I'm looking to get the needed supplies to replace a guide on 1 rod, and to re-epoxy the guides on another rod. 

 

https://mudhole.com/products/flex-coat-rod-wrapping-finish?variant=41232785080453

 

This is the correct stuff I take it.

 

1. How long will this epoxy last once opened? I don't have the need to replace guides often. Will it last a few months? 5 years? 10 years? 

 

I know you have to not cross-contaminate between syringes.

2. Is there any issue keeping the syringes once used, separate, in ziploc bags for future use, or is it a throw-away afair?

 

3. How often will I have to turn the rod after applying the epoxy. Is every 15 minutes correct?

 

4. For how long will I have to turn the rod intermittently?

 

3 year old epoxy. Bought at custom rod shop. Already changed to a dark amber color from chemical degradation. A microwave will not fix this, however there are others who claim it will.

 

 

 

The two custom rod shops I visited this week and none of them use syringes. Waste of time and money. They use a dixie cup and a brush and done.

50 minutes ago, Bazoo said:

I'm looking to get the needed supplies to replace a guide on 1 rod, and to re-epoxy the guides on another rod. 

 

https://mudhole.com/products/flex-coat-rod-wrapping-finish?variant=41232785080453

 

This is the correct stuff I take it.

 

1. How long will this epoxy last once opened? I don't have the need to replace guides often. Will it last a few months? 5 years? 10 years? 

 

I know you have to not cross-contaminate between syringes.

2. Is there any issue keeping the syringes once used, separate, in ziploc bags for future use, or is it a throw-away afair?

 

3. How often will I have to turn the rod after applying the epoxy. Is every 15 minutes correct?

 

4. For how long will I have to turn the rod intermittently?

Yes...FlexCoat is a great product. I like the High Build...and will put on a thin coat. Once it cures in a day...put on another thin coat.

 

1: The Epoxy will last a long long time.

2: You can keep and reuse the syringes.

3: With FlexCoat High Build.( I did this along time ago) I would turn the rod 180 every 15 minutes. Guides up...then guides down.

4: Turn for two hours should be enough.

In the past when I've mixed epoxy, I've kept a cardboard piece with some of the epoxy to test it's curing state.

Double check information found in this thread with online search for "truth" (confirmation or denial). Why is it google never seems to agree?

Lots of good, lots of wrong, info here. 

 

Most experts agree that epoxy has a pretty long shelf life and that if it deteriorates it will do so by crystalizing.  A few short shots of microwave will fix this.  I have had it for many years and it's still good.  Certainly 3 years is not out of the question.  If in doubt, throw it out.  Don't buy big bottles until you know your use rate.  Wrap epoxy is specially formulated to break bubbles, be flexible,  and level nicely and stay fairly clear as long as possible with today's technology.  Adhesive epoxy is specially formulated for long, flexible, and to be tough as opposed to brittle.  Many hardware store epoxies are brittle.  Don't take a chance, go with the stuff formulated for rodbuilding. If you get Yorker caps for your epoxy bottles you can cut the neck at the right place to hold a syringe, and simple leave the syringes on the bottles.  That helps preventing using the wrong one-if you do that after using them, the epoxy left in them will cure and lock them up.   Don't apply so much epoxy that it drips off-better to use a couple thin coats than have it dripping and sagging.  Mix it thoroughly and gently for a solid two minutes, scraping from the edges of the pool to the center.  Take your epoxy from the center. 

 

I take it you know that wrap epoxy and epoxy adhesive for grips/seats etc are two different animals.

 

A good epoxy adhesive is the gel type, Rod  Bond and others.  They stay where you put them.  Don't skimp on grip and seat epoxy-not enough epoxy is the biggest cause of failure of grips.seats on big box rods. 

 

Sooner or later, if you don't use syringes, you will screw up and have tacky epoxy.  Only a few builders are good enough at gauging amounts to avoid this.  Syringes are cheap and last almost forever.  Get ones designed for rod building-they won't have any contaminants in them that could cause fish-eyes.

 

Fex Coat is a good company, making good products, and they have some good videos, as does Mud Hole, GetBit, and others.  I would believe these companies before I would believe opinionated forum builders with unknown credentials.  That my opinion. 🙂

 

 

Mick is spot on with everything he said.  I have some Threadmaster finish that's 5+ years old.  I've microwaved the resin a couple times because of crystallization.  It still cures like it was fresh.  Every finish will eventually yellow. Some just do it at a quicker rate. Syringes are a cheap piece of mind to get exact measurements. My set of syringes is over 5 years old, just like the finish. I use the syringes until the numbers on the side are wore off, and then I toss them and break out a new set.  I don't even store them in a ziploc. I just let them lay on my wrapping bench.

Mick and Hovanec are the ones to follow.  I've been using FlexCoat for many many years with the syringes it comes with.  I use a coffee cup full of water heated in the microwave to put the bottles of epoxy in.  It flows and mixes better when warm.

1 hour ago, Alex from GA said:

Mick and Hovanec are the ones to follow.  I've been using FlexCoat for many many years with the syringes it comes with.  I use a coffee cup full of water heated in the microwave to put the bottles of epoxy in.  It flows and mixes better when warm.

Thanks, that's a good tip.

21 hours ago, Alex from GA said:

Mick and Hovanec are the ones to follow.  I've been using FlexCoat for many many years with the syringes it comes with.  I use a coffee cup full of water heated in the microwave to put the bottles of epoxy in.  It flows and mixes better when warm.

 

And will release bubbles better (though it's better if you don't make them in the first place!).  But if it is warm you get a lot shorter working time before it starts to set up.  For doing one guide go for it.  For doing an entire rod, stay at room temp.  

21 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

And will release bubbles better (though it's better if you don't make them in the first place!).  But if it is warm you get a lot shorter working time before it starts to set up.  For doing one guide go for it.  For doing an entire rod, stay at room temp.  

One misconception about the air bubbles in a wrap is the cause.
Sure, bubbles can be introduced by a vigorous mixing.
These mixing bubbles almost always dissipate.

 

IMO...the real bubble culprit is the thread and along the guide foot.

This air is release when finish is applied. (sometimes air is actually trapped along the guide foot).

 

So the longer it takes the finish to setup, the more likely the air will release.
Heating up the finish will hasten that setup. Epoxy is already an exothermic reaction.

 

A mix at room temp (and not color preserver on the thread) will work 99.9% of the time.