Hey guys hope all have survived the holiday and shopping I have 3 questions on 3 different areas:
1) How are the treadles built and linked up to operate the foot pedal I'm seeing underneath some of you alls benches, it obviuosly lets you move left and right and still activate the wrapper
2) Recommended componets to build a rod for spoonbill fishing.
3) Are the small cans of catfood, empty of course, OK or useful to mix finishes and epoxies in-

let me take a stab at #3... i could be wrong of course but i believe the insides of those cans are coated to help preserve the food. If true, not a good thing for thread finish. For bargain hunting, in the past I've used those small translucent plastic ketchup tub containers found at some fast food places once or twice, and i've bought a pack of similar translucent cups from smart and final and used those too. never had a problem with either of those solutions. in the end, the mixing cups from flex-coat are cheap enough to buy.

eric
fresno, ca.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/29/2014 12:50PM by eric zamora.

Condiment type cups are available in bulk, from stores like Smart and Final etc.
However, I mix my finish in the depression found on the bottom of beer or soda cans.
If there is a "stale date" stamped there, I wipe it off with alcohol, then rinse with water.
The cans can be reused, and when you're through with them they can still go in the recycling.

I would suggest sticking to the condiment cups. I bought a bag of 100 (with lids which I throw away) from Mud Hole for around $7 last year, just now needing to order more.

The reason I say the cups verse cans.... I used to work in a mill that made coated aluminum and coated metal for food industries. When coating a coil (think big sheet of coiled metal, like aluminum foil only thicker and weighing up to 8,000 lbs), there are always spots that did not chromate convert properly, thus didn't take the coating like it should, ultimately exposing metal to the food contents. The number and size of coating flaws is regulated by the FDA for our food cans, but not for pet food cans, so a poor roll of coating due to process problems could end up being sold to pet food manufacturers at discount. If the cans you buy are not the highest grade it is likely they can have small black looking spots, that is corroded metal. And if the can is a pull-top type; it is hard to get that lip completely clean of can contents, which in pet foods include animal fats and oils. I don't want that transferring into my coating.... just saying. Nothing like a little oil to ruin a batch of epoxy.

Garry.... I'll help you drink the beer so you can use the can bottoms! That's food grade FDA regulated coated aluminum.... I'd mix in that! Maybe not so well after a few beers, but I'll do my best... :)

I use and re-use can bottoms as well. Works good for me. Just be sure to use acetone to get the printed numbers off the bottom of the can before you pur your finish in!

For mixing, I go to the local big box store, or grocery store and buy the plastic cups from them. About $2 per hundred to two hundred.

Steve, If you have the room, a good solution for going to different points on the rod, is to move the wrapper, rather than moving yourself.
To do this, you have to have enough length in the room, so that you can effectively move the wrapper the full length on the wrapping bench.

I will enclose a couple of pictures of the wrapper bed that I made for my use.

[www.rodbuilding.org]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/30/2014 10:45AM by roger wilson.

Barry Thomas Sr. posted a bunch of pictures a while back on the control that he made for his power wrapper.

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Search on his name for all of the pictures. He did a nice job that works well for him and his needs.

Barry's work with his pedal extension:

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

[www.rodbuilding.org]

Alot of the cat food cans Are coated insde and are known to cause hyperthyroid problems in cats acording to some reports,and our cat.
I use only the cups that are suggested above.There are a few places that sell in bulk a simple search will get you there.

I used to use the cups but have since switched to a small shallow dish I line with foil each time. After I finish, I just throw the foil away and reline. I can get 2 applications from each lining. I like this as it's a shallower amount and easy to remove bubbles before I start application. No searching for the next cup or beer can. I used to use the tops of frozen juice containers but we quit drinking juice so none of these left. :-)

Terry

Gentlemen

Sometimes the best solution is the one presented to you in the first place. Our mixing cups are guaranteed to not have any contaminants and are graduated so measuring is a breeze. They retail for under $4 per 100, and for those, like me, that can't do the math in your head, that is less than $0.04 per cup. Time and piece of mind are worth much more than that.

Flex Coat Company
Professional Rod Building Supplies
www.flexcoat.com

Thanks guys for all of the views have been reading a lot of the topics and comments on the site I'm jumping in by salvaging some old I believe fiberglass spinning rods all have cork handles. My questions are how to make the fiberglass and cork cleanup look nearly new and practice wrapping thread and putting on new finishes kind of like bringing them back to life they still will have an aged look but how close can I get and what to use for the refurbishing, Thanks again for all comments and for this site--

Terry posted a nice option using foil wrapping a shallow dish. I do something similar, but eliminate the shallow dish and just use heavy weight foil with the edges turned over/rolled to create a dam on all edges. But this technique of ours is for the secondary stage of application (following the mixing of the finish). Steve was asking about the first, mixing stage. And like John from Flex Coat stated, their cups are a good deal on their own. Smart and Final would be the go-to for those who wish to buck the conventional avenue.

Roger Wilson posted a nice idea about changing the method of application in relation to the rod. Although I think highly of Roger's posts, suggestions and technique he shares here at RB.org, I'm finding this method of his leaves something to be desired. Roger, you are missing out on some fun! Get a stool with wheeled/casters and you can slide easy wth great fun and ensuing smiles on hardwood or concrete floors! Weeeeeeee! (disclaimer: your mileage may vary on carpeted surfaces)

-eric
fresno, ca.