i got to thinking last nite about the finish creeping up the handle. the only time i had trouble, was when i dod not use a winding check. this little guy stops finish from creeping up. never thought about it before.

i dont use winding checks ever and i havent had this creeping problem

I don't use winding checks and never had problem either

Stan; If you don't touch the fore grip with the finish it wont creep up on it. In other words, the finish must "wet" the area it creeps upon. You may be crowding the finish too much when you get next to the fore grip and pushing it up on it. You need very little finish on your brush when you go around the rod in that area, don't have a fully loaded brush. It is very easy to push too much finish up next to the fore grip. Be more careful and accurate in that area. I have done exactly what you are doing. I would suspect all of us have at some point.

Let the finish "creep" all it wants. Wait until the stuff is just starting to gel a bit and then take a rag wetted with alcohol and touch the corner to the grip at a point where you want a nice, crisp edge. Hold the alcohol soaked rag corner right there and rotate the rod 360 degrees.

The resuilt is a crisp, even epoxy winding check of sorts right on the front of the grip. If you do this during the proper window of time, the finish will be gelled enough so that it won't creep any further and yet still be soft enough that the alcohol will remove it from any point above where you desire it.

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It probably does creep up the check, but you don't notice sinc ethe check is much smaller OD than teh grip. Or the check might have a flat spot on teh front of it which is closer to teh OD of the epoxy.

I actually don't mind the creeping. What I am struggling with is the way the finish is pulled to the cork and it leaves a valley behind. I really notice this on the tiger wraps done in the split grip since the multiple coats tend to amplify the effect. I also noticed more trouble when I have the shop warmed up to speed the cure, and lite build is worse yet.

What I have started doing is staying away from the cork when I put the finish on the two color base layer. I'm doing one now and I put the base layer down before I put the cork on. It's a spinning rod with a split grip - 2' butt, 3" split area, then two rings and the NPS seat. I'll put the butt on from the butt end and then pull the cork (two rings at rear of NPS18) down onto the the cured base wrap. Then I'll do the top wrap and finish.

I don't like winding checks so I usually put finish right up to the cork.

Tom - I will try the alcohol wipe.

Fold a coffe filter in half (or quarters)to get a nice straight flat edge. wet it good with alcohol and hold it against the grip, check, etc while the rod is turning for a nice crisp edge. Works good next to guide wrap edges also.

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. I'll give it a shot. I've done it on guides.

Here is what I mean.... [www.rodbuilding.org]

It is especially bothersome when it creeps up the edge of a hypalon or eva grip - you wind up with a fairly sharp edge around the circumference of the grip where the finish wicked up onto the grip. the finish wicks (creeps) up the edge to a taper naturally then cures. When you squeeze the are with you hand the synthetic grip gives by the cure finish does not.

Jay Hunt's suggestion to not touch the fore grip with the finish is what I practice. I apply finish almost up to the grip and stop 3-5 thread widths away from it on the two coats I apply. The finish wicks into and wets all the thread but is not sufficient to climb the synthetic grip and form the sharp edge.

I found that once wet it is hard to "dry" the area enough to repel finish and it will just creep back onto the area that were wet to begin with.

Lou