Scott
Your email is hidden ?
Also think about it. Bubbles release from a thin liquid easyer then a thick liquid ! harder to release from honey then water.
Use thinner epoxys or thin yours. Less things to do like mix slowly or putting on foil or heating, or blowing with a straw

I would like to thank everyone for their response on this topic, I was really going a little crazy here with the bubbles. It would seem that there a some differing techniques for finishing. I think I need to tailor mine a bit to the high build epoxies.

I learned this back before the high build and when I switched to the high build I didn't change my technique to match the product. I am going to try the high build for a few more rods and see what happens if I do things a bit different. If I don't have success with that I am going to switch back to a low build epoxy and go with multiple coats(I am doing that now).

Bill I am looking at my profile and I don't see where an option where I can unhide my email address.

In my controll center there is a section email settings, then type in your emil and conferm

OK I did that, let's see if it works!! :)

Yes it did now it shows
Don't fell bad, I got an email I can not get rid of.

Well I just tried all the suggetions, except for the mechanical mixer and the acetone, and the bubbles were worse, plus wavey looking wraps. The epoxy looked clear on the foil and it looked good on the wraps when I first put it on, but after about 10 minutes when I checked it there were more bubbles than usual. I thought the epoxy looked great after blowing it around for a while with a straw that this is the ticket. And I made sure that I loaded up the brush and worked it back and forth a bit to get all the air out. I didn't do any brushing at all except for the edges of the wraps to get a fairly clean edge..

Someone pointed to humidity, it is usually rather humid up here in the summer and it has been damp and dreary for while, that may be having some affect. I also moved my dryer down the basement and it is cooler down there. I dunno???

Does shelf life affect this stuff?

I may try and contact Flex Coat themselves.

I have been wrapping some saltwater standup rods using a lot of black A thread and no color preserver. These big guides (some roller) have big feet and big tunnels that must be filled. I would not consider trying a one coat covering on these guides.

I have found that, with tunnels to fill and no CP on the threads, I am going to get bubbles from a "perfectly" prepared mix of FC high build. The air in those threads and tunnels has got to go somewhere.

I make a fairly light first coat. My goal is to fill all the tunnels and get a good first coat on the area under the guide. I press harder with my spatula/brush as I go down the rod, then come back and wick away as many bubbles as I can. Working quickly, I wick the obvious bubbles then flame the wrap with my alcohol torch and walk away.

After the first coat has dried, I go back and trim the tiny pimples that are left from bubbles or frayed thread (yeah, my cut-off/tuck-unders are not always perfect). I "flow on" the second coat after again addressing the under-guide area again. I apply what looks like enough finish on each wrap then go back and quickly level it. Some are looking so good that I can't tell whether I have leveled them yet or not, the stuff wants to lay down and self level that well. A quick torching with the alcohol burner and out.

Third coat is at times necessary for small areas or individual guides to achieve perfection but there are rarely bubbles if I prepare the mix correctly.

I have much fewer problems getting the epoxy to flow correctly with the rod spinning at about 120rpm. Slower is much harder, in my experience.

Hi - I use Cabelas finish. I tear the 2-part package onto foil and spread/mix islowly with the package. I get fvery ew bubbles which are easily popped by blowing thru a straw. I apply/drip-on with a spatula with the rod on the dryer-turner.

Cabela's finish is Flex Coat re-packaged.

Putter
Williston, ND

I have my own hair dryer for removing the bubbles and it is free from my wife's hair contaminantes. This process is used when the rod is turning on the drying turner and I have been using this process for 25 years with no problems. Also, I have found that a round sturring tool will cause bubbles than a flat tool.

I was digging through some stuff I got from someone who wanted me to do a couple of rod he couldn't get to and found some more Flex Coat. I am going to try that stuff he said he didn't have any problem with bubbles when he used it and he was less careful that I am.

If I remember right even flex coat suggestes thinning out the first coat of clear so it penitrates better and releases bubbles faster then putting on a secount regular coat

I have tried thinning out the first coat and that is my normal routine. I was also under the assumption that the color preserver did the sealing. I have so many bubbles, way more than most people are talking about that I really wonder if I have some bad epoxy. I think this batch came in the winter time and may have frozen, not sure if that would affect it that way but something just don't seem right here. I took a real close look at the bottles and I have some crystalizing happening in the bottom of the actual resin bottle. That makes me a bit suspicious. Not sure if it means anything but doesn't look right to me. I do believe that that bottle is headed for the trash can.

Before you trash it . If you are seeing a thich substance on the bottom -- if you heat it in some hot water for about 20 min. or so. it may clear up. Try that
I have done it in the winter and they have blended together
Also never shake the bottles, maybe turn them over slowly if you want to mix. Shaking will give a " lot " of bubbles.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/30/2005 09:00AM by bill boettcher.

I have never had the problems with Flex Coat at all. I have had other companies send me their finish and I have tried them on rods that I experimenting with. The application (in my opionion is the culprit)

Bill it isn't just thicker, it has crystal like formations in there. I usually soak the bottles in warm water to thin it a little before I mix. I let someone else use this epoxy a while back and I am wondering if perhaps he got the syringes mixed up and got some hardener in there, I just showed him to build rods and he may have mixed them, he also gave it all back to me with new syringes too.

I never shake those bottles, as a matter of fact after a while I drilled holes in the top and leave the syringes in the bottles and just turn them over to get the liquid down to the syringes. I was looking at the bottles when I did it the last time and that's when I noticed all the crystals.

If it does not clear that is more then likely what happened. Guess you need new finish

I tried some different Flex Coat High Build and TA DA no bubbles to speak of, and the ones that I did get popped very easily. So that is what it should be like? I can't believe I screwed around with that stuff for like five rods thinking either this High Build is junk or I am doing something way wrong.

Now I know if something seems really bad maybe it ain't a good batch.

Scott