I’m going to attach two photos on this post about my question. The first photo is showing my carbon grip at a slight angle looking from the bottom up, away from me so it reflects light. The finish looks like glass and the streak of light is straight as you’ll see. I’ve always used the way light reflects on my finish as a way to see if my finish looks flat asides from feeling it. In the second ph
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Ever since I started building rods about 6 years ago, I have experimented with a few different methods of “clearing” a raw blank. Recently though, the trend is to leave the blank uncoated, in it’s raw, possibly sanded condition. While that is fine-and-dandy from merely a weight perspective (infantesimal as it may be), epoxies, including those used in blank manufacturing, are typically sensitive t
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I added my first application of epoxy to my butt wrap last night. As the usual case with me, I have some high spots in the finish due to areas where the thread is higher than other areas. Previously, I just let it go as it worked fine just had a 'wobbly' look to the finish. This time around I want to try to make the finish as glass-like as possible. What would be the best way to make sure t
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A good Epoxy job on your new rod is a must for most of us so her is a little tip for those that my need a bit of help to get the best Epoxy job on a new rod. First let me tell that there is no need to put more then one applications of Epoxy on most rods unless it is some kind of big game saltwater rod or in the 45 lb and up kind of fish. One of my best tricks is with Epoxy and and getting the pe
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Pretty much decided on doing two foam core grips with colored fiberglass sleeves and have a few questions. Does color of the foam core matter when colored fiberglass sleeves are used? More specifically, do the colored sleeves have any transparency? What epoxies have people used? Searching on the net I see many 2:1 ratio epoxies advertised for carborn fiber wetting, some much cheaper than o
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For years I have struggled with getting my epoxy to come out perfect over the decal areas on my rods. I have tried thinning the epoxy, heating it gently, applying it at +/- 200 rpm, trying numerous brands of epoxy, and no matter which method tried or epoxy used, I most likely ended up with bumps and dips that had to be sanded and re-coated. I spent over $500 building a 4 rod drying cabinet with e
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I have had this issue before, but not as bad. I have three spots on this wrap that just won't take finish. 2 coats light, 1 coat high, and 1 coat light with sanding between the last two coats in the problem areas and the finish is still repelling. Now the wrap is starting to look lumpy where the finished has repelled away. So how do you get the finish to stick when this occurs? I've had this issu
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Two different rods with different brand thread (size A). Threadmaster Lite (which is a few years old but no prior issues), mixed in plastic cup over prior dried batch and a new cup as well. Seem to be small pieces of "stuff" here and there even over lable and bare blank. I may be over working the thread when burnishing causing some fuzzies but they still show up where there is no thr
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I applied 4 coats of Diamondite CP between yesterday & today over Gudebrod Nylon thread. The 3 spools of thread were brand new: #5896 DarkGreen, #105 Spring Green, #6779 Med. Green, & all were affected equally. The CP went on nice, level, and looked fine. Then I applied my first coat of Aftcote finish, it's been about an hour now, I flamed it as usual after 15 minutes, and it is lum
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I'm kind of new to rod building. I plan on building some ice fishing rods and a 5' ultra light rod. I have everything I need, (blanks,guides, etc.,) I want to use black thread, but not sure what size, A or C ? Regular or NCP ? I'm told A is hard to work with as a beginer. Also perma-gloss or epoxy as a finish ? I will be turning by hand so the faster drying time of PG apeals to me . Any advice wo
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Just curious..... I have seen many posts about the amount of time it takes to put on finish. Maybe it's the type of rods I am building, Maybe it's the amount of finish I am putting on, Maybe it's that I am doing guides, and butt wrapp at the same time, Maybe it's the size of the rods I am building, Or maybe I am just plain slow...... :-) I have seen posts about 15 seconds per wrap..
