Flexibility of epoxy finish on thread wraps on guides

[Michael]

Some guys ask me how flexible the finish (epoxy) is that I put on the guide wraps. If you have a look at some factory rods (the cheaper ones) after a year or so the epoxy starts lifting or cracking sometimes. I can't speak for them, as I dunno what they use...but on the custom front I have never experienced that. Not with the products I use (mainly Threadmaster, Flex-Coat, etc).

To demonstrate:

Here's the dried finish, after about a month. Flat and smooth, hard as nails (cannot dent it with a sharp object)


Here's the same piece, bent:


As you can see, the epoxy finish is extremely flexible. So the amount that the epoxy flexes on the completed rod on the guides, will not cause it to crack. It flexes with the rod. Of course the amount it flexes on the rod, is way less than shown above. So no problems should ever arise.

Just something interesting I thought I'd share.

[poppernel]

Some guys ask me how flexible the finish (epoxy) is that I put on the guide wraps. If you have a look at some factory rods (the cheaper ones) after a year or so the epoxy starts lifting or cracking sometimes. I can't speak for them, as I dunno what they use...but on the custom front I have never experienced that. Not with the products I use (mainly Threadmaster, Flex-Coat, etc).

To demonstrate:

Here's the dried finish, after about a month. Flat and smooth, hard as nails (cannot dent it with a sharp object)


Here's the same piece, bent:


As you can see, the epoxy finish is extremely flexible. So the amount that the epoxy flexes on the completed rod on the guides, will not cause it to crack. It flexes with the rod. Of course the amount it flexes on the rod, is way less than shown above. So no problems should ever arise.

Just something interesting I thought I'd share.

Mike,

Remember, in your second pic, it is not joined to any rod piece, but a vaccuum, no stress nada/ncks/ f/all.

Do a build, prove this. Sounds like a brilliant building method.

DAVE

[Michael]

Mike,

Remember, in your second pic, it is not joined to any rod piece, but a vaccuum, no stress nada/ncks/ f/all.

Do a build, prove this. Sounds like a brilliant building method.

DAVE

Dave

It's just to prove the flexibility of the epoxy...that it does not snap when bent or go brittle. It stretches too...so if on a surface (like wraps on a rod), it will bend and stretch with it.

I don't follow your point.

[shadowcast]

The epoxy's flexibility far out performs any rod's flexibility, in other words, no degree of rod bend will break your epoxy, so good work as usual Michael.

[NeilRowe]

Rod blanks are made from carbon and glass fibre cloth impregnated with epoxy resin. And flyrods flex like hell. Thus it is obvious that epoxies are remarkably fexible, as Mike says. Polyesters and vinylesters are very flexible too and have been used to build surfcasting rods in the past.

[nkula_nkula]

Very interesting!

Thanks for this, Mike.