend DisneyLand, you have to go to Florida. If you want to attend the world's grandest rod building event, you have to come to North Carolina.

But I suspect you knew that already. Good luck on the finish, just be very careful when you mix very small quantities.

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I too have mixed .5cc of each part and not had a problem. I mixed mine in a small thimble so I would be able to mix it throughly without loosing too much if any to the sides like you would in a larger mixing container.

TJ

I look at this like I do at aquariums. A healthy aquarium has certain perameters that it needs to stay in. Most people see large aquariums and think, "I'll stick with my 5-gallon unit. It has to be MUCH easier to keep healthy than that 90-gallon one." Actually the 90-gallon is easier because of the larger mass. Adding a goldfish to a 5-gallon tank will throw the system off quickly while adding a goldfish to a 90-gallon tank will make 'almost' no difference in the ecosystem. You CAN certainly add that fish to the small tank, but you have to watch it and take added precautions when doing so. But put that same fish in the big tank and you can pretty much turn and walk away with the confidence everything will remain happy and healthy.

The same goes with epoxy. Mix a small batch and it will work, but you have to be carefull in the process. Mix a larger batch and you can simply walk away with the confidence everything is going to turn out right.

Jay

I try and mix what's needed. Sometimes I'm off by a CC or 2, not in the mix, but in volume for the work.
I may estimate 8 CC's to do the rod, and it takes only 6.
I eyeball small amounts by drawing A/B lines with the york capped bottles, and for larger amounts, either puddle size, or a syringe.
I have successfully frozen unused portions of mixed wrap resin, for a fast repair job down the short road..say, 24-36 hours later. It's easy this time of year to pop it out on the deck, where it is presently -23C/9.4 below F.
A 10 second hit in the microwave thins it enough to get that one or 2 guide repair done, in a satisfactory manner. Rotate as usual, and bob's yer uncle. There's always a loose guide in the place somewhere, either on one of my rods, the kid's., or a walk-in repair person.
Because of the importation factor, it can get pricey to throw it away. Glasscoat from Richard's (back in the day) was almost 50.00 CAD for the 4 ounce kit, or 2.50 CAD/1.60 USD per CC, because of the exchange rate then. Other resins are more cost-efficient. If there's lots of time, I'll use a resin that's less money, but takes longer to cure.

Back in the day when flexcoat recommended counting drops and the syringe method, now in vogue, was no where insight. A 50/50 BY VOLUME MIXTURE was hard to achieve counting drops as the drops were not of equal volume due to the variance in density...So I decided to find out what each component in a 50/50 by volume mixture weighed, so I could achieve a 50/50 mixture by volume using a good scale. I had to come up witha method even Alaskan guides could muttle through un sckathed. Now a 2 fluid once size bottle (4oz total both components) last a long long time as I can mix as little as 1/2 a gram total with positive results everytime. I usually mix 5 10ths of gram of resin and 4 10ths of a gram of hardner and in 12 hours you can touch it and its ready for another coat. I usually do wait 24 hours to put any kind of pressure on it, and let it rest two days before using after the final coat. I knocjk down burrs and fuzzies between the 12 hr coats