Hello! I recently finished a rod and used too much thread finish. Some spots are bulged out and rounded, is there any way to fix this before I strip the guides off and start over?

You could sand the finish to get it smaller in diameter. But you have to be vrry careful not to go so deep that you hit the thread - causing "catepillar" (fuzzy) wraps.
You obviously have a good eye for what pleases you.
Sanding will improve the current situation - but it will not produce an optimal result.
I would take it all off and re-wrap.
Is the blank painted??
If so - you will have to deal with that issue. i.e. paint damage. You may end up with longer wraps to hide paint damage.
Herb

Dave,
Sometimes it is better to recognize, accept, bite-the-bullet and just redo the problem rather than wasting time trying to cover it up and still end up with sub-acceptable results. Kinda like putting perfume on a pig. I obviously cannot see the affected rod so you have to make the determination. If it is a less expensive build, you can consider fishing it as is and learn from the booboo. Don’t feel rained on; we’ve all been there.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

I have had success sanding down or cutting off "dried" finish...as long as you don't hit the threads. Then you can add another light coat of finish to clean it up. Just like when you sand down a coat of polyurethane on wood and add another coat. It has worked for me. Others may feel differently.

I have even thoroughly cleaned and then lightly sanded the finish on old Ugly Sticks and added a light coat of new finish.....it seems to do a lot to clear up old epoxy.

Worth a try before you tear it all down.

Good luck!

Dave, I too have had your problem and tried sanding them down at first. As expected, most of my first attempts resulted in me having to completely remove the guide and start over. I have, through experience, have been able to get the desired result through sanding, followed by a top coat of new epoxy. Give it a try with the hopes that you will get the results you want but be willing to accept that it will likely end as a lesson learned. Good luck.

Mark

I am continually amazed at the recommendations to just "do it over" when there often is the good possibility that a less aggressive, less disruptive, option , an easier option, will work. Give the sanding a try. Worst case scenario is it doesn't work. But if it does, you have saved a lot of time and effort.

Here's my method:

I made some thin sanding sticks out of coffee stir sticks with a stick-wide piece of sandpaper glued to both surfaces. These can be made with any grit you want from heavy to fine. (Can also use tongue depressor width - any width)

On a 'footballed' guide, I will hold the stick perpendicular to the blank, and slowly sand and turn. Not too much pressure; let the paper do the work. I sand a couple revolutions and then wipe off the dust with a rag.

I look at the sanding pattern: It looks like a sanded belt around the middle of the guide wrap with both ends untouched and shiny. I am careful as I pass over the guide foot as the epoxy is often less thick in this area, for me at least. If this area has thin epoxy, then I will sand around the guide in a "U" pattern, avoiding the top of the guide foot.

The more I sand and turn, the wider the belt gets. I keep an eye on the edges of the belt. When they start to reach the edge of the wrap, I am thinking about stopping. Don't go too deep!

I will use Dawn soap and a clean sponge to clean the dust off. Wipe dry, and let dry. Then I re-coat with epoxy. Flattens those footballs right out.

Dave.....any update?

What Leslie described seems like a solid plan, and would be the route I would go if there were no more than one or two wraps that needed attention. If it is multiple wraps, I would probably just cut them off and start over.

I'm not very fast at wrapping, but it seems to me that sanding them, once again, only if there are more than one or two, would be more time consuming than simply cutting them off and starting over.

We're not talking about an intricate time consuming butt wrap, We're talking about a guide wrap. If it's not a fancy guide wrap, cutting it off and doing it over is no big thing. I know from experience that fresh guide finish comes off quite easily, because I have been there and done that.

Hey Dave,

If there is one lesson I've learned, after many years, is the first coat should be VERY thin. You'll sometimes see the thread pattern showing through...don't worry. Trim any tags and put another light coat on (on occasion a 3rd) and you'll never have another problem again with bulging/sagging. I'd recommend trying to sand down the one you have started and, as mentioned above, the worst outcome is you'll have to tear it off and redo. At the best, you'll have gained another skill. One thing I will tell you is you'll become a master at making adjustments and "fixing" slips to the point you won't even blink after a while.

Chuck

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