I've built about a dozen rods and I consistently experience finish difficulties. Two nights ago I applied finish to a new rod and again the finish had bubbles and bumps (particularly over my weave). I've been using LS Supreme and I've diligently tried to follow the instructions and many of the tips offered on this website. I've tried using both brushes and spatulas, and I appy color preserver to "seal" the wraps before applying the epoxy. I like the "ease" of epoxy finishes and I like the end result when it's good, but I have completely lost confidence in my ability to achieve consistent results. Is there a good alternative to epoxy finishes? I don't care if the alternative is more time consuming, so long as it looks good, offers good protection, and ensures consistent results. Thanks a lot.

Hi Don,

I do not know of a substitute for finish, but I do know that not all finishes are easy to use. In my experience, our new "Rodsmith" finish is the most forgiving finish I have ever used. You might want to give it a try.

Awhile back I gave out samples on this board to get opinions of our new finish, do a search under "Rodsmith" finish and glue to see other peoples comments.

Tom S. Brown
Pacific Bay International

Don,
Due to a decorative wraps nooks and crannies, by their very nature, invite bubble production. I would suggest laying down your finish and after a bit of time, perhaps 10-15 minutes, lightly "flame" the finish. You do not want the flame to touch the finish, you simply want to warm the finish a bit. This makes the finish "flow" a bit more and causes the gas in the bubbles to expand, causing them to migrate to the surface and pop. If you want a finish that is low in viscosity and less prone to bubbles, why not try Permagloss. It takes many coats to build a finish but is less prone to bubble formation. As for the bumps in your butt wraps? If it is not a "closed" wrap and you are doing something like a diamond wrap you will have different thicknesses of thread layers, so unless you build you finish thick enough to level out over the thickest layers, the finish will appear ripply. It will take a few coats of the thick stuff to look smooth and even. That's alot of extra weight to add to a fly rod but it is in the butt so shouldn't really effect the action.
Good luck and happy rolling,
John Chase

Permagloss is one answer - but you will have to use many applications to build any depth.

99% of all epoxy finishing problems lie with the technique of the user. I've had many rod builders visit my shop and I've watched their application technique. With just a few simple pointers, their finishes usually go from "lumpy, bumpy and bubble filled" to smooth, glass like coatings - and with the very epoxies they had nearly sworn off.

It's a chore to convince LS Supreme to hold bubbles - it does everything in its power to get rid of them. But depending on your technique it can be done. I gave what I thought were some good tips in a chapter on finishing in the Amato book, Rod Building Guide.

Finishing is one of things that you really need to see someone do in person. You can experiment with different types if you like - you may find one that works better with your particular technique. Or you can go ahead and give Permagloss a try. If you are able to attend the big rod building show in Charlotte in a few weeks, one of us will be happy to work with you on getting perfect epoxy finish on your rods.

...........

Have you tried lightly heating the wraps with an alcohol lamp while the rod is rotating? This should help level the finish and pop bubbles lightly breathing on the epoxy will also take care of bubbles. Remember, it is always best to start out bubble free before applying the finish. After mixing the finish pour some out onto aluminum foil and breathe on it. Most of the bubbles should pop. I wouldn't give up on the epoxy finishes. Not more than a year ago when I started I was having problems but once I worked them out the results improved greatly.

Good luck,

James

you can also try heating with a hair drier right after application, like said it helps it to flow, don't burn it

I've never had "flaming" work well with LS supreme. It seems to introduce more bubbles than it bursts. Rather, I apply a coat of LS supreme to my butt wraps, then brush it out lengthwise, then turn for a couple of minutes. During that first few minutes is when the bubbles will pop up. Then, I use a coffee stir-straw to blow on the individual bubbles that pop up. As long as your finish is not too thick, blowing on the bubbles almost always gets rid of them. The thing to remember about LS supreme is that it's meant to go on thin. While you CAN put it on thick and get good results, it's awfully hard to do.

You may feel different, but Permagloss has always been too labor-intensive for my taste. It takes quite a few coats (10+ sometimes) to get the desired result. The only time I use it is as a first coat for gossamer silk. (The silk packs so tightly that regular epoxy won't soak through to the blank, and fill the tunnels on either side of the guide.)

Perma-gloss. Ultra thin finish- looks great especially on fly rods where any build up looks unsightly. Also very even finish, Gin clear or maybe just a shot of gin. Good luck.