I'm using medium build and the finish on the current rod that I'm working on has dried up wavy/lumpy.its my seventh build and its the first time this has happened. It's an open cross wrap and the whole length of the wrap ( open cross wrap and base wraps) is uneven. I did not change the application method (thin coats, lengthwise strokes with a brush). I tried giving it a light sanding without hitting the threads on the cross wrap and applying a thin coat but it looks like it got worse. I don't have a rod wrapper or lathe only a 18rpm dryer so sanding it down without hitting the threads is difficult. I've wondered if the epoxy got contaminated but I'm not sure that is the problem because the only thing I've changed from previous builds is using aluminum foil instead of the tin dishes from mudhole and padding dry under coat with a tack rag between coats. When I first apply it looks even but when it starts to dry it starts to become lumpy and it gets worse. I've been using a white taklon brush I got from a craft/hobby store and to clean it is soak in acetone for about 20 minutes and then rinse it off and let it dry. It has like 4 or 5 coats of epoxy and its an open wrap so it seems to me like it would be nearly impossible to remove all epoxy and redo the wrap. There is a picture in the link below. I'd appreciate any advice on what may be the cause

[photos.app.goo.gl]

Thank you

Javier,
A beautiful job of wrapping.

Unless you want to remove all of your wraps - about the only thing that I can suggest is to add about 3 heavy coats of finish letting each coat dry at least 24 hours between coats.

Then, Use a sanding block used in the same direction as the blank runs. ie.. sand from the butt to the tip and or the tip back to the butt. With 3 heavy coats, you should have enough finish built up, so that you can sand down all of the finish until you have a uniform finish.

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A couple of notes:

1. Never use a tack rag between coats of finish. If you have some dust or something similar on the finish, just use the exhaust from a vacuum with a blind nozzle to increase the velocity of the air, or use compressed air and a blow gun on the end of an air hose to blow any dust off the blank.

2. NEVER EVER use any solvent of any sort on a coat of finish that you want to add an additional coat or two. From the looks of the finish, it looks very much like chemical contamination and partial mixing of your solvent with the finish.

It is a REALLY bad idea to apply any sort of finish on a newly finished rod with even a single or many coats of finish. One just never knows what the chemicals are going to do with the finish.

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But, having said all of that - the likely best way out is to remove all of your wraps and finish, repaint that portion of the blank and start again with a perfectly painted rod.

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Also,
When applying finish, be sure that it is freshly mixed and has not been sitting around for more than a minute or so before you start to apply the finish. Really load up your brush with finish and stroke the brush against the rod letting the finish only touch the brush and have the finish just flow from the brush to the rod. Once the finish is laying on the rod - don't brush the finish. Rather, if necessary - just add a touch of heat to let the finish flow out - if it is not flowing nicely and then just dab off any excess build up that might have gotten on the rod without touching the bulk of the finish.

In addition to the potential solvent issue, it also appears that part of your problem might have come from too much finish brushing, after the finish is already laying on the rod.

Good luck

finish is self leveling and if you have lumps it could be that you didn't apply enough on the coats as the threads are higher than the blank at this point I would let it dry for a few days and re coat with finish but don't brush it on let it flow from the brush as Rodger stated and do it while the rod is turning it helps to let the finish flow because the length of the wrapping it isn't like a smaller guide wrap it is covering a lot of space and that is where the flow part comes in

do not wipe off the wraps after you apply or pad off the undercoating or color preserver that can cause even more problems if that is what is happening for you then you placing to much on the wraps and need to cut back and just do more thin coats

The best day to be alive is always tomorrow !!
Think out side the box when all else fails !!!
Wi.

Thanks for the tips and advice Matthew and Roger. I appreciate it.



Javier

I would be very suspicious of that tack cloth!

there is a bunch of videos on u tube here is one shows how to make the finish flow from the brush to the wrap
[youtu.be]

The best day to be alive is always tomorrow !!
Think out side the box when all else fails !!!
Wi.

I've done this a few times now. The couple times I did it was applying the epoxy over a long section of rod. One time, I took too long in applying (I had applied the epoxy to the guides prior to putting it on a tiger wrap) and the second time I clearly applied it unevenly and it just didn't level nicely. I don't have the experience of others here but have run into the same problem.
-Mark B

After testing on a scrap piece of blank with the same thread, foil, syringes, epoxy and brush i have a strong feeling that it was either the tack cloth (never using it again) or a little too warm while applying since I had a warm lamp while I was applying and taking too long to apply and not letting it self level.

I use a tack cloth all the time, if people have a problem with them, it's possible that they are being used incorrectly. You are most likley right in your temperature diagnosis.