I use syringes to measure epoxy, using mixing sticks (Anglers Workshop) in mixing cups, applying with brushes, and using rod dryers at room temperature. Nothing added!

spent many sleepless nights with epoxy cracking at the guide feet, and have seemed to have solved the major cracking.
if the blank is to soft for the guides, (or the guides are to strong for the blank) the blank will flex over the distance from the far end of one guide foot to the far end of the other guide foot,, the epoxy wont stop the rod from flexing so the epoxy will crack at the end of the foot.. Epoxy doesn't create a strong bond to the blank, its actually very weak, and there is really no way to securely fix any guide to any blank, its seems strong only because it has a circular layer around the blank and is strengthened by the thread....try this if you dont believe, epoxy a guide on as normal WITHOUT thread.. wait a couple of weeks then get it off, it will surprise you how easily it comes off without leaving any evidence of it ever being on the blank at all.
The only way to eliminate the foot cracking is to use a weaker guide that is suited to the blank which has the ability to flex with the blank or use an epoxy which is not so rigid and brittle. Tackle shop rods are a classic example, you can easily cut the epoxy away with any type of blade, but custom rod epoxy is so damn hard to cut off once its cured....its to hard and too brittle. I now thin the mixed epoxy down with bubblebuster so its nearly like water. 3 very thin coats and hey presto, leave it for a week to cure and it peels off nice with a blade..but still has a durable surface..and no more foot cracking....
Cheers.