Hello,

While working on my last rod, I needed to do a short wrap of different color over a previously wrapped and epoxied butt section. That first coat was allowed to dry overnight with almost 24hrs having passed since application. So while it was pretty dry, (not soft or tacky), it had not yet reached that stage where it would allow an over wrap of thread to slide smoothly across the epoxy surface while packing. (Epoxy would sort of grip the thread making packing difficult).

A few sprays from my bottle of isopropyl alcohol on the wrap allowed the epoxy surface to become slick enough for packing thread. I have read that accidentally getting alcohol on a guide wrap is no big deal as long as time is given for the alcohol and water to evaporate. However, I am not sure if spraying alcohol on a guide wrap on purpose is a good thing? Am I better off allowing the epoxy to cure for an extra day or two before doing an over wrap?

While the second coat went on and cured fine, my concern would be for any additives in the alcohol that could damage my thread? Or is water and alcohol all that's really in the bottle? Thanks in advance.

-chad

Let the epoxy get a bit harder before making the overwrap. While you won't likely harm anything with the alcohol, it's never going to do the finish any good and in some cases can carry things that may affect the final epoxy overcoat, even once the alcohol has evaporated.

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Like said let it dry IMHO 5 - 7 days and with light tension it should work without alcohole

Bill - willierods.com

I had a issue with alcholo on my wraps where it was traped in several months later the epoxy turn soft and the guide came off had to do it all over so i make sure that alcholo is total dry and try to keep it from wraps until coverd.

Bobby Stout
Bloomburg, TX

Hello,

Appreciate you all sharing your thoughts/experience. Guess I will have to find something to practice wrapping on while waiting the extra time for my epoxy to cure.

-chad

I also have had new finish turn soft under Alcohol and would recommend not to use it at all.

Another thought,
Is there really any reason to put on the first coat of finish that you are putting on, before putting on your top wrap.

Normally, when I do double layers of wraps, I just do the double layers and put on the finish on the top layer with no intermediate layer of finish.

Be safe

Hello,

Thank you Roger for your recommendation. The over wraps were for a hook-keeper wrapped right above the winding check, plus two 3/4" decorative "end caps" at each end of my split grip butt section.

The problem I have with wrapping both layers of thread one on top of the other, is that when I try to add an inlay thread to the over wrap, the bottom layer would get distorted when packing, but maybe I'm not doing it correctly?

In the past I have done a single under wrap, then an over wrap of thread wound on in the opposite direction as the under wrap with good results. (No need for finish between the two layers). However I've never tried doing an inlay with this method, do you think it would work?

-chad

If you do not use CP you can put several coats of Permagloss on This will get real hard and give you a nice coat to wrap your hook keeper over

Bill - willierods.com

Hello,

Thanks for the tip Bill. I hardly use color preserver and would have to try that next time. Yes, my reason for wanting to do an under wrap in this area was to protect the blank from the sharp hooks of the lure. Good to know there are other options for this besides the standard thread and epoxy.

-chad



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/2013 06:29PM by Chad Barlongo.