Hi all. Love this site and all the information I have gleaned from you guys is invaluable. I had an issue come up today. I put a decal on the butt of my rod framed by 2 thread wraps,and epoxied the rod. The first coat looked awesome but there was an area on the front thread wrap that had a little divit in it,like the epoxy wasn't as thick as it needed to be. I applied a second coat of finish and it looks fantastic,but I got 1 single bubble crater in the finish on the bottom of the rod,very small. I mixed the epoxy slowly for 3 minutes, poured it into an aluminum dish,blew on it with a straw,let it sit for a minute,and applied. Like I said the finish looks perfect save for this little crater. I watched the finish for about 45 minutes or so and walked away. Also I had lightly flamed the finish with my bubble buster. I'm curious what happened. It's been humid today ,maybe got a little cold? So my questions are,what did I do wrong if anything,and can I take a tiny dab of finish (Threadmaster) with a toothpick and just drop a little on the bubble? I don't want to risk another coat because everything else looks so sweet. This is my personal rod so it's not a huge deal Thanks!

Robert

That could be a hundred diffrent things... Are your frame wraps metallic? Possible contamination can cause the small area on the first coat.. Which would push through to the second, possibly too much heat can cause bubbles.. Hkw long did You wait between coats? Could be the result of gas off..

If its a rod for you, you can do whatever you want..

I have a technique for elevating the surface of the blank into shapes along a lateral plane (as in just on top instead of down the sides too) i put thread epoxy in the void created, and it levels out ok.. But it tends to get a little concave towards the middle.. Its not like its going to boil over the sides like a pot of noodles... It stays where you put it..

Depending on how thick your epoxy is, and how much it bothers you, theres always the option to sand it down and redo the epoxy job.. A little extreme for a tiny bubble. But to each his own..

Upon further inspection the thing is so small I guess I will just live with it. The wraps have metallic trim bands. I think I may have overheated the epoxy a bit in the dish. Thanks for the feedback! I'm a perfectionist and I tend to beat myself up over things that really are just fine. I was thinking I would add a coat of threadmaster light but I would rather not risk it.

Im the same way.. Just rememeber, you can fix it.. Lol and practice makes perfect.. Or a perfectionist do it again lol..

Metallics can trap little bubbles sometimes.. Nature of the twist.. Atleast it seems this way to me..

One tiny bubble , i would live with it , i have learned that trying to get perfection often makes things much worse and you think back and say i really just should of left it alone.

I Agreed with herb

Thanks guys. Yeah I am in agreement,I'll leave it alone. Its a tiny imperfection. It's killing me lol!

Robert Ford Wrote:
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> Thanks guys. Yeah I am in agreement,I'll leave it
> alone. Its a tiny imperfection. It's killing me
> lol!




Don't let it get to you like that , i know in the beginning you obsess about it but you will find as time passes the obsessive thinking fades away and it becomes a complete non issue , out fishing you will look at it and say " I can't believe i worried about that tiny thing" especially when you look at other rods out there that look far far worse.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/17/2019 03:40PM by herb canter.

If the bubble hasn't already popped, pop it, and next time you mix finish put a small drop on it with a toothpick.

Pretty sure it's long past the point of popping it Lynn , he could sand it out if he just can't deal with it and he's losing sleep over the dang thing . He can wrap over it with a small trim ring to hide it also .

Or carfully cut and smooth with a razor.. Then drop a little epoxy in..

Anthony Unger Wrote:
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> Or carfully cut and smooth with a razor.. Then
> drop a little epoxy in..


Well thing is ,it's not very big,it popped,it's more like a small holiday in the material if that makes sense. I'm gonna let it be,it's hardly noticeable. If it was on the reel side of the rod it would be a different story but it's on the underside of it. It's just this rod is my dream steelhead rod for myself, I am sparing no expense. The grip alone cost me 110. It's like my flagship. I am ambitious for having only bult a few rods but my skills are pretty damn good for a noob and I'm proud of my work thus far. The titanium torzite guides will make this rod the sickest around,and I can gloat to all my friends lol.

Anthony's right . I'd fix it, it's driving me nuts and it ain't even my rod!

It's been over a day now. I could just mix 1 cc of threadmaster lite and take a toothpick and dab a tiny bit of it in the hole,

Fo as you please.. But just like thread bumps, high spots mut be removed for a exellent finish

Anthony Unger Wrote:
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> Fo as you please.. But just like thread bumps,
> high spots mut be removed for a exellent finish

I got to thinking about it and I realized if I'm going to progress at this I need to take chances. I put another coat of finish,this time threadmaster lite,and it appears to have done the trick! I will update in the morning, This is gonna be my main Klamath river steelhead rod,I want it to be better than anything you can get in a store. I am learning so much thank you guys. I'm a hopeless rod building addict now haha.

We're working on RBA dont worry.. Lol (rod builders anonymous)

Dont think of it as taking chances, think of it as a learning experience... The best part about building is you dont just get the knowledge, you have the tools to make any mistake correctable... It is addicting...

I cant go into any store and look at the rods anymore.. I just want to buy them all and fix every issue i see.. And you'll gain an eye to see all the issues in time.. Things you never looked at before.. Its kinda sad what some companies release to the market in my opinion.. But with that in mind, i once bought those same rods with a smile..

Practice, experiment, and have fun! Everything can be fixed!

Good words Anthony.
Norm

Anthony I completely agree with you. I looked at a rod that was in production a while back,my friend sold it to me,and the guides on it made me laugh. I remedied that problem with ease,and am a bit amazed by how the label and wraps look. Now I can fish with this rod knowing it's the very best work I could have done. Thjank you again,and to the fellow who emailed me with encouraging words,you know who you are!