I just turn a fly rod grip out of cottonwood rings. It is beautiful, just wondered with the vast knowledge base in the forum, what your experiences were? Weight is about 4.5 gms per 1 1/4” x 1/2” ring compared to 1.5 gms for the same size cork ring. I’m looking for cork alternatives as cork quality declines and prices increase. Just purchased 75 Flor rings trying a new supplier not a clear
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Thanks Phil, I’m doing 6 Iconglass rods, natural, Cyan, grey and the new blue. Have the Natural and Cyan on the dryer now and look great, waiting on the blue and grey. thanks for the help. Mike
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Phil, If I could ask about which silk you are using? Mike
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Thanks Phil, Love my Crystal Coat finish on all my rods. Do you apply alcohol immediately before you epoxy as many suggest, or just Crystal Coat? I’m currently doing a cyan and natural Iconglass rods, they look great. I like doing 3 coats, to keep them thin. Thanks for the input Mike
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Donald, The micro bubbles were my main concern. But I agree with Norm and I contacted CTS, they said unnecessary to dilute. But, just out of caution, I did dilute and I’m sure my tension was more than I needed, but Crystal Coat is great against bubbles. So, I though as a precaution, thin Crystal Coat slightly, super thin coat that exposed the top of all threads would be the way to go. As w
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I agree Norm, just with 100wt thread and tightly packed, didn’t think it would hurt.????
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I did test wraps with the Hitena 4A, clover,YLI and Kimono white rice (Kimono is my silk standard thread). I probably wrap with more tension than I should. I use CTS crystal coat epoxy finish and in this process I diluted with 20% isopropyl alcohol 91%. I applied the fish coat which was soaked up immediately a very thin first coat. Second coat was just standard crystal coat, no dilution a
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Thanks I agree and found 2 spools of 4A, I had stashed away????
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Thanks Bill I was looking at getting a 4wt.. Mike
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Bill, I have not tried the CTS glass blank, building on NFC Iconoglass for this project. I use both the Affinity X and M and love these blanks. How would you rate the CTS against other glass Flyrod blanks?
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This is a killer, Aurora was my goto for many projects, great colors. I’ll check my stock for a purple.. Mike
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Thanks Donald, I have YSI 100wt natural white coming Monday, Kimono white and I found a spool of Hitena 4a white silk. So will do a test wrap and epoxy with crystal coat. I’m going to wrap 3 Backbone painted, brook trout, brown trout, not sure of the third yet. Turned the reel seats inserts out of imitation tortoiseshell and anodized the titanium reel seat (CTS) a bronze. Have struble agat
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Thanks Bill, will try it.
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Hitena silk number 1 choice, just can’t find it. A light grey, I prefer Kimono silk or YLI silk. Then I use Crystal coat from CTS for finish epoxy. To me it is the clearest epoxy, but long cure time.
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Roger is the man when it comes to this topic, he helped me built my system
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I couldn’t find Hitena natural silk for invisible wraps. So looking for alternative, 212 Natural White - YLI 100wt Silk Thread, Has anyone tried this, I use YLI 100wt and Kimono silk on rods and like both products
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Dremel with diamond is my choice. I have a belt sander, but I use mostly small guides and the dremel is much easier for me. The small 1” diamond wheel from harbor freight is a dream doing recoil titanium snake, casting and spinning guides. The small 1” wheel is easy to control with virtually no burrs. I use mostly silk thread, so proper grinding is critical As with everything we do making
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This is a follow up on my working with the CTS Crystal Coat and doing 5 fly rods. I measure everything in grams on a scale and measure to 2 places or 1/100th. Room temperature for mixing is 68 degrees. I use a 2 coat process as outlined by Bill Falconer. On the first coat I put on very thin with most threads showing. Put in the dryer at 6 rpm for 18 hours, then the second coat is the f
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I have done 6 rods now with crystal coat. First at 72 degrees and 24 hours cure. Then 80 degrees and 18 hours 90 degrees and 12 hours Phil said that 100 degrees give a 6 hour cure time CTS says that anywhere between 64 and 100 degrees is fine. The results I have received at all temperatures were superb. My rod room is 65 degrees and a pot time over 90 minutes. What I rea
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Reply from CTS CTS Support (CTS New Zealand) Mar 15, 2023, 13:31 GMT+13 Hi Mike We recommend temperature during application should be between 18-25 deg C (64-77 F) & humidity level below 70%. For drying, 38 (100 F) degrees C should be fine (not too hot). CrystalCoat will still have a longer cure time, so it's not likely you will be able to speed it up to 8 hours. Our tips are on the
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I contacted CTS about the new product and difference I cure times.and this is the reply. CTS Support (CTS New Zealand) Mar 14, 2023, 10:17 GMT+13 Hi Mikr, We still normally leave for overnight between coats - sometimes would do one in morning and one in afternoon if using heat. CTS. I sent a reply back as to how much heat, I post the reply. Mike
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After a week and 5 rods using crystal coat, I love the product. Yes even at 80 degrees in the drying rack, I have been giving 18 hours. What I like is the low viscosity and rapid penetration of the thread, levels out for a beautiful first coat. The second coat is easy to control the flow of the material using a spatula for clean lines. I mix by weight and it is very easy as with the holes
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A friend and client who lives in Bozeman MT and fishes 3 times a week, has been using a GLoomis G2 561S TJR 4'8" fast action 2-6 lbs 1/32-3/16 oz lure weight for years and broken it twice. Asked me to build him a 1 piece, 5’ spinning rod to fit behind the seat of his pickup. I have been searching NFC and there FW 501-1 SM and IM. I don’t have any experience with these blanks, but they li
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Mark, I am a nutrition biochemist by trade, with my share of lab work. I use weight on all my epoxy mixes. For the CTS Crystal coat, I used the 4:3. Resin :catalyst. I just checked the rods. ( 8 hours), what was left in my aluminum pan was firm, but I left a fingerprint. I’ll check again at 12 hours and see temp is 81.2 degrees in the room. For what you have said about the product and th
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Thanks everyone, I set the room temperature at 80 degrees, tacky in 6 hours. Not a bubble, I’m going to try to make this work and keep notes Regards Mike
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Away from the numbers for a minute: I build redfish rods to through 1/8-1/4oz lead head grubs. 6’9” to 7’6’ Here is my list of favorites NFC DS 721. MB 733 Thrasher. 7801 CTS. Air St. Croix 570 Point Blank. PB 691 MXF Mike
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I finish a 7’6” CTS Air rod today using Crystal Coat for the first time. I weighed the epoxy as to specs, a low viscosity liquid, mixed 3 minutes with a metal spatula, not a single bubble and beautifully clear. Applied on the butt wrap and 9 guides in 45 minutes and still very fluid. I did not have to heat to remove excess as still viscous. Room temperature 72 degrees and 20% humidity. Pu
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Thanks everyone, I appreciate the input. Mike
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I was wondering if anyone else is using this material to make arbors. Found it on Amazon, not hard as the Flexcoat arbors, but lighter and easier to work.
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Let me clarify, I have the 3 sided jig and a 4th side that pushes the block square. I totally agree I should bore as short a piece as possible. I did experiment with this, by cutting into 3 four inch pieces and marking these sides, drilling on a drill press, then glueing back together. The cuts were hard to see. Just always searching for the best way. Thanks, Mike
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