I am new to the forum. My wife is sick of my rod sitting in the dining room waiting to dry so she looked up and found this great forum.

This is my second Cabela's kit. On the first rod I used the Flex Coat finish. This time I used the Pacific Bay finish that came with the kit. It is not drying. I want to put a second coat on but don't want to screw this up.

My wife is cheap so the house is at 70 degrees, not the 75 called for in the instructions. Could this be my problem? How do I fix it.

Thanks for you help.

Steve

Steve Wolfe
Glen Ellyn, IL

Steve,
About 9 times out of 10 - if you have mixed the correct 1:1 ratio with your epoxy finish - the problem is inadequate mixing.
i.e. after measuring out the correct quantity - mix for at least 2 minutes or 120 seconds.
So often , folks mix the epoxy until it looks mixed, but it actually hasn't properly combined.

I don't like to go over another finish that is tacky, but many folks have good look taking a 2nd well mixed finish over a tacky finish and have the final result come out fine.

The other option is to remove everything,, and start over.

Have a happy holiday.

Roger

Not really, at 70F, the finish should set to the touch overnight. It will be just a tad soft for a day or two. After about 3 days, it should be relatively hard.

Any time an epoxy finish remains tacky after say, 24 hours, you have either not measured the parts properly, or not mixed them thoroughly.

You can apply a 2nd coat over the 1st. Make sure you measure and mix thoroughly. Use enough of both parts to give yourself a decent margin for error. Very small batches lend themselves to problems.

......

Make sure to stir the 2 parts of finish VERY WELL, and using a FLAT instrument to do this is WAY better than a round one as you create a "folding" effect with a flat one and get a better mix of the 2 parts. I stir 70 slow strokes right, 70 left and 30 right again. Works everytime for me.

DR

I mix with Popsicle sticks broken in half length wise. You will get a better measurement with syringes and the cone shaped caps with even small bottles of finish.

If I remember right some of these kits come with the finish in pre packaged envelopes and if you don't squeeze all of the contents out of each packet, you will not get the exact one to one mix that with some Manufactures you will require for a finish that wont be tacky. Being this is your second rod you may find that you are starting a hobby that has an addictive edge to it and you will be money ahead looking to one of the sponsors on the left and go ahead and get a beginners rod building kit!! I have always been able to go back and refinish with a second coat, this time double checking the mixture to be exactly 50/50 and correct the tacky results that I have had. We use heat pump at the house here in NC, and 70 degrees is where we keep the thermostat.


Brad Hetzel

The 70deg is fine. The mix, as has been noted above, may not be. Put the second coat on it but make absolutely sure you've got the mix just right and also that it's mixed super well.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods