Epoxy

[mark84]

i recently coated my bindings with some epoxy i did it in 2 lots i measured them both perfectly and both are staying rather tacky i have done it before and never had this can anyone give me some advice on what i should now do is there anyway of making it harden without having to re-do the whole thing again...

[arpie]

Hi Mark - was it a well known brand or a cheapie? I have had it happen with the cheapie brands & only buy 'known brands' now. I am assuming you are using a glue rather than a liquid resin? I only use the liquid now as it is much easier to measure accurately with a disposable syringe - the one I use is 3 to 1 ratio ie 6ml to 2ml & it covers a hell of a lot of surface area - you have to work fast tho - it 'goes off' fairly quickly.

I guess you could try another batch & put a thin coating over what you already have on. There are plenty that recommend this - try it on one guide to see if it hardens up. Others reckon that the guides may work loose eventually as the base coat is not set ......

Just found this on Google ...

The only good solution is to remove the guide, take off the epoxy, clean up the blank, rewrap and recoat.

You can use a heat gun to futher soften the epoxy, cut the thread on the guide side with a razor, take off the guide and then use xylene to clean up the blank of the tacky epoxy.

Finally, rewrap the guides, and recoat the guides.

Note:

When mixing the guide coating, get an exact 1:1 mix of resin and hardner. Also, mix for two minutes.

Many many problems of tacky coating are caused by insufficient mixing of the resin and hardner.

The temperature that it cures at can also affect the curing rate.

Good luck!

Roberta

Do a rest of the world Google on <"rod building" tacky epoxy> & you will have plenty of reading matter!

[mark84]

cheers roberta i appreciate your help i use erkskines and i measured half and half but then always put an extra drop or two of hardner it has always worked before i have spent a lot of time and effort in binding this rod and will be very dissapointed if i have to re bind it. i will try a thin coat over it i have done that before on a rush job i once did and didnt evenly coat in the first place and it turned out fine.

when you do a 3 to 1 ratio im assuming 3 part hardner i may try that tonight.

[gness]

I've had the same problem when rebinding but it was just a quick fix which I couldn't be bothered redoing. A couple of weeks afterwards I noticed that the epoxy had hardened to how it should be and the guide is still going strong (though it was just a light spin stick)

[arpie]

Hi Mark

Like Gness says - give it a bit longer ..... if the binding was on tight, it should hold anyway (not everyone expoxys their bindings!)

Those 'held together glue pots' with the simultaneous plunger are soooo difficult to get a really accurate measure, as one is more liquid than the other & always puts out more, anyway, then you try & put out more of the thick stuff & end up with twice as much as you really needed in the first place ..... aaaaagh!!! Then you look around for something else to glue up, broken cups etc but can't find it in time & the whole lot 'goes off' before you can use it & it is another wasted lot of glue!!!

My three to one is really a fibreglassing setup that I have been using instead of the epoxy glues! Any hardware or ship chandlery will have it. Comes in 2 separate bottles. Looks fantastic on rods - but you need a rod curing motor to keep it revolving until it has totally set. It is soooo runny when you mix it, you doubt that it will harden up, but it does. I use a rotisserie motor that I have setup with a 240v transformer ( so I just plug it into mains power instead of wearing out a battery at the crucial time!) Then I have a couple of bits of wood with 'upside down' chair rollers to rest the rod on .... so it rotates freely .... pretty basic but it works!

Just finished rebinding an old buddy's rod this week on it.

Cheers

Roberta

Edited December 4, 2007 by Roberta

[luderick59]

hi mark

try wiping it off with a bit of acetone or a stiff brush and redo the epoxy no need to undo bindings

the acetone should dry any epoxy that you cant get off

peter

[mark84]

i wouldnt have put epoxy on it but when i finished i realised how much time i had spent on it and wanted to give it that gloss like finish over the bindings ill give it a few more days its day three today and its still VERY tacky thankyou all for the advice.

oh and roberta i do have a drying motor so i might try that stuff next time...

[marus8504]

make sure you are applying the resin on a dry day, as if there is too much moisture in the air it will take along time to dry

[gretsch]

You all have interesting takes on epoxy. It is an art.

I have built many rods over the past 15 years and have learn't a thing or two about finishing wraps and decorative work.

I use Jack Erskine or Threadmaster high build flexible finishes.

These are the rules:

1. Parts A and B must be of EXACTLY equal quantities. The chemical reaction is dependent on this for a proper cure.

2. Adding more hardener wil result in a tacky finish unlike builder's bog where it will increase the curing time and result in a harder more brittle compound.

