Friends, Romans, Countrymen!

We should not let topics like this end up as a Declaration of War!

Finish mixing procudures are not the Declaration of Independence.

I have used measuring spoons to measure finish for the past 10 years.

No finish problems with any brand.

After reading all this I will consider -

A white crystal lump in the spoon heated with a cigarette lighter and application with a syringe.

I will end up stuck to the wall watching colorful bubble escaping!

I then can make music with the spoons and enjoy the curing time!

Do What You Gotta Do! Your work product will tell you if you were right!

THere's no need for them to give that info out because it will result in people screwing things up. IT's way too easy to mix 1:1. without people turning it into rocket science with scales and ratios. SOmetimes it's too easy to just do things the easiest way, the result is a post like this where several people have had issues mixing improperly. IF Brad had mixed like the instructions say on the bottles, he and the others wouldn't have had a problem. I wonder where he got the idea to mix the way he did, and the real problem is that he didn't test out his new mixing procedure on scraps.

To answer Ed K's question,

I rarely mix more than 2cc of product. With micro bass rods, you just dont need very much finish at all, less than snake guides on a fly rod really. Wraps are small, and less mixed is less waste. That said, I use syringes and have for years. I can mix as little, or as much as I need effortlessly. My syringes stay in the top of each bottle of product, and like Billy stated, I can have finish measured and ready to mix before you can read the 1st sentence in this post. It's just elementary.

DR

Robert's earlier comment was, and I quote, "They want you to mix a minimum of 3 ccs to sell more product."

If that was true it would indicate that they're not ethical business people. The fact is, they're producing product for the masses. They know that not everyone will be careful and in order to provide enough margin for error so that most folks will get the desired result they recommend mixing enough product so that a small error in mixing won't cause problems. Again, if you're off a drop on a total 1cc mix, your finish is not going to set and cure properly. That same drop on a total 6cc mix isn't going to matter.

If you're careful enough to mix less and get good results that's fine. But the manufacturers can't count on everyone being that precise or careful. Thus, the recommended mix allows some margin for error - it's not an attempt to cause you to use more product as Robert suggested. That comment was really an affront to the good people who supply us with these epoxies. I think most anyone that has spent time talking with folks like Ralph O'Quinn, Roger Seiders, Andy Dear, Silvia Davis, etc., know how committed they are to seeing their customers get good products that provide the desired results at the best value possible. They and the other fine people who provide our rod building epoxies deserve better than that sort of comment.

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

I thought it was a cheap shot to. I see the even cheaper come back was pulled.

Wow....a lot of reading about a simple task. I'm with Billy and the Syringe folks...it is simply the best and easiest way to measure small quantities of a liquid type product. You can very easily draw and measure 1/2...even 1/10 cc of finish if you wanted to....We draw up and administer quite a few drugs on the ambulance all with syringes.....if it works for life saving medication...it will definately work for fishing rods...this is one are of building that doesnt need to be harder than it really is...

And as BIlly mentioned...you are best off with the syringes from the suppliers...Almost all of the medical syringes have some form of a silicone agent in them for the stopper.....there are some that don't, but its not really worth the hassle when the things are so cheap anyway.

Scott Sheets
www.smsrods.com

I have talked to Ralph and known Roger so I know these are good people who want to help all the rod builders. They are not trying to just sell more finish by saying to mix more finish.

The guy was out of line. The people who manufacture products have to keep the big picture in focus. Their instructions are aimed at the general masses, to make sure that the most people possible get the best results. Mixing larger quantities makes the process more foolproof. The easier you make something the more likely it is that people will get good results. The harder or more involved you make something the more people you have that are going to run into trouble.

i rather use the syringe method... i used to use the yorker cap drip method.. and i always had problems with it due to the fact that my drips were not same in size... ended up having more of the thicker liquid as it didnt flow as well and i have to squeeze the bottle a bit.

with the syringe, 1 cc is 1 cc.. no more, no less.. nothing subjective.. it is a fixed measurement, of course, unless the syringe marking is off..

working with weight, i guess would be ok, if both part a & b are of the same density at any given temperature. if you heat one up, the other must also be heated to same.

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

"Over the past couple of months I have applied thread master light to over 100 rods and most of them turned out sticky after several days and months of drying."

I think I'd be concerned after rod number two or three.

I only use TM lite for a first coat occasionally. It does not seem to cure as hard as regular TM, but maybe that is just me. I had to totally redo one customer rod that was all scuffed up on the wraps and decal area.

Chuck

Billy and Tom are 100% right on!