Just read someone else's post about and it got me thinking. My dad has always told me when painting a blank it needs to be epoxy based, but I've talked to another rod builder who said it doesn't matter, keep in mind all rods will be fully flex coated.

You shouldn't coat the blank with Flex Coat nor any other epoxy - wrong product for the job. Beyond that, any quality paint can be use. An epoxy paint, if it's really epoxy and not just labeled as such, would supposedly be a bit harder, but in most cases it's unnecessary.

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What do you mean you shouldn't flex coat the blank?

Misunderstanding, Flex coat is a brand of finish epoxy and it is not a wise thing to entirely coat your rod with a finish epoxy. Much too heavy. When painting a blank you should use a paint that is flexible so it does not crack. That is why paints suitable for plastic as well as for cars are recommended due to their flexibility.
Norm

I flex coat every rod I build, and 90% of the rods I've seen are completely flexed, most of what I build are heavier class boat rods, shark rods etc.

Wow, why do you do that? What's the advantage?
Norm

What's the disadvantage?

Weight, yellowing, unnecessary. Granted it won't unduly affect the performance of the heavier type rods you're building, but wrap finish epoxy is not the correct product for top coating rod blanks. It is more likely to scrape, scuff, peel, etc. than other, lighter, harder yet more flexible top coats such as many urethanes.

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Why would you epoxy an entire blank? As stated, wrong product for the job.

Why would you epoxy an entire blank? As stated, wrong product for the job.

Maybe I just don't pay attention...but I've never seen a rod blank fully coated in epoxy. I've heard of it, but I've never seen it.

I did a full epoxy coating of a rod for a customer.

The rod was a memory rod and after receiving, wanted to hang it on the wall of his living room for a memento to his father. He wanted the look that the heavy full length coating of epoxy gave the rod.

He never intended to fish with the rod after it received its heavy coat of epoxy. But for his purpose the epoxy coating on the rod was perfect.

Take care