Note the next sentence - if the wrap is wide, move over a brush width and repeat. For your 1/4 inch brush, you'd have to do this 4 times.

If I were you, I'd keep a little wide brush on the bench for those wider wraps. I commonly have two in use per rod. The wider one for down low where the wraps are longer, and a more narrow one for use on the shorter wraps up near the tip.

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

John Shear Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ...Btw, I tried a spatula and that didn't work at
> all. I'm thinking I need to grind the rounded end
> to a more square end...
>
> John
> Chippewa Falls, WI

The only reason I could imagine why you would want to grind the end of the spatula flat is because it sounds like you want to use the spatula like a paint brush instead of what Tom described previously.

The spatula is used to deliver epoxy in close proximity to the thread. It's smooth surface allows epoxy to flow off the spatula faster than the bristles of a brush. A round or curved end on a spatula will allow the epoxy to transfer more quickly than a square end because the round end has less surface area to hold the epoxy than a square end.

Grinding the end flat will only slow the transfer of epoxy off the spatula.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/06/2014 07:25PM by John E Powell.

John P,
I thought a straight edge would work better because I put a glob of epoxy on with one rotation, then tried to angle it to steer the epoxy to the left and right to cover more area but the curved edge didn't work for steering. So perhaps I need to just follow previous recommendations to just let it flow and not try to steer it. As Tom just said I guess I need to move over a spatula width and repeat the application with one rotation (but not with such a big glob). A video of proper spatula technique would be helpful since I learn by seeing better than by just reading text. But I get the idea and will practice more using your guys' advice.
Thanks so much for helping me learn.

John Shear
Chippewa Falls, WI

Ralph O`Quinn used to do demos at his booth at the ICRBE using a spatula. To see him do it was worth a thousand words. There are several videos on youtube but none show the best way to do it.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

I got a question

If you are having problems with HIGH BUILD
Why do you use it ???

With a faster machine you can put LIGHT BUILD on and put a heavyer coat on
Or a slower and put two coats on
It would release bubbles better Stay wetter longer to flow better

Bill - willierods.com

I agree Bill. I'm a hobby builder so I'm not working with it daily like you pros, but I have done a lot of test wraps with the different types of finish epoxy. I know this is a very personal thing to rod builders. I've settled on ProKote which I see as a "Medium Build". It's got at least 20 minutes of working time and with a little heat can be pushed to 30 minutes if you have to. Like Tom says you shouldn't be taking that long. It levels nicely and I never have bubbles in the finished wrap. I do use a product called Bubble Buster which briefly reduces the surface tension on the epoxy and releases some of the bubbles that maybe in there after the mix. It doesn't have any effect on the finished product. The instructions say to do it after it is applied to the rod, but I give it one squirt in the foil pan before I apply to the rod and that works very well.

Most of the finishes out there are good products and if you learn their idiosyncrasies and have a favorite, use it.

Steve Hartzell
Lake Conroe - Willis, Texas



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/2014 03:43PM by Steve Hartzell.

Thank u guys, I will definitely look u up and anyone else that wants to meet. Great bunch of guys