3. Mix the epoxy in a small medicine cup and mix it slowly for 5 minutes so as not to introduce bubbles

4. Pour the mixed finish out onto some aluminium foil and let it spread. This will remove bubbles and leave you with a mix ready to be applied.

5. Run the finish onto the rod wraps with a stiff brush and let the finish level by itself. Do not continue to brush it and fiddle with it. Run it on thick and wick off the drops as the rod rotates. It will level on its own.

6. Use a straw and blow on any bubbles gently and this will dispers them.

7. Heat can be used via an alcohol burner. Using a hair dryer or heat gun will blow dust into the finish and sometimes, upset the chemical reaction for the cure.

8. Let the rod rotate for 3-4 hours then turn off the dryer. Let it sit for aweek to achieve full cure before hooking any Kings.

A beautiful rod finish is a pleasure to behold.

[mark84]

You all have interesting takes on epoxy. It is an art.

I have built many rods over the past 15 years and have learn't a thing or two about finishing wraps and decorative work.

I use Jack Erskine or Threadmaster high build flexible finishes.

These are the rules:

1. Parts A and B must be of EXACTLY equal quantities. The chemical reaction is dependent on this for a proper cure.

2. Adding more hardener wil result in a tacky finish unlike builder's bog where it will increase the curing time and result in a harder more brittle compound.

3. Mix the epoxy in a small medicine cup and mix it slowly for 5 minutes so as not to introduce bubbles

4. Pour the mixed finish out onto some aluminium foil and let it spread. This will remove bubbles and leave you with a mix ready to be applied.

5. Run the finish onto the rod wraps with a stiff brush and let the finish level by itself. Do not continue to brush it and fiddle with it. Run it on thick and wick off the drops as the rod rotates. It will level on its own.

6. Use a straw and blow on any bubbles gently and this will dispers them.

7. Heat can be used via an alcohol burner. Using a hair dryer or heat gun will blow dust into the finish and sometimes, upset the chemical reaction for the cure.

8. Let the rod rotate for 3-4 hours then turn off the dryer. Let it sit for aweek to achieve full cure before hooking any Kings.

A beautiful rod finish is a pleasure to behold.

well youve obviously made a few rods ceph,

if i was to put a little more hardner in would that tacky finish remain for a really long time or will it harden over a week or 2 i applied the epoxy 3 days ago and its still rather tacky...

what would you suggest.

[gretsch]

well youve obviously made a few rods ceph,

if i was to put a little more hardner in would that tacky finish remain for a really long time or will it harden over a week or 2 i applied the epoxy 3 days ago and its still rather tacky...

what would you suggest.

It is a hard one... Tony is on the money. You need to wipe it off and this can be a task in itself. You can try metho and a piece of cotton t-shirt. You should recoat within a few hours to maintain the bond between the first and second coats.

Remember, if you are not happy with the look after you have wiped off the tacky coat, you should bite the bullet and start again. It will piss you off for ever and a day if every time you look at the rod, all you see is a bad finish.

Happens to the best of us!!

[mark84]

thanks guys. well it looks like ill have to wipe it off and hope for the best man i hope i dont have to re-bind it but i guess its better than being dissapointed with it for the rest of its life

[thelostreef]

Some of the problems that come with epoxy are very easy to sort out and take care of, here we go

* If the epoxy is from an "old batch" there will be problems with curing ( epoxy has a shelf life )

* Don't epoxy on a wet or very humid day unless the room that you are working in is controlled

* Always measure your resin with syringes and take your time in mixing it

* If the weather is colder than normal heat both parts of the resin before mixing

* Always use a drying motor ( it will give you a much better finish )

* Remove bubbles with a heat source ( hair dryers are a good way )

* Try not to use the rod for at least 24 hrs after the rod is finished

* Always use a high quality resin ( erskine , flexcoat , aftcote )

There are a few points that might help you out...and if you need a drying motor there is an easy way a microwave oven rotisserie motor will get you out of trouble...enjoy your rodbuilding...tight lines

Edited December 7, 2007 by thelostreef

[noisy]

mark...i dont think you should have done epoxy work with all the rain we have had..if you want to take a chance you can leave it for a couple of weeks and i may harden...bob

[mark84]

gday noisy yea just my luck i coated it the day before the rain hoping i woul have had enough time so im not going to touch it until th weather dries up a bit maybe just maybe il be lucky and itl dry but im not expecting it to thanks for the tips thelostref.