Hello, guys!

I almost finished my first rod - wuu, huu! :)
And now I have one small problem, if this is the problem!?

I applied epoxy to the threads and let it dry for approx. 4 days.The epoxy looks nice to me. It's clear, but when I touch it with my fingers it's a little bit sticky. Can anyone tell me why?

The temperature in my rod building room is about 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit). May this be a problem? Or something else?

Thank you and regards!

Failure to cure is almost always a mix problem, either wrong proportions or insufficient mixing. Use syringes to measure, mix for at least two minutes, making sure to drag the bottom material into the mixing, and take your epoxy out of the middle of the mix.

To fix what you have, I'd wait some more time, maybe in a warmer room, then put on another thin coat of properly mixed AND TESTED epoxy. Test it this time on a scrap before applying it to be sure you don't have bad epoxy (I have never had any bad epoxy).

What brand of epoxy did you use?

Im fairly new (only about 20 or so builds under my belt). ProKote is the only epoxy I’ve had get tacky on me and did exactly as you described. Took a week or so for it not to be tacky.

It could also be due to excessive humidity or unequal epoxy resin/hardener volumes.

70deg is at the lower suggested threshold for epoxy curing but still perfectly fine. I’ve had temps down around low to mid 60s where I wrap rods and never had an issue.

I would think even Pro Kote, properly mixed, would cure well by 4 days at 70. It does take longer to cure than others I've used. I also in the winter cure OK at a little lower than 70.

I got a bottle of hardener that i think was not made right that epoxy when mixed smelled my house up and did not set for hours and took for days to fully cure. The color of it was pale compared to other bottles that where amber in color. I did experiments of 50% of the pale to 50% of the amber hardener to 100 % resin. from both kits of finish and both worked well and did not smell up my house. (wife was happy again) I also when i first started i put two amounts of resin and no hardener in the cup. Now I put green tape on all bottles ,caps and syringes that are used for the resins. I also load both syringes and shoot them in to the cup at the same time.

Most likely you did not accurately measure and/or mix the two epoxy components.

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I've been down this road several times, it's always about mixing equal parts. Even though on small projects i may only need a very small amount, the least i mix now is 10cc of each part and measure ever so closely.

Fishing is not a matter of life or death, it's much more important than that

Thank you guys for all the answers!

I used FlexCoat epoxy so I think that there is not a problem in the epoxy quality I have.

Maybe it is really a problem in proportions or in mixing!

So what to do now? As Michael suggested: "put on another thin coat of properly mixed AND TESTED epoxy".
This will be my third coat, I hope this will not be too much epoxy.

Regards!

Tom, put it on thinly and it should be fine. But I would also wait a few more days.

With all due respect on mix volume, I do not think anywhere near 10 cc of each component is necessary to ensure proper proportions. I often use just 1.5 or 2 cc of each and have no problems. I mix for about 2 1/2 minutes, always use syringes.

Along with the syringes, the self sealing bottle caps are now a must to me. There is no product from outside the syringe that can get in the mix. There is no product waste or contamination to the components. Also, there is no need for using DNA to clean the syringes. I mark the syringes so they always get used in the same component. A small amount of planning and organization removes most of the opportunity for error. I use Gen4 with no issue, but Tolo’s issue was most likely related to measuring and/or mixing. I bet he nails it on the second try.

One last thing, I always check my bottles to make sure they don’t need to be warmed for de-clouding. I then stand them upside down while I get ready. This prevents getting bubbles in the syringes.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2024 10:12AM by Kendall Cikanek.

Tolo,
I am not a fan of applying another coat of finish over a coat of finish that is sticky or one that never cures properly.

Essentially, it is like building a house on a foundation that has not cured properly. The house will never be right. The same is true for a rod, if the finish is bad, the best thing to do, is to strip the rod of finish, thread and guides. Redo the rod, and after mixing a new batch of finish properly measured - apply a nice coat of finish.

Take care

Give it a few more days and see if it improves. If not and you want to make sure it is done right, then strip it down and redo the guides. I've been there myself and it is not a pleasant option but the lesson will have been learned for future builds. Most here have had a similar experience at one point or another.

I am not sure that putting a new coat over a sticky coat results in a bad build. It could be that the sticky coat gets enough of the right molecules to finally cure properly. I would really appreciate one of the real experts on epoxy to chime in on this issue.

It is at least worth a try rather than stripping and rewrapping a whole rod as the first step.

I'm with those that would strip the rod and do it over. It won't be fun, but you will gain valuable experience, and you'll learn, albeit the hard way, that there are certain aspects of rod building that you need to follow specific procedures, or risk having to do something all over again.

I say this being someone that had difficulty when I first started wrapping guides, so I understand how frustrating they can be when first starting out. Resist the urge to try and take the easy way out. Just do them over.

And make sure you use the right amounts of each part of the epoxy, and mix it thoroughly. I use Flex Coat high build with Ultra UV, and have never had a problem with it. Recently I started using the Gen 4 everyone has been talking about. It's really really good, but it takes a little longer to not be sticky than the Flex Coat does. Flex Coat is usually not sticky to the touch after about 6 hours. With Gen 4 it's closer to 8 hours. Both at room temperatures of 70 degrees.

I vote for do over, After 4 days and still sticky sends a grim message.

Adding more finish just adds more bulk to the wrap and is a band aid fix.

The added work to re-do it will be well rewarded.

Have fun

A light application of properly measured and mixed epoxy will be fine. Ralph O'Quinn, a prominent epoxy formulator and originator of the Trondak U-40 product line, advocated doing this in situations identical to yours.

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Thank you guys for all you answers!

Thank you Tom K!

I should add that it is important to remember we are talking about a 2nd application over a "sticky" 1st application... not necessarily over a soft, spongy not even close to being cured 1st application.

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Basically two choices:

1) strip it down, which means a total guide and wrap rebuild, which @#$%&;
2) wait another day or two and put on a light coat of U-40 (or epoxy you know is good and and mixed at the right ratio). I would not trust what you have.

Kind of can't lose with number 2 option, as if it does not work you will be back at no 2.

How old is the epoxy you used?

Either it is too old or your mixture was not a good 50/50 mix or mixed long enough or properly. Bummer.