G'day All!

I use a black rubber winding check to neaten the transition from fore-grip to butt-wrap. When fishing on the weekend I noticed that on one rod the winding check is starting to degrade. The rubber is cracking, and if you rub your finger over it you end up blackened! The rod is several years old.

Are winding checks supposed to be coated with epoxy to protect them?

Regards
Dave

Your problem in not unique. Rubber tends to deteriorate over time and UV exposure hastens the process. (Coloring objects black helps extend their life through what is known as a "sacrificial" process, however.)

Coating the check with epoxy will help, but will not elimnate the problem entirely. First, you have to thoroughly clean the check with a solvent in order to get the epoxy to adhere to it. Even then, the adhesion is not what you might expect.

Early in my own rod building career I decided to forgo the use of winding checks. I make my own grips and was careful to fit them closely to the blank. By ever so slightly overlapping the epoxy from the base wrap up and onto the face of the grip (cork or EVA) I found the epoxy would form a gentle, sloping "winding check" of its own. If you try this, keep a rag moistened with solvent handy and if the epoxy spreads farther onto the grip face than you would like just use a corner of the rag to knock it back - hold it against the grip the preferred distance and rotate the rod one or two revolutions. This removes any excess and creates a nice, round "check". As the epoxy starts to set it will not spread any farther and you will have a nice transition that will last as long as the rod does.

Artie Herbert has made many epoxy checks and butt caps and I will ask him to post his thoughts here. I know he details the process in one of his various rod building videos.

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Artie Hebert's method for winding checks is very nice and shown very well on his video.

Most of the time I also use rubber winding checks and coat them with a transition up to the blank with epoxy. It is better than leaving the check 'exposed' and looks neater (better than factory).

Also, consider the metal winding checks which will surely last longer but are more expensive and require a proper size to fit.

Rich
www.rodreel.com

I have used almost the same method Tom uses for several years now with the exception being, I add liquid Rit Dye to the epoxy mixture to make the winding check the color I want. John

THAT'S A PRETTY SWEET IDEA, JOHN. I HADN'T THOUGHT OF THAT. SUDDENLY I WONDER WHAT KIND OF EFFECTS I COULD GET USING THAT DYE ON OTHER PLACES WHERE I APPLY FINISH. INSCRIPTION AREA? THIS DEMANDS SOME CREATIVE THINKING. THANKS!