For those with a good amount of experience with the Gudebrod one-part finish or varnish, how many coats do you use? I have used it on my last two rods, and am unsure about it. Great to work with, thin coats level nicely, nice smooth finish, no epoxy mixing, etc. It is definitely thinner than epoxy type finishes and I am wondering about number of coats. How many coats are needed to have a lifetime finish?

Also, on a broken section of rod, I did some wraps and I used the finish on one wrap and the varnish on the other. What is the difference? I cannot see a difference in the finished product.

Thanks for any help.
Ron

Ron,
It is purely up to how you want it to look. I am with Gaddis on 3 or 4 coats as a bare minimum with the one part Gudebrod, although it does depend on exactly which one part Gudebrod you're talking about. If you intend to use the rod then you may as well forget all about the "lifetime finish" thing. Ultraviolet light will eventually destroy any rod finish if the other streamside hazards don't get it first. Personaly, i prefer the finish to be applied with enough coats to give the wrap a smooth glasslike appearance. Traditional or vintage rod wraps are not that smooth for the most part and silk is at it's full glory when it is fully recognizeable as thread. Do what pleases your eye best as no finish lasts forever. One, does last a very long time before yellowing though, it's Classic two part rod finish due to it's highly effective UV stabilizers. I have used many rod finishes and that is the longest lasting i've seen. Not easy for a novice to use.
The difference between the Gudebrod and the (i am assumuing spar) varnish is that the gudebrod will put up with more sunlight before giving up the ghost.

Scud dog,

The working time for the Flex Coat might be extended if you cool it on ice. Of course that might also make it more viscous and harder to spread.

Using more than one batch of epoxy is probably the better idea. Throw the first batch away when it gets too thick. Adding a little acetone at the beginning should make it flow better, but adding it later will probably jmake a mess. Mixing on tin foil is a must. Plastics have plasticisers that may leach into the epoxy (especially if using acetone). If you use the wrong plastic, the plasticiser will leave your finish permanently sticky.

An easy way to measure several, very small batches of the epoxy is to weigh them onto tin foil. Make two dents on a few pieces of foil and weigh equal amounts of Part A and Part B onto separate dents. When you need a new batch of epoxy, grab a piece of foil and use a toothpick to mix. A small, cheap electronic gunpowder scale should work well enough. You can accurately mix 1/16 oz or less for each batch this way.

Tom

For what it is worth, I just built a rod for my son using the one part Gudebrod. It is easy to use, and the brush cleaned well with soap and water. But it builds VERY slowly. Be prepared to put on several coats if you want a smooth glassy finish.

scud dog, before you use your flex coat let the part a and b soak in hot water. This should clear up the cloud and create a better and faster mix to work with. Do a little at a time and don't be afraid to let some go to waste.