I now know what problems my northern countrymen experience while trying to epoxy finish rods during the winter. The temperature here in Houston has been hovering 34-38 degrees all day long. The temp in my rod room has been hanging in at 70-75 degrees. Normally the temp in my room is 80 degrees year round. Just that small drop in the temp made the epoxy hard to work with and would not level out as it normally does. I wound up taking as much of the finish off of the guides as I could. I will redo the rod in a couple of days when this cold spell blows over. Since it only gets this cold once or twice a year I did not think to prewarm the epoxy.

Well, it was 17 below yesterday morning here in da frozen tundra. I usually have the rod room around 68 degrees all winter. It's always a fun time getting it level. I use lots of swing arm lamps with 60 watt bulbs to help me out, Ellis.

Putter
Williston, ND

what type of epoxy are you using ellis? it only gets down in the 40-50s for about a month out of the year here (florida) its still 80 degrees all day everyday....i just got some Dura Gloss LS Supreme to try out (i was using flexcoat and it yellows extremely fast)

68 degrees!!!!!!! 68 is cold! i keep my house 76 all year haha ;)

Hey Ellis,

I assume you're talking about Threadmaster (what else) Just nuke it for a couple minutes or stick it in your pocket for 5 or 10. It should be fine

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!!

Because New Mexico is in the middle of a cold (sub-zero) spell, I brought my portable heater into the room where I epoxy. I turn it on (low) for an hour before I start and the room temperature gets to be a nice toasty 80. When I'm done with the drying, I turn it off to save money.

BTW, for those of you who think that New Mexico is all desert, we got 38" of snow over New Year's. The NM ski areas loved it!

JB

I too would nuke the parts for a few 'seconds'.

I also have a small space heater in my drying room. I actually don't apply epoxy in that room...only have my drying motor in there. I use it even in the summer months as I usually work with Aftcote and the drying times tend to be longer with that product.

Ellis, would hitting the wraps with short bursts from a flame not be enough to get the leveling you needed?

Jay

Ellis,
I assume you're still using ThreadMaster. 70-75 degrees is actually optimum for any finish ....I applied TM to a rod in a room that was 60 degrees last week w/o incident, but I did warm it slightly first. If the bottles were stored in a room above 68 degrees you can certainly microwave them for about 5 seconds, but that should really only be necessary if they've been stored below 68 degrees.

You're lucky it hit 38 in Houston....here in the Hill Country it's been in the mid twenties and we've had lots of snow and ice.


Andy Dear
Lamar Fishing

Yes it was Threadmaster. I noticed that the air bubbles were not popping out as they normally do when I mix it. So now I have a nice thin finish on my guide wraps and all is not lost. No Winston footballs here. I normally apply two coats of finish and tomorrow I will again apply a very thin coat. No harm done, it just surprised me to see epoxy thicken. It has not happened before but it rarely gets cold here.

Hate to gloat Andy, but I will!!!! 20's is considered above normal here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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!!

I understand your problem as I find most epoxy works easier above 70 degrees but come visit Putter or me when we are finishing rods this season of the year and you'll be happy to get back to 70 to 75 range. I really think it is a matter of getting use to the temperature ranges you must deal with. I can maintain my work room at 70 when it is minus 20 degrees outside but if you get within 3 feet of a window you notice a definite temperature drop.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

Here in North Pole, Alaska (64 degrees North Latitude) I thought that was the way epoxy always behaves-- didn't know any different! Now I am all anxious to see what I am missing.... or maybe I don't want to know! Might spoil me. Oh well, May Halibut, June Kings, July Reds and August Silvers will make up for all the cold wx blues. Maybe this is the angle I need to convince my wife to let me attend your rod builder's exposition. I could teach a sectional on using epoxy in cold weather. Class to be held in the hotel walk in freezer. Bring your parky!




Pesco Ergo Sum

-20 must be nice!! Last Friday it was -50 with the wind chill here in the land North of 60.



Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

-50 is insane thats not cold! thats insane...how do you live in that!? i cant even take 20 degrees F let alone -50C!

Heck we were out ice fishing on Saturday and the ambient temp was -25 before the 20 MPH wind. Don't even want to know what the wind chill was.

When you are talking about epoxy and cold temps not flowing out evenly it is not just how warm it is when you mix it, it cools pretty rapidly while you are applying it and won't flow out very well from there. That is why you hear of people from the nothern climes breaking out torches other forms of heat, that those from the south say are totally not necessary.

jon edwards Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> -50 is insane thats not cold! thats insane...how
> do you live in that!? i cant even take 20 degrees
> F let alone -50C!

Spend lot's of time tying fly's, building rods & the occasional ice fishing trip.
But when it finally warms up.............it's time to hit the water & the best Lake Trout fishing in the world!!!

[www.arcticangler.ca]




Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details