So, first, does anyone put tape aroiund blank next to wrap, to have an even epoxy finish.

Second, My wife is doing a lot with epoxy on tables. It is pretty cool. So I tried a little different finish on a test blank, where I sprinkle some dry colored powder into the epoxy after applying a coat. It swirls and looks awesome. This is why I was asking about the tape next to the thread as to keep color from looking jagged around the finish.

Last, if anyone has done this, do you apply another coat of finish afterwords without the color causing issues.

Thanks

Mark..

Hello Mark.

I do a lot of stuff with epoxy, from coloring it too adding sparkles etc-etc...


[www.rodbuilding.org]
[www.rodbuilding.org]
[www.rodbuilding.org]



It's up to your imagination.

Tight Wraps & Tighter Lines.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/11/2024 05:07PM by Robert A. Guist.

I have tried the tape thing to get a nice edge on the finish. It works okay. Often there are small jagged edges on close inspection to where the epoxy went under the tape.

Here are my tips:

When putting your tape on make sure it is on tight! You dont want any creases where the epoxy can flow into. I use my burnishing tool to press down the edge of the tape near the wrap to make sure it is on the blank.

Do not use heat with the tape on, even a little can cause the tape to burn or slip, which will make the epoxy flow where you dont want it to.

I think the best way to get a clean epoxy edge is with a power wrapper, but i dont have one so I use tape sometimes and it is better than freehand for me.

Mark,

Go here and skip to the 3-minute mark and you can see how easy it is to get a straight edge off the ends of the wraps with no tape. The key is to have the heel of your hand supported so you have more steady hand when doing this. [www.youtube.com]

.......

Thanks Robert, and Dominic. I look at commercial rods and they have a big buildup on the guide with a nice tapper ddown to the edge.

I have tried differnt ways, but I can't get that look. Do some of you guys use a thicker epoxy that makes it eaiser to make that look? I am using a high buid right now.

I tried the tape, but it looks like a shrp edge that needs to be sanded down to a tapper and then apply another coat to get rid of the sand mark. I saw one video that a guy used a dental tool to apply the epoxy insead of a brush.

What areall your thoughts on what tool you use to apply the epoxy to the wrap?

Thanks

Mark

Make sure that the rod is spinning perfectly true when applying finish or it will be nearly impossible to have an even edge.

Apply your finish at about 20-30 rpm and you will have a perfect edge every time.

IIf you have a good power wrapper with excellent speed control, it is easy to have a nice steady constant speed to get that perfect edge.

Best wishes.

I put my epoxy on with a drying rotator which has far fewer RPMs than a power wrapper. It works OK and my epoxy lines are pretty straight. But a higher RPM will work much better. So the two big takeaways from above:

1) Anchor your brush hand on the table, a book, in/on your other hand or on some device to keep your hand and brush steady;

2) Employ a rod drying or wrapping machine -- or a DIY set up -- that uniformly and steadily spins the blank;

3) Perfect the above method rather than using tape..

Personally I prefer multiple thinner coats of epoxy instead of globing on high build. High build is best for experienced rod builders who want to and are able to get the job done quickly with one coat or at most two. Multiple lighter coats, let's say three, I think, enable you to even out the uneven edges Also, make sure the brush fibers don't fan out too widely and that the end of the brush is flat and the corners close to 90 degrees. Trim the fibers if necessary.

Also, if an edge is really uneven, use a small piece of paper towel as the blanks spins to cut it back and even it out, and then if necessary re-smooth the edge with a brush.

Great advise. thank you all!. I have a variable speed power wraper. I like the idea of many coats. Also, I saw a video where the guy used a coffee filter to cut back excessive epoxy..

The video line Tom K provided has served me very well on a lot of guides. I have started to use spatulas more frequently and I have also been very happy with the consistency of the guide edge by doing so, almost more so than using a brush. See the link below to Falconer's video in which you only have to watch 10-20s of the 20min video to see what has worked really well for me, the link should start at the 1:10 time where he shows how he finishes the guide ends with the spatula specifically.

[youtu.be]

Here's Bill's full video on his guide epoxying technique, which I should point out for finishing the guide edges, I only use the spatula technique on the 2nd coat of epoxy. I am a 2-coat guy on all my guide wraps so this works for me.

[www.youtube.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/28/2024 01:07PM by Ken Delbridge.

HOLY COW! That video was awesome. Thank you for the information. I did buy a couple of dental spatulas in not knowing how i might try them. I am glad I did now.

I’ve put marbling pigment into my epoxy. It gives it a swirled bowling ball kinda a look. When I should’ve used CP and my thread color washes out, I’ll add pigment to the epoxy to brighten it up. Fun to try some different strategies.

Best method for single coat?

Tom's brush method with high build? I don't have 2 coat patience.

Thanks