Tricks

[david4784]

Who has some rod building tricks that they would like to share with everyone?

My cool little trick is for getting bubbles out of Flex Coat when I am in the mixing process. After I place my equal parts of epoxy in my mixing dish I will mix it up for about a minute and then use both a heat gun and then a few passes of the torch. One this process with make the epoxy very thin and second it will get rid of all the air bubble that have formed in the mixing process.

This little trick is used by many others in the rod building world and I LOVE it....

Tight Lines
David4784

[tpcollins]

Back when I used Flex Coat, I found if I just poured it onto a sheet of aluminum foil, the bubbles would release by themselves - sometimes I would blow on it to get the last couple.

Since then I've switched over to Threadmaster, and now Threadmaster Lite - and using the drop finish onto blank, rotate 180 degrees, wick off the bottom technique - has made a hack rodbuilder like me be able to produce a wrap finish that looks like it came off the Sage or Orvis assy line.

[david4784]

tpcollins Thanks for the trick on the Threadmaster Lite. I'll have to try that one.

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David

[tpcollins]

You really should -I started with Flex Coat, then Flex Coat Lite, LS Supreme (hated this, couldn't use heat), and that crappy Permagloss. When I tried Threadmaster it was like shifting into high gear. When I tried Threadmaster Lite it was like jumping to lightspeed! I've learned to always use two coats - the first covers the wraps only and never touches the blank, pull as much as I can back off the bottom to keep it a really thin coat. Second coat leaks over onto the blank, a little heat from an alcohol burner, rotate, wick off the bottom, heat, rotate, wick off the bottom. I've found that the secret is two thin coats versus one heavier one. Good luck.

Tim

[david4784]

How does everyone hold there guides in place while they are adding thread to your guides?

I used 1/8" masking tape. Not the best way but it gets it done.

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David4784

[SSG Steelhead]

I have tried many different things but come back to the masking tape. I put a small piece on the edge of my table and use my fly scissors to cut it into 1/16th wide or smaller strips and use those, I also leave extras on the edge of my wrapper to use for securing thread or pullouts or whatever. I am cheap so it suits me good.

[david4784]

Here is a new tip for you all.

Don't use a red China marker because you cannot find your white one... It's crazy hard to remove it from a mate black blank!

Do you have a tip? Please post it

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David4784

[Bow Buster]

I started using permagloss and I honestly like it better than the two part epoxies. no wondering if you have the mixture just right, no air bubbles when applied very thin and allowing some time between coats. It does take some time to learn how to use (still learning) but I've found that between three and six coats is perfect for guide wraps. I usually do about two coats per day as it takes some time for the solvent in the finish to evaporate. Since then I've had no problems with the finish bubbling and ruining the guide wraps. The butt wraps are a different story, still working on that, lol.

[david4784]

Bow Buster thank you for the post on permagloss. I only use permagloss on lite weight rods and never put more than two coats on. It can be very tricky stuff to work with but the results are quite nice when you have your process down.

My trick with permagloss is to pour just a little in my mixing cup and then seal the bottle ASAP and put it in a zip lock bag and remove all the air and double bag it. I do this because the bottle of permagloss left open to long will harden very fast.

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David

[SSG Steelhead]

permagloss is a great product however it has its limitations. It is not really designed for use on large scale but wraps where a perfectly level surface is desired. You must be very careful what you use it over as well. If you attempt to use it over writing or labels you may find yourself in a bit of a situation as it is thinned with xylene it will melt them right off.

If you are looking for a light weight one part clear as water finish this is your go to one! I would say that from a repair stand point I would hate to have to do a guide repair on a permagloss finshed rod though!

Eric

[david4784]

Eric,

Thanks for the info on using permagloss with logos. You just saved my rear end. I was planning on using permagloss on my current build and going over a logo..

THANK YOU for posting!

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David4784

[Equinox]

I was recently doing a build and realized I didn't have a winding check. I was in a bit of a hurry and didn't want to wait for a mail order part, pay shipping or spend the dollars in gas and a ferry ride to go to Batson's (don't get me wrong, living 1 1/2 hours from Batson's does have advantages) for an item that cost around $1.00. So I went to the local hardware store and bought a few rubber grommet's for $.27 each

They come in several different inside and outside diameters. Just cut the center where it fits to the sheet metal and you get 2 winding checks for a quarter the cost of buying 1 through mail order.

Also note that I was in Home Depot and looked for grommets and could not find them. It seems the higher end hardware stores with the small trays of odds and ends are the best place to find them.


Equinox

[david4784]

Equinox thank you for the post and welcome to the Rod Building Forum.

I always seem to find myself needing some part or waiting to change what I have bought for the build I'm working or a client will change their mind after the fact. So having little tricks like this are good to have in your back pocket. Wish I only lived 1 1/2 from Batson.

Thanks again for posting

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David4784

[shockt]

Folks may do this simple trick already but it really helped me. To prevent excess epoxy from fouling the threads (or any part) of your reelseat during grip assembly, simply wrap the threads in masking tape. After the grip and reelseat are pushed together, wipe off the excess, remove the tape, and you've got a clean seat.

TS

[david4784]

TS,

Thanks for the post and the nice little tip! Keep'em comin!

David4784