Do any of you have a number as to how much epoxy you mix per guide on a rod. i hate to waste it.

Even more you'd hate having to recoat or even cut off guides and rewrap them. Mix a minimum of 3CCs of each component part for an average freshwater rod (will do 6 to 10 guides easy). This amount also provides a good margin for error in the measuring and mixing area.

Per rod, epoxy just isn't that expensive.

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I rarely if ever mix 3mm of each epoxy component, I mix what I need. If you only need to coat a few guides, I normally mix 0.5 ml of each component measured with a syringe and mixed well. Some will say this is bad advice, but I have never had a problem with small batches of epoxy not curing. If you are not sure mix up a small batch and let it cure and see what happens. I was taught ‘waste not want not’, but that’s just my opinion.
Norm

Dependable on type of rod.
1.5cc enough for fly rod.
Herb
CTS

Whatever amount you mix, mix it very well and take what you use from the middle of the puddle. Any poorly mixed epoxy will be at the edges. I agree with others that advocate a set minimum that works for you. I don't think has to be 3, but it's likely not.5 either. It will somewhat depend on you.

The 3CC per part minimum is the standard manufacturers' recommendation. But not knowing their customers personally, most manufacturers have arrived at a recommendation that they feel is a safe bet for their general customer base. If you can get by with less, good for you.

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Smaller amounts of epoxy mixture require more accuracy in portioning out the components. I believe a 1.5 to 3cc portion is fine. If you run out or it starts to stiffen up it is easy enough to mix another batch.

I don't worry about wasting epoxy, it is relatively inexpensive, AND for sure, the least forgiving component of the build.

Have fun

I tend to do 1.5 and that seems to be enough to ensure a 50/50 mix and is more than enough to treat 10 or 11 guides on a fly rod. I toss out what is left. I think anything less than 1.5/1.5 and you may not get a good 50/50 mix.

Thanks for all the help

I have a line on the 2cc mark on the syringes that I use and I find that that amount works well for me.

Take care

Have anyone experienced any problems from mixing small amounts of epoxy?

How small? The thing is, our wrap finish epoxies do not have a large margin for error beyond that 1 to 1 (by volume) mix. If you were extremely careful there is no reason you couldn't mix .5 cc of each part and have the mix set and cure perfectly. So the issue is what happens if during the measuring or mixing process you're over by a single small drop on one part of the other? What happens if you get a bit more of one part on the cup sides than the other? Being off a drop on a 6cc total isn't going to matter. Being off a drop on a 1cc total can result in the epoxy never setting or curing. This is why the manufacturers chose 3cc or each part as a minimum recommendation. At that amount, any very small error isn't likely to matter. But, if you're precise enough, you can do less and have things turn out fine. So when you say "small amounts of epoxy" just how small are you talking and are you good enough to exactly precise?

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I’ve never had a problem mixing small batches of finish. The best way to convince yourself one way or the other is to carefully measure and mix a small batch of epoxy and let it cure. Experimentation will let you know what will work for you.

Norm

I mix .5 cc of each all the time. Using syringes, never had a curing problem. 1cc of combined mix is enough for me to do all the guides (bass rods) OR the label, but not both. I prefer doing those separate because I don’t like working with thickened epoxy, which making 2 batches allows me to work with fresh epoxy in shorter periods. We all have our nuances on how we like to build.

i'd definitely mix more than enough, simply to ease my mind. the smaller the batch , the more easily variances in precise ratio's can show their ugly face. i have mixed successfully for almost 100% of the time. but i sure let down on a Shikari drop shot rod. finish wouldn't cure on turner after long hours. bad ratio's did me in.

I often mix batches of 1cc total or even less.

There comes a point when the tolerance of error becomes so small that it cannot be measured and the mixture fails.

I put too much time and effort in the build to see how small a mixture of epoxy I can safely mix.

The irony of conserving epoxy is, that over time one discards unused epoxy because of the fear it has become too old, unusable or contaminated.

For me epoxy is cheap relative to the cost of the other rod components so I have no problem "wasting" some.

Have fun

Norman Miller Wrote:
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> I rarely if ever mix 3mm of each epoxy component,
> I mix what I need. If you only need to coat a few
> guides, I normally mix 0.5 ml of each component
> measured with a syringe and mixed well. Some will
> say this is bad advice, but I have never had a
> problem with small batches of epoxy not curing. If
> you are not sure mix up a small batch and let it
> cure and see what happens. I was taught ‘waste
> not want not’, but that’s just my opinion.
> Norm


X2

Please feel free to waste all you want. They'll make more. Lol. And John, you are entirely correct on the irony part. I buy small quantities at a time so this is not a problem for me. Industry standards notwithstanding, I never have a problem.

What I do is after I have finished coating a rod, I would use the leftover epoxy to coat some of my favorite hard lures such as crankbaits. I would remove the hardware and have them hanging and ready. I do this to add some protection for the paint and to control hook rash.