I just finished watching an older basic DVD from Flex coat about rod building. In it they added a small amount of acetone to the epoxy to thin it out. This was used for the initial coat on the guide wraps. The reason is to thin out the finish and get better penetration of the threads and hence better bonding to the blank. It was followed by a full strength second coat. Intuitivly, this seems to make sense but do any of you experienced builders do this?

You should get many opinions on thinning epoxy and adding acetone may indeed help to penetrate the threads but the epoxy used for thread protection has very little if any real bonding characteristics whether to the rod blank and even to the threads. I have repaired rods where you can peal the epoxy right off the threads. It's major purpose is thread protection and minor in guide stabilization.

Ray Zarychta
Glastonbury, CT

Doc Ski always thins the first coat with a few drops of acetone in his wraps. He likes to think it might help towards the cracking problem in guide feet. He mentions in his video about a couple of used rods that are a few years old that still look like new with no cracking.

The folks who actually formulate and manufacture epoxy all say not to thin it with anything as this can and does change the final characteristics of the product. If you'll do a search on this forum you can probably find some information on the subject of thinning epoxy provided by formulator Ralph O'Quinn.

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X2 on Tom's comments.

A person can take unthinned finish and do some test applications.

Then, a person can take finish and add different amounts of diluent to the finish to thin it. Then do test applications and test the results in a few weeks after the finish has cured.

Let us know what you find.

I have done it before and know the results. But I will let you do your own testing so you are not swayed by other reports.

Good luck
REW

It may take a little longer to set up But is also thinner for better flow out

I have plenty of rods out with thinned finish With nothing wrong with them
I use mid-temp lacquer thinners Dries hard and clear

Have also tried slow reducer from KlassKote with Lumiseal It works also

Bill - willierods.com

Rod blanks are composed of fibers wetted/encased by resin materials.

The properties of the blank are determined by the combination of these two materials called composites.

Thread (fiber) and finish (resin) utilized to hold guides in place are composites.

The properties of the compostite formed by thread and finish are will known by production rod designers.

Flexcoat and the procedures demonstrated by Roger are on a high percentage of production fishing rods. These people know what they are doing.

If you do not know what you are doing or doing one or two rods at at time it may be best to not add anything to the casting resin.

Roge Wilsonr if you choose publish your test results they would be carefully reviewed by many. What is the optimum finish viscocity (centepoise) at time of application for attachment of micro guides to a graphite blank with a matte finish. If you were applying finish to 300 rods in a four hour period how many times would you mix finish and control the viscosity of the mixed finish?

Finish does Not Hold Guides in place

The thread does Finish protects the threads from the elements

Bill - willierods.com

A good article on epoxy, thinning and its effecs:

[www.westsystem.com]

Roger

None of the rods I have out I have not herd any thing what so ever on them

Then again why is all this research coming out now
When it was posted no one could tell me why not to do it

Now all of a sudden ???

Have a nice day

Bill - willierods.com