I really don't know what happened.....maybe I was too tired and it was too late at night...
I always have trouble lining up my guides before doing the first coat.....
Maybe the eyes just aren't that great anymore... i usually have a second person check my guide alignment before I start coating...Well, after at least 100 rods you would think I'd know better....I didn't....I didn't have someone else check.....4 of the 8 guides on this 7 ft. 30 lb, RCLB70ML I'm building are just slightly off...
Slightly enough "off" so that I notice them.....which means, they are coming off....

The question is:
I use Aftcoat finish and put it on about 48 hrs ago. Is it possible to just slice the top wraps off
without damaging the underwraps, scuff the underwraps and coating back to flat, put the guides back on and do the overwraps..... or do I have to trash (cut off) the whole thing and start over?

Anyone have any "tricks" for fixing this sort of stupid mistake???
(can you tell I am REALLY @#$%& at myself?)

Thanks, Jon

Jon,

As a last resort......As soft as aftcote stays for a while, I'd heat the finish up a touch and try and align the guide slightly. This wont work if you have one majorly off, but if only a slight movement is needed it may? work. You've got nothing to loose in trying if you're planning a re-wrap anyway.

DR

If you slice the finish around the circumference of the wrap, leaving the underwrap untouched, you may be able to just peel off the finish and thread from the overwrap. Rewrap the overwrap and refinish. Sorry this happend to you but you may be able to save the underwraps.

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

I got very lucky...
Thanks Duane, I read your post and figured what the heck, I got nothing to lose...

Gently heated the guides up with my alcohol lamp, then I was able to adjust each eye slightly, and got acceptable alignment...
Had to cut away and clean the epoxy under each interior foot of the guide (it cracked from the pressure of twisting) was able to recoat and it looks great....I didn't even discolor the thread with the heat....
I love learning new tricks.... and thanks Tom, but I didn't read your response until after I did the deed, but you can bet I'll save it for next time....

Reminds me of old Lee Conn (he's long since passed away), first job I had in the shipyards in my youth was being his assistant. The first job I ever helped him on was building a new wood mainmast for a 60' yawl. He always told me that "The sign of a good mechanic is a guy that can not only fix his mistakes but do it in such a way that no one else can see them"... After work he takes me down the dock to his 30 ft. wooden sloop that he built for himself... we go below, he points to a set of beautiful cabinets and tells me that when he built them he made 10 mistakes on the face of the cabinets......I could not find a single one.....he was that good.
I think that level of journeyman craftsmanship is what we all aspire to ....
Jon

Jon,

I found that "trick" out the hard way. I built myself an SCV baitcasting blank as a spining rod with Fuji Titanium SIC guides several years back. I wanted this rod to be the best I owned. I double checked every detail, but forgot one! I never aligned the guides. Thats right, never even checked them. Just a numb mistake on my part. I was happy to get it done and wanted to get finish on it straight away. The guides were very close and only needed tweeked here and there (Aftcote also). I warmed them and could move them just enough to make things look good. Glad it worked out for you!

DR

I have in the past invited a few of these slightly off centered guide type rods into the spa with me and I was also told that others have done the same in a bathroom tub....I have always been fearful of applying any type of flame to a epoxy finish, I have also used a steam type cleaner for
tile floors {small household type} which worked very well even on older finishes and have never had any finish problem from doing so.

Tight Lines
Tight Wraps
Fishin'Stix by Fred