Mesh tape: a horror story

JasonGotaProblem · April 03, 2022, 03:40:16 AM

So on the advice of folks on here more experienced than myself I decided to try out building up a reel seat arbor with mesh drywall tape. Well I must have done something wrong because the whole dang thing slid off the blank like nothing. And I really globbed on That epoxy. That woulda been a sight to see, breaking free on a fully built rod.

I think I need a new reel seat.

jfirey2001 · April 03, 2022, 05:28:29 AM

What kind of epoxy did you use? Did you scuff the blank before applying the tape and epoxy?

I have only used drywall tape a time or two, I just use masking tape to build up the arbor. Something really must have gone wrong for the whole thing to come off like that - if you are using U-40 or something similar I don't think there is any way that is even possible.

Jeri · April 03, 2022, 03:34:37 PM

Been using drywall tape for years, might have been one of the earliest to suggest it on here. Never had that happen in literally 100's of rods. I don't actually scuff the blank, but usually the inside of the reel seat fitting to make a good key for the resin to bond.

Cannot imagine what you have done there, I just use 2 or 3 narrow strips and then a 5 minute resin, simple and no fuss.

JasonGotaProblem · April 03, 2022, 05:55:59 PM

I used "Fibatape" brand drywall tape. I didn't exactly follow directions since I built up the whole arbor not just strips. But it appeared the glue didnt soak past the tape, and the adhesive of the tape seemed to also interfere. A lot, in fact, because even though I had sanded and acetoned the inside of the seat before installation (and used half a tube of 5min) in the span of about 20 minutes I managed to pull the tape/glue conglomeration out of the reel seat and reuse the seat, with a tape I'm more familiar with.

I think I had the wrong drywall tape. Are you using one with an adhesive in it?

oldmanjoe · April 03, 2022, 07:04:51 PM

The question that needs answering is how did you manage to reuse a reel seat with 1/2 tube of 5 minute ,20 minutes later ? Mixing problem ?

JasonGotaProblem · April 03, 2022, 07:15:09 PM

No I had "attached" it the day before, glue was cured. Tried to pull off the unglued but kinda jammed foam grip and the seat moved instead.

It then took 20 min to pull the cylinder of glue and tape out of the inside of the seat. My suspicion is the adhesive and the epoxy enthusiastically do not play nice, and the adhesive that had rubbed off on the inside of the reel seat prevented it from sticking well. But I had to get it started with a blade and pry it off. So it definitely stuck to the seat just not well enough. It certainly wasn't easy and may have been more than 20 minutes.

oldmanjoe · April 03, 2022, 07:24:29 PM

Well than I would retry the glue and tape on a dowel and see if it was the tape glue that was the problem so we all can learn something .

JasonGotaProblem · April 03, 2022, 08:22:41 PM

Quote from: oldmanjoe on April 03, 2022, 07:24:29 PMWell than I would retry the glue and tape on a dowel and see if it was the tape glue that was the problem so we all can learn something .

Great idea. Will do. I still have a lot of potentially useless tape.

jigmaster501 · April 03, 2022, 09:32:34 PM

I use butcher string layed and wrap to the thickness you need. Take it off, lay epoxy, lay a layer, lay epoxy, etc until its back on and wet with epoxy. Slide reel seat on and done. A monolithic epoxy bushing. Never failed.

Eugene

Jeri · April 03, 2022, 10:33:38 PM

A compatibility test between the tape and your chosen resin, prior to use might have been a smart move, as with all non-specific materials used in rod building. A worse case might have been a flash set between the drywall tape and the resin, where a huge unfinished mess might have ensued.

There are lots of materials that are not compatible with typical rod building materials - like seamstress cotton/nylon threads - most are impregnated with silicone or similar which will react with the thread resin and nearly never set.

All part of the 'school fees', that need to be paid for learning a new craft.

jurelometer · April 04, 2022, 01:55:32 AM

You need to epoxy as you wrap the tape, not after. If the viscosity of the epoxy is thin enough to work through the offset voids in multiple layers of tape, it is also going to flow to the bottom and drip out. Use paste epoxy. It stays where you put it. I like PC-7 and PC-11 - better stuff and cheaper than the rod making products IMHO.

Smear a bit on the blank, then a couple wraps of tape, spatula in some more epoxy to fill the voids, repeat until desired diameter is achieved. you need to limit the voids, which is hard to do if you do all the wraps first and spread epoxy over the top. The paste will also fill the voids between the ribs on the inside of the seat, providing a full fit with greater mechanical bonding.

The PC paste products do not need a perfect mix ratio to set properly. I think that this is a feature of many paste epoxies. Good paste is actually very useful. It can be built up and shaped, surface smoothed with alcohol when wet, and sanded when dry. I use it to repair and patch all kinds of projects.

I have used liquid epoxy (Not 5 minute!) over mesh drywall tape in a pinch, but it is messy and not much fun - too runny.

-J

Swami805 · April 04, 2022, 03:59:25 AM

X2 on PC7. It's all I use for reel seats. I tried drywall tape a couple times and didn't care for it. I use garden variety masking tape to build up arbors and then PC7 paste. Never had a failure

steelfish · April 04, 2022, 03:37:05 PM

Quote from: Swami805 on April 04, 2022, 03:59:25 AMX2 on PC7. It's all I use for reel seats. I tried drywall tape a couple times and didn't care for it. I use garden variety masking tape to build up arbors and then PC7 paste. Never had a failure

Jason, hear this guy.

thank me later

I tried once drywall tape and I didnt like it at all, you cant go wrong with the masking tape arbors, I also use epoxy paste to glue the reelseat, the arbors are only there to center the reelseat, what bonds the reelseat to the blank is the epoxy paste between the arbors.

JasonGotaProblem · April 04, 2022, 04:25:16 PM

Yeah I ended up using 5 min epoxy with masking tape arbors. I basically coated the arbors, slid the seat down over the top arbor and almost all the way to the bottom arbor, then dumped in the rest of the other half the tube (already mixed) into the opening then slid the rest of the way into place. So there's roughly half a tube of epoxy almost filling that previously empty space. It feels very secure.

But i will certainly look into the paste epoxy. There's always room for improvement.

jurelometer · April 05, 2022, 08:45:50 PM

5 minute epoxy is not very strong, sets too fast to penetrate well, not enough time to properly hand mix larger batches, and does not have long enough working time to apply and clean up any smears, at least for somebody who works a slow as me

. I only like using it for attaching tip guides, since it will usually come right off with a flick of heat from a lighter if the tip needs replacement.

I like to give my rods a good freshwater soak before long storage to get all the salt out of the nooks and crannies, so I do not like to use anything water soluble and capable of getting moldy, like paper masking tape. And just as matter of principle, I don't like using materials that can't get wet around water, even if they are not providing structural support...

I am not the most skilled craftsman when it comes to rod building, so I am a bit perplexed as to the difficulty some folks report using mesh tape and paste epoxy. I was happy when I stumbled across this method as it was faster, easier, less messy and stronger than anything else that I had tried.

But if paper tape dams works for other folk, I am not going to argue. I just don't want it myself.

-J