Does anyone have quantitative information on the weight of epoxy used to cover thread wraps? The guesstimates in archived posts cover a wide range, from 20% to 100% of guide weight.

I am curious, for example, of the grams or grains per linear centimeter for sparingly applied epoxy that just barely covers the thread wraps on small guides.

thanks much.

Steve

I'd think hat would be subject to quite some variation, depending on the epoxy used, the thread used, the size of the guide foot, and the length of the wrap over the foot.

Also the diameter of the blank.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

It's a gaurantee that someone on this board has figured this out, but until they respond try this.

Get a digital gram (or smaller) scale, weigh the amount of "mix" you normally use, apply the mix to wrap/rod and then ~ reweigh ~ what is left over, subtract that number from the original and you will have the amount used. (including the "normal" waste). That is the only accurate way to know how much "You" use. Not very scientic or indepth "mathmatically," but it will give you accurate use information for specific size rods, guides, wraps, each size will be different. At best you will figure out what a square "centimeter" of epoxy weighs for that size wrap and guide .

I did this a few years ago trying to determine how much finish I was using on pool cues. Cues are much more consistant in size so I didn't have to make to many samples before I knew how much I was averaging, but with fishing rods [?], Thousands of variables.....but details are what makes a good rod maker........

Steve,
There is an article in RodMaker, Volume #8-issue #3, titled Guide Weight And Rod Performance that goes through the affect of the weight of guides including the weight of the thread and epoxy on a rods performance. It will not give you the affect of the particular guides you are using and the way you apply epoxy is also a variable but it will give you a pretty good indication.
You might also want to consider getting one of the small, inexpensive, battery power, digital scales. They are only about $30 and do a good job of measuring the weight of guides, epoxy and thread.

fellas, thanks for the replies. In this situation my concern is with small guides high up on a fly blank, so the blank diameter can be readily taken as "pretty darn skinny" and I think we all know what sparingly applied epoxy looks like, when it just barely covers the thread wraps. My question of epoxy weight "per cm linear length" eliminates the issue about how long the wrap is. And density variances among brands of epoxy, I'd guess, are pretty small - these things occupy a narrow range of physical properties across the full range from air to glass.

in any case, I have access to laboratory balances that work quite well, quite low. What I lack is the time to conduct my own experiment, but sometimes it is the only way. I build only 1 or 2 rods annually, so getting out all the stuff and doing this on the kitchen table entails more hassle and familial grief than just asking around.

thanks again


EDIT:

found this very precise information in an old post by Robert Ketley:

"I carefully removed a No 4 snake guide (ID 18/64ths) and its wraps from an old 6 wt fly rod. I weighed the wraps and the guide on some lab scales. This is what I found:

Snake guide - 0.18 grams
Wraps and coating of finish from guide- 0.0395 grams

Now, some of the finish would obviously be stuck to the blank, so lets double the weight to 0.079 grams, just to be safe. This would mean a total guide + wrap weight of 0.259 grams"




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/21/2006 01:33PM by Steve Perakis.