thanks much for the response. i'm surprised you can't get west just as cheap since you're in the boating industry. if you know someone that works at a yard, or you work there, prices on paints and materials like west are typically half price. i just painted a boat with awlgrip and paid $40 per quart of color for something that is advertised near $90. i'm not sure about the g-flex. i hear it's great for bonding unlike materials. i'm not so worried about the flex because my tactic would be to put a very smooth coating of it on the metal tube just as a barrier between the carbon and the metal. btw, g-flex is a west product. though, this may be what you are talking about in your second to last paragraph. if the g-flex did flex the slightest amount it could break the bond with the epoxy holding the carbon to it. thanks again for the response.