I see a lot of talk about applying finish with a spatula. I have not seen a tool like this in any rod building catalogs. What exactly do you use?

Also, does it really help keep bubbles down?

Thanks,
Marc

HI
All the suppliers have them. Other tools to apply finish, could use old ( or new ) credit card, other type of semi stiff plastic cut to different sizes to fit the job, etc......

Dave von Doehren
PRRODS......If man built it , man can fix it.and if man built it man can break it !

McDonalds has some awesome indivdually wrapped white plastic rodbuilders spatulas for a great price!!!!

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 got mine from @#$%&

[]

half way down that page...i just got the spatula($2.90) but they have a 4 piece set($8.99) that looks pretty good

i like the one i have but im going to get another one because sometimes i need that one but with the head at 90 degrees to make it easier

Mark (@#$%&) has really nice ones!!!

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!!

Thanks Mike,

Just ordered the new 4 pc. set from Acid Rod, can't wait to try it!

Marc

You can also go by any art supplier (or a Michael's or a Ben Franklin's) and get a pallet knife. That's what I did. It seemed both ideal and reasonably inexpensive.
Tight lines,
Hunter

From ghoulies and ghosties,
and long leggedy beasties,
and things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord deliver us!

More interesting than WHERE to get a spatula, does anyone have any good instructions on HOW to use one? Mudhole and @#$%& both offer a set of spatulas, but someone please tell me WHAT to do with the spatula shaped like a garden trowel?!

Tony,

Just play and use whichever one(s) work best for you. There is no particular one for rodbuilding. These all were designed fo other purposes (art, dentistry, etc), like most "rodbuilding" tools that we use. They just turned out to be very useful for applying finish.

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!!

Aside from being a great tool for picking dried epoxy from your fingernails, I found the little "spade" shaped spatula handy for packing finish into the tunnels at the guide feet as well as getting Rod Bond on the very edges of tape bushings and getting that last couple of drops of epoxy out of the mixing cup when I come up a hair short. As mentioned above, those are used in a various trades and just happen to work well in a variety of Rod Building applications. Many customers modify them to different angles and shapes to suit their needs.

Mark Griffin
[]
C&M Custom Tackle
San Dimas, California

tony,

try reading the pdf file from [www.hisrodshop.com]



-
Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day..
Teach a man to fish, he'll be broke!

Check with Anglers Workshop.
They have spatulas
Joe

His Rod Shop
Joe Kassuba

Christopher.... great link. Thanks

I concur! The article was exactly what I was looking for. I also ordered a set of spatulas from @#$%&. Their little marketing ploy at last year's show worked well. (Where they handed out spatulas). I now make a simple association between spatulas and @#$%&. San Dimas High Scholl Football rules!!!

The spatulas are easily found too. The wax and clay modeling guys use them a lot (including dentists). All are stainless that I've seen. Many shapes and sizes,,,, and qualities of stainless finish. I have a bent triangular one I've been using for awhile to scrape excess glue out of the corner of joints in my woodworking. Pretty multipurpose tools. Non magnetic stainless for the ones I have.

i found some some dentistry supply shops.. now to pay them a visit for the spatula!

-
Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day..
Teach a man to fish, he'll be broke!