The only space I have to work on rods is in the garage. I'm doing a guide replacement for a friend and we just had a cold snap last night with the temperature going down to -3*C. Will I be able to get the flexcoat to harden if I warm it up before I mix it and keep a heat gun running to keep it warm while it cures or am I asking for trouble...? Do I have any other options for getting it to cure in the garage? It's supposed to go up to 10*C today though, would that be warm enough?

Thanks in advance!

For every drop of 20F in temp from about 70F, you double the set and cure time. So what takes 2 hours to set at 70F will take 4 hours to set at 50F (10C). At some point, you reach a place where nothing really happens and I'd suspect that below freezing you aren't going to have much luck. At your listed 10C you can do it, but it'll take a while. And the time I listed is for it to set. To cure will also take twice as long at that temp, which could mean several days.

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Adam,
I assume that you have a bed.

How about putting a piece of plywood on your bed and wrap the rods there?

Tough to do rod building and finish work when it is much below 70 degrees f.

Take care

If you've got a small space heater you could place it close to the replaced guide to keep it warm. You do not need to heat the entire garage, just keep the rod turning and the small repair area comfortably warm at 70 degrees or more.

I've a far less severe problem than you do keeping the temperature up, and a couple space heaters keep things toasty - until the electronics in the fancy power strips have had enough abuse and open the circuits stopping the heaters and rod turner. The point is do not blindly trust a space heater if you go that route. Frequent monitoring is required.

I'm sure it's doable. It's not optimal, but a heat lamp or even a simple drop light will provide enough consistent heat to finish one guide. And before you tell me it's too cold to wrap a guide, it's -2* C here, right now, and I've worked in my unheated barn most of the morning.

If your replacing one guide you can probably just finish the wrap and rotate the rod in your chair while you watch tv. Just rotate the rod 180 degrees every minute or so while the rod is cradled across your chair's arms. As the epoxy sets you can lengthen the rotations till it's set enough. You can test the epoxy cure without touching it, just test the epoxy you have left over, when it's set enough not to flow, it's set enough on the rod.

I have used a spared bedroom as my wrapping room before I got married and once I moved into my wifes little townhome, I actually used the kitchen table and also the little den as wrapping areas. Certainly not optimal but functional enough to complete rods.

My wife made me take my surfboards out of the bedroom and put them in garage. I should of put her in the garage instead. That's were I do my rods now and use a space heater to warm it up like I am doing tonight. I can write stuff like this because it can't be seen on Victoria's Secret site or any other shopping site for that matter and she would never look at this one. Oh I hear her coming, gotta go.......tell her you need to do it just once.

Lance just admitted to things the rest of us are afraid to admit. Touché, Lance!

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Fortunately, I have what I consider to be the best wife for me and she is unbelievably understanding and tolerable of my shortcomings (bass boats, rodbuilding, tournament fishing, duck hunting, reloading and many many others)!

Good Luck Lance. The ceramic heaters do a nice job!.

Tom

Use a space heater as suggested for wrapping and make a temporary drying box out of cardboard with Christmas tree lights in it.

Thanks for all the suggestions and guidance gentlemen, it's much appreciated! I'll let you know how it goes.

I borrowed a couple of small space heaters from my neighbour and was able to get the garage up to a comfortable working temperature, but definitely not 70*f. I warmed the epoxy in some hot water ahead of time and did a coat. It was slow going but it did start to set up. Once it was set enough that it wasn't going to shift, I brought it inside and stood it in the spare bathroom overnight. It cured nicely. Thanks for all the help and guidance gentlemen, it is very much appreciated!

Adam,
Since you have a spare bathroom, why don't you apply the finish in the spare bathroom?

roger wilson Wrote:
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> Adam,
> Since you have a spare bathroom, why don't you
> apply the finish in the spare bathroom?


Hey Roger, it's a long story but I can't use the spare bathroom for wrapping. One reason is that the bathroom I used is actually just a tiny room for the toilet housed within the master bathroom. The rod actually only fits in there standing up. The house we're in doesn't have a basement either so I don't have that as a fall back option. No worries though, it's going to be 22*C in a few days...