I’ve been a high build epoxy user since I started building rods and like it fairly well. For the most part, I can get a nice flat finish with it with the occasional lump that you can mainly feel when running your fingers down the finished area. These areas are always on long sections like label sections on the butt. I always attributed these lumps from just using too much epoxy.

Anyways, I figured I would try lite build to maybe give myself better control on label sections. Since I struggle using too much high build sometimes, I thought lite build would give me more room for error.

I painted the label section on my blank with a black spray paint and let dry 24 hours to be safe. II am also using glitter in the finish so I mixed up a batch of lite build and sprinkled a small amount of glitter and applied. It went on even and I threw it on the turner. Woke up and checked the rod and it’s like the finish took on a sort of Cobb Webb pattern to it. There are small inconsistencies (dry spots) that were oval shaped where the epoxy didn’t coat at all. I figured maybe it had something to do with the glitter or the spray paint (maybe the epoxy didn’t adhere to the paint very well) so tried a second coat just to see what would happen.

The same thing happened again, this time resulting in less inconsistencies but now the finish was looking uneven. I threw on a coat of high build after the second coat cured and the high build went on like a dream and just about evened everything up. I sanded the cured coat of high build to get any uneven spot gone that was remaining from the lite build. I figured now that I have a full coat of high build on that did just fine, the paint on the rod was the culprit and I mixed up another batch of lite build to do one last coat to get rid of my sanding marks. The final coat of lite build did the exact same thing as it was doing on the first two coats! I removed the last coast and just replaced it with another high build coat but I’m curious as to what in the world is going on?

I’m using threadmaster for both finishes by the way.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/2023 04:39PM by Al purvis.

The voids you describe are "fish eyes" and are not the fault of the epoxy, but something under it. Could be either the paint or glitter. Did you at any point wipe the area with anything?

My first thought would be that 24 hrs. is pushing it for fresh paint. 2nd, was the glitter contaminated? No problem with Threadmaster here.

Had it happen many times. I believe either the glitter or paint is the problem.

The next time, just put clear tape over writing glitter or stickers; it will never run or fish eye, and you will never see the tape.

Glenn McMurrian