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Curing |
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Curing — the final step — will take considerable time. There is really no good, reliable way that I know of to speed the process. I've tried cutting the epoxy mixture with acetone, denatured alcohol, and other reducers. None have worked well. All have caused the finish to drip, sag, and produce puddles of deeper color interspersed with areas that appear lighter than the surrounding areas of the blank. The rod will have to turn in slowly for at least 12 hours. Twenty-four hours will produce a semi-hard finish, but to achieve a finish that will stand up to thread overwraps on guides without bleeding between the threads, a minimum of 48 hours is recommended. The rod need not turn during this final curing process; attaching the tiptop and hanging the rod vertically from a cup hook in a dust-free environment is sufficient. A hanging clothes rack (clear plastic hung from a hook with the rod hung inside) will keep out the lint and doggie hairs well. The only way I know to shorten this time is by carefully controlling the heat and humidity in an enclosed drying apparatus. The unique possibilities are nearly endless when you overlay different layers of transparent colors using basic interior design techniques like blotting, mottling, streaking, or multi-layer streaking (running colors in streaks adjacent to each other along the length of the blank). This is your opportunity to be as creative as you dare. |
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