Out of curiosity how many coats of resin do you feel is best for your guides. I have been using the flex coat high build and knocking it out in one coat. I have never tried the lighter builds so was curious what benefits this method may have. It would take additional time but if the end result is superior I would entertain changing.

Thanks

If you are getting the results you want with the higher build product, then you wouldn't necessarily gain anything by multiple coats of a lower build finish, or even thinner multiple applications of your present epoxy.

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

Casey,
I also use Flex Coat high build with a single coat.
After doing a lot of rods, I stop and look and really find that there is nothing to be gained by going to thin finish that requires multiple coats and more time.

But, if a person loves to apply finish and wait for it to dry, by all means put on many coast of finish is you wish.

Simply put, as long as the thread is filled, and the finish is smooth, there is nothing more that is necessary. So, if you can leave a rod on the dryer for 4 or 5 hours and be done with it to move on to the next one, so be it. No need to have multiple coats that tie up a rod for several days.

Roger

Finish products are more of a personal preference. Some like the high builds some like the lite formulas. I personally had trouble getting too much finish on using high builds so I work best with the lite products. I usually get by with one coat and the occasional touch up. If I have decorative thread wraps or feather inlays in the butt section, this usually requires 2 coats.

You might try one of the lite finishes and see how it goes for you. I use threadmaster, but flexcoat, U40 and many others have lite finishes as well.

Terry

I've experimented with quite a bit of combinations en route to a finish that provides enough depth to COMPLETEY encapsulate all raised areas (like where the thread overlaps it's pulled through tag) while not having so much that it impedes either perfomance or aesthetics. I've settled on the use of two coats. The first coat is a low build(or Prokote original), which gives me much more work time and thorough thread penetration than the high build does. I then apply a coat of High build over the low build - which gives me the exact coverage I'm aiming for. I have yet to see a rod with only one coat of thread finish applied that doesn't have at least a few of these "raised areas" poking slightly through the finish, exposing a small ridge of barely covered threads that will inevitably wear through over time.

We also like the 2 coat method.
First coat is always sparse, and usually thinned slightly, depending on the finish used.

Best wishes,
Ron Schneider
Schneider's Rod Shop
Mountain Home, Arkansas
[www.schneidersrods.com]
mtnron40@yahoo.com
870-424-3381

if you are not getting any bubbles in the finish and it lays out LEVEL
Why change

I myself like a thinner finish first coat seals shows any Boo Boos Second coat lays on thin yet covers any boo boos after a light sanding with 400

Bill - willierods.com