So you apply it directly from the cup then?

I never rush to do a whole bunch of guides at once , i always mix a cup specifically for a certain section and concentrate on getting that section as good as it can be , sometimes the mix still tends to get slightly tacky so all i do is heat up whats left in the tin foil by applying heat to the bottom of the tin foil . Make sure the room temp is 70 degrees or above .


Remember i'm doing long surf rods not rods in the 7 foot range.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2019 01:19PM by herb canter.

I do apply directly from the cup...

This is my process..

I take my syringes, doesnt matter what type of epoxy, place them in my pocket with the caps on while i set up for application.. I use a coffee stiring stick instead of a brush, i find it apply the epoxy faster then a brush.. I mix no more then 2cc/syringe.. And thats alot of epoxy.. Making sure i stop pushing at the exact spot on each syringe.. I use a disposabl. Plastic shot gloss from the dollar store for mixing.. I fold the epoxy instead of whipping... For atleast 3 min. At the 2 minute mark it looks mixed, so i mix for 1 minute more religiously while gently blowing into the cup... Then slap the epoxy on quickly.. Looks like @#$%& at first.. Starting from the butt where the larger areas are, and working towards the tip.. No need to smooth the epoxy out, it oes that by itself.. Just make sure you have coverage.. After i get the guides completed, check your time.. For me its usually about 10 min. Now if its a rod with a decortive wrap i do the guides separately as sometimes it takes 10 min. Just to cover the wrap.. After the epoxy is applied, i stop the wrapper with guides up.. Going back to the beginning where the handle is i let the epoxy sag, any drips that are about to fall i swipe with the stick.. This is extra.. After gking all the way to to the tip, i check by my butt wrap again, i usually put way to much there to start and have a drip or to to contend with.. That process takes about 2 min. Then i let the motor spin. Again, i use my torch and flash the epoxy butt to tip, checking for any spots i missed, if there is a spot i missed, i apply a little epoxy and flash it to thin it back out and help level it.. From butt to tip.. Lastly i make the epoxy lines tight if they need to be Touhed up.. Lightly flashing with heat if bubbles form..

That entire process takes less then 20 minutes... Flashing with heat helps a little to thin the epoxy, but be very carful.. Too much heat will create bubbles instead of destroy them.. And if your not careful, you can scorch the thread..

Just remember its self leveling epoxy.. Get it on and let it go..



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2019 01:43PM by Anthony Unger.

Chris

Eliminate the "flash it with a torch" step! That possibly could kick start and speed up the curing of the finish. I also use 2 batches of finish on the first coat - 1 for the guides and 1 for the butt wrap area. I usually can mix 1 batch for the whole rod for 2nd (and the 3rd if necessary) coat. I carefuly measure 1.5cc of each part for each batch with syringes and mix well with a home brew motorized mixer - 3 minutes by kitchen timer. This process works every time for me.

Rog

Everyone has their own process that works for them.. I agree with roger on skipping the flash process.. Note i flash the epoxy at the end..

Practice practice practice..

You will eventually come up with your own that will work great.. The guys here on the board probably were pulling thier hair out while mine was turning grey until i got a process down that worked for me.. The first 15 or so rods didnt exactly look what i concider up to par.. And i wasted AOT of epoxy and sandpaper.. In my opinion, the epoxy finish is the hardest part of building to get down..

My biggest issue was contamination.. Fish eyes galore.. Joys of being covered in various oils at work.. You dont seem to have a issue like that so your ahead of the game..

Skip the heat.. Mix more then 1 batch.. Better to be safe then broke

When you first start with this stuff you're not familiar with the brand of epoxy you're using and they do have slightly different characteristics , i went through a ton of finish when i first started and only found out by trial and error what works best with it . Some respond to heat flashing exceptionally well and some don't .

Starting off with little experience is definitely the hardest part imo , i can't tell you how many times i scrapped everything and started over.

What do you mean by sanding? Can I sand my first coat of epoxy down where the decals are going? Those areas didn’t come out great bc that’s when the epoxy started getting very tacky. They aren’t level, kind of wavy and not to my liking. Is that something I can just level off on my 2nd coat after I apply the decal?

Anthony is talking about using sandpaper to thin and level hardened finish and i have gone through a ton of sandpaper myself doing the exact same thing . As long as the finish is dry sandpaper with a fine grit rating can be used to remove the wavy finish areas and smooth them out for a new coat .

What grit would you recommend?

I can't remember what grits i used but hopefully someone else will chime in .

I just lightly sanded one section with 800 grit. Smoothened it out but it turned a white color. How do I get rid of that now? Clean it with alcohol? Or will it disappear when I apply the 2nd coat?

Yeah no worries , it always does that when sanding a dry finish down . Just wipe the sanded section down with either warm water and a dash of dish detergent , U40's brush cleaner or alcohol, i have used all three and they all work .

Awesome! Thanks so much.

When sanding finish to get rid of high spots,sandpaper should be mounted to on a flat smooth wood block. If you use the paper unsupported your fingers can follow the contours in the finish. Your'e just trying to lower the high spots in the finish. The flat block aids in this. I use blocks from a Jenga game with paper mounted. After sanding just brush off loose dirt and apply the next coat. All scratches will disappear. Don't wipe with any kind of solvent. 9 rpm is too slow to apply finish, your'e better off turning it by hand to put finish on and then move it to the dryer. It's easy to get footballs with D-2 if you go too slow and try to stretch it. I never do a whole rod at one time. Better 2 light coats than 1 thicker one. There's enough been written on this subject on just this forum to keep you reading till X-mas if you start soon. I read it all, so you might as well!

Take your time with the sanding and really look and closely examine how level it looks , even measuring the diameter works to see if you need to sand a bit more . Sand then wipe clean and inspect and repeat as many times as necessary , be especially careful around guide threads because it's so ridiculously easy to scuff the threads if you sand even a little bit too much . Glad it's working out , once you apply the finish again it will look fantastic .

This time watch the wraps closely after applying the finish while the rod spins and it's even wise to stop the rod for a good 30 seconds to see if finish starts drooping underneath each guide , if excess finish starts pooling under the guides when the rod is stationary gently remove it .

Only part i disagree with Lynn on is not using something wet to remove all particles and that a 9 rpm motor is too slow , i use a motor slower than 9 rpm and it has worked perfectly and you can try just brushing off particles and maybe it will be OK but i would never do it , i always use a tack cloth or some kind of wipe down first to make certain all particles are removed.

Lynn's tip about using a block that keeps the sandpaper flat is one of the best tips i have ever heard , brilliant .

Thanks, Herb. If enough past posts are read anyone can appear to be brilliant. And I did say "appear"!

It really is.. Just make sure if you use a tack cloth it doesnt contain silicone.. I do use the warm water ans dish detergent method, it works for me.. Like ive said, everyone has thier own way.. Just keep in mind if you dont have a level surface, how is the epoxy going to level? Sorry for late responses, im at work..

If sanding, herb isnt lying.. Be very carful around the threads, if you go to low, you will create fuzzies.. And fuzzies suck...

And another thing while I'm at it. If your sanding off excess finish starting with 800 grit, you might as well wave at it and hope for the best. I would start at no finer than 150. I just did this yesterday and used 1 block at 85 grit and nothing else. Put finish on and it's perfect. I keep the paper clean with a small brass wire brush frequently while sanding, the paper loads up quick and once that happens your'e just rubbing it. In my opinion 800 grit is just polishing not "sanding". The high spots turn white 1st, If you start getting sand marks in the lower spots, stop. It doesn't have to be perfectly flat. I mount the paper to the block with double sided tape.