What is your normal practice for preping rod finish? I use lite build finish and I notice when mixing in my auto mixer, the finish is too thick for the bearing to properly spin. I saw a thread once stating to place the bottles on a candle heating plate before mixing. Would it be bad practice to hit the finish with a heat gun while it is mixing to thin it out a bit?

Roger,
That would be just fine.

Or, you can just put the unmixed finish in front of a heater before mixing for a while, or put the finish in its bottles into a pan of warm water before mixing.

By the way, if the finish that I have mixed up has thickened a bit, I just hit the mixed finish with a bit of heat from a heat gun before continuing the application.
Just don't overdo heat at any time on finish or any glue.

Be safe

Do remember that heating the finish will reduce the pot life.

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

One thing I noticed with the mixer, It seems to work better with a full mix, a partial smaller batch not as well. I have the cylindrical style with the wire rod poking out. I don't know if this is the same for the one with the spherical bearing but it may be.

I used to warm my bottles by placing them in my pockets 30 minutes or so before I would use them. Then I had an accident and ruined a pair of pants with resin leaking from a cap that came loose. You might get a chuckle from my solution, but I was telling my brother about what happened and my niece overheard us as we were talking. She was standing at my aquarium watching my fish swim around, feeding them and she overheard me telling my brother I like to heat the epoxy to about 78 degrees. Looking at the thermometer on the tank she says why don't you put them in here?

So lately, I've been placing the bottles inside a plastic ziplock bag and then I drop the bag with the bottles in the tank. I find it's the perfect dispensing and mixing temperature.

A reptile warming pad for a glass tank(aquarium) is about 70 ° F., available @ pet supply stores.
Leave bottles on pad for ½-1 hr before using. My bottles have the syringes in them all the time; I don't think they would be manageable in a water tank.

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble.It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." Mark Twain
John in Wethersfield, CT

Hello,

I use a space heater.

Auto mixers, sometimes you'll have to adjust the angle a bit to get the bearing to stay at the bottom of the cup and not "climb" up the sides.

Of course if the finish is too thick then the angle wouldn't make much difference.

-chad

I just pop my bottles in the microwave for a few seconds.

Regards
Dave

Fishing is Life the rest is just Details

Or
Just add about 5 drops of a good quality lacqer thinner Mid- Temperature to every CC of finish Mix well
And it will not hert the finish Been doing it for years
With a light finish 3 may be enough Try on scrap blank to see

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/08/2015 04:46PM by bill boettcher.

Thanks Guys, all great responses. Sounds like my process is spot on. I've done the space heater thing, dunking in warm water, candle plate heater and heat gun. The cylinder bearing does tend to ride up the side when its thick. I'll hit it with just enough heat to keep the bearing at the bottom.....

Hanap'a

Roger,
This is one of the reasons that I don't use a power mixer for small batches.

One can manually mix a batch of any size with virtually 0 loss. I just frequently wipe the mixing stick on the side of the mixing cup so that every part of the mix is well mixed. Also, the only thing to have to wipe off is the craft stick after the mixing is complete.

Take care

I put mine infront of a light bulb for a bit.

Heat a cup of water in the micro wave for a couple of minutes and place the resin bottle in it for 30 seconds and it will flow nicely. Safest way to do it.

I have gotten to the point that I mix everything by hand and with a wooden stick even. I mean I mix the @#$%& out of it. All kinds of bubbles everywhere when I'm done. And it doesn't matter. Put the finish on the wraps bubbles and all. Hit the applied finish with my heat gun and magic no more bubbles. Plus if I was a bit heavy handed with the finish I get a little epoxie blob hanging off the bottom of the rod that I skim off with my brush. Make sure to let these ones rotate for a min and hit it with the heat gun again. You will get some bubbles added back in at times by pulling away the epoxie. Crystal clear epoxie everytime with this method.

Jimmy,
That method works very well and no waste using the power mixer.

Take care

My man cave is a basement and can get in the fifties in the winter as it is not heated or cooled. I bought a small desk size ceramic heater at Tractor Supply. I let the epoxy bottles sit in front of it for at least 5 min before mixing. When it gets the right consistency, I mix it with the ceramic heater blowing on the mixing rotator. When I apply the epoxy I have the heater blowing toward the wraps. The epoxy is at a good consistency and goes on very evenly and bubble free. Have to be careful not to let it get to hot. I always use the lower settings and fan on the heater.

Dave Orr Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I just pop my bottles in the microwave for a few
> seconds.

Dido, just 5 seconds or so is enough to get it fluid again.

Don Campbell
don@sensorfishingrods.com

I use a hair dryer they are cheap can be bought in thrift shops , keep mine in my rod room Takes less than 15 sec. and can be reheated again when mixed . No bubbles, I like loose .It does not last long but it cures faster for a second coat.