I use prokote if its not warm enough it won't cure 100%. Its a great epoxy but it takes forever to cure. I would say a day and a half in good temp.

When I was using big pre-loaded syringes, or trying to pour equal amounts into a plastic shot-glass I had tacky finish a couple of times.
I bought two pair of tiny syringes from Bingham for a few dollars and started using very precise measurements.
The problem went away...

In cold weather I time the application of thread finish so that the rod will have at least 4 hours of drying time, during the heat-of-the-day.
To keep the drying temperature constant, I use a space heater set for about 75.
I close up this drying area to keep the heat in.
As evening approaches, I move the now fairly dry rod into a spare bathroom, where I have an old rod dryer clamped to the vanity.
Again I set up the space heater that is set for 75. In the morning everything is dry.
I use the bathroom because it is a small space that is easy to keep warm, also with tiled walls and floors there is no fire hazard.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/16/2015 12:52AM by Garry Thornton.

Prokote need exact (very accurate) mesuring, it's what I found.
I always microwave it for 5 second before mesuring and mixing.
And I always mix it for 4 minutes (yes it's long).
And it like a warm place to set.
Othervise on some case it didn't set.

But i like it a lot.

________________________________________
@+
Eric
[www.emfishing.fr]

Gene,
Before you do anything else, take the rod to a warm place - like 80-90 degrees for a couple of days and see if the finish sets up. You really should not put another coat of finish over a coat of finish that has not cured.

Remember what the good book said about building your house on sand? The same principle applies. If you don't have a good foundation for your finish, the outcome is not likely to be good.

I am guessing that you mixed the correct portions. But if the components were in the 30 degree range, I am guessing that you really need to mix for something like 5 minutes to be sure that the mix is complete.

By the way, I have always found that if I had a bad mix on a finish as happened to me a few times a long time ago, my best solution, was to take everything off of the blank with respect to guides and wraps and finish and start over with a new guide placement, wrap and reapplication of finish. I found that if I didn't strip the rod down all of the way, that I was never happy with the final results.

Good luck on how everything works out for you.

Be safe

One thing that will help you get actual true measurements in your syringes is to tip the syringe up-right after drawing up the resin or hardener , then draw the plunger back a few CC's. Very slowly push the plunger back up while holding it upright to force any bubbles out of the tip. Make sure the plunger goes to the exact same mark on both of your syringes. If you have excess material in one syringe, it can be injected back into the bottle. I taught Ralph O'Quinn how to do this when he first started to make his Dura-Gloss.

Roger, Thanks for the info, I did take both rods inside the house, into a spare bedroom about 24 hours ago and they are still tacky but not nearly as bad so, I may have dodged a bullet.

Randolph, thanks for that info. .. It brought back memories of when i first entered xray technology school on how to fill a syringe. . back in the mid 60's . .. Sorry I didn't tell anyone my background about that. The reason I thought I may not have used the correct portions was based upon me not having the fine motor skills I once had.

And we just had a blue norther come through about 3 hours ago and dropped the temps 25+ degrees in 15 minutes. I know that can't be good for them.

Ah, but retirement is still nice! I should have gone fishing this afternoon just ahead of that blue norther!

just be glad you don't live in Boston

Bill - willierods.com

Bill, I couldn't stand it! I'm okay with 100+ degrees, i just can't stand cold temps. .. Cold being relative, it is 45º here now with 19 mph winds from the north and I am freezing! And almost as bad, no sun! lol.

I checked my rods and after 36 hours the epoxy is definitely curing. Almost no tackiness to it. I really did dodge a bullet on this. Thanks to everyone for your comments. I have learned a great deal about rod building from them.