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Is 4.8rpm too slow for a drying motor? A friend let me use a rod table he had that has a 4.8rpm drying motor, and I seem to think it is a bit too slow. I thought 9rpm was the 'norm'. Any opinions? Thanks Shawn
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I was just curious about brush size most prefer to apply finish. It seems like there are alot of topics about finishes here on RBO and alot of great advice on different finishes and different applications for the finishes...but not alot of detail on the tools used to do the actual application. Was hoping that some different builders could comment on some of the detailed info on the brushes they
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Can anyone tell me the "secret" to getting L S Supreme to have that "Smooth as glass" finish. I seem to get a somewhat uneven finish that feels less than smooth. Factory rods I've looked at appear perfect in the eveness of the coating. Thanks for any help you can give.
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What is the best way to get a smooth epoxy finish on larger covered areas such as where it is inscribed. I have used Flex Coat and U-40 LS with a sable brush and it is never quite perfect and always has a convoluted surface. Any suggestions?
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okay guys ive got two more rods to build for catfish. one for my son and another for me after that i am going to build me a fly rod.i cant get to carried away on price but i want a good rod. i have one fly rod that is 5 to 6 wt i think. that i bought out of store to go fishing with brotherinlaw. this thing is wearing me plum out by the end of the day. having to fight with the line if there
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I'm currently removing the finish on a Lami XRA1205 (the lousy brown they used one year, not the translucent brown of todays XRA's) Anyhow, In the past I've been reasonably successful tinting flexcoat with testors pigment in refinishing blanks. I'm sure there's folks that have refinished/tinted their blanks, and I'm looking for some current input. My plan is to thin flexcoat with up to 50%
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This is the updated RodMaker index for the last 7 volumes. It will also be installed in the online library this weekend for easier reference. ........ RodMaker Magazine Index Volumes 1 through 7 (V=Volume, #=Issue Number) *Rod Building News and the Q&A Column are not included in this index. ROD BUILDING TECHNIQUES AND METHODS Finishing Problems Solved by Tom Kirkman – V1 #3 Cleaner
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Just an update of the first 6 or so years of RodMaker for those searching for a particular article. I haven't added volume 7 #1, but it is listed with the table of contents on the back issue page at the RodMaker website .......... RodMaker Magazine Index Volumes 1 through 6 (V=Volume, #=Issue Number) *Rod Building News and the Q&A Column are not included in this index. ROD BUILDING TE
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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
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I want to build a Lamiglas 7' 3wt fiberglass rod. What is the difference, other than color, between these two blanks? I only see the GF843 listed on the Mudhole site, is this a discontinued series, and/or maybe an old web page? Based on what I've heard about the FL843's action, I'm really interested in building this blank for small stream fishing, but I would like to hear about the GF843 befor
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It seems many people are having the same problem I am, and that is dimples and waves in epoxe finish over threads. Although mimimal I would still like to have a flat, smooth finish.I have seen on previous posts that you can sand down the epoxe to a smooth finish before the final coat or two. I would like to know how long should I wait after the last coat of epoxe before I start sanding? Is there
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I just tried using a blunt sewing or crochet needle to spread expoxy on my wraps and wow, what a difference from brushes! Precise, smooth as glass, perfect edges. Will never go back. Thanks for the tip(s) in the past.
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For glass smooth finishes on guide wraps, try using a needle. For over 20 years I've used a simple fly tier's bodkin to apply varnish to thread. It's so consistently perfect that I've never felt the need to experiment too much with brushes or epoxies. Using a single drop of varnish, move the needle gently across guide wraps, stopping at the edges of the wrap. If done carefully, the varni
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Following is the RodMaker Magazine Index for the first 5 volumes (years). I did not include rod building news items nor the Q&A columns that ran in each issue. Everything else should be there. For a list of topics in an issue by issue format, see the back issue page at www.rodmakermagazine.com I have tried to break the topics down into specific categories where possible. ................
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The Inconsistency I've had a love hate relationship with LS Supreme since I began using it almost two years ago. Sometimes I would get a glass-like finish, sometimes my butt wraps would come out bumpy and pocked as the moon. I read every post on it and tried every remedy given on this board. Alas, six months ago I threw in the towel. One More Try A week ago I determined to try it again. Using t
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