Just wanted to note to anyone who might have read the post a week ago about light colored threads and the color preservative not working. The guy who posted it vented his dissatisfaction at the maker of the CP.

I just finished tying up chartreuse wraps which included a bright red trim band accented by HT Metallic silver in the middle of the neon yellow.

I was a little worried that the tag ends of the red would show through. The chartreuse thread was also on the smaller diameter side as well.

My worries were unfounded. After two coats of CP, Gudebrod, the wraps look awesome.

Here's how I do it. (this is probably old hat for most of the guys here):

The gudebrod CP can be thinned with alcohol. I always use it thinned to just about the consistency of extra light machine oil.

This allows the CP to penetrate the wraps thoroughly. I apply two coats within an 8 hour period and let it dry for 12 before the epoxy is applied. (not a formula here, just the way I do it)

When applying the coats, make sure to put it on liberally when the solution is thinned. You want it to soak in good. After a good lathering, I come back to the beginning guide and brush off the excess that remains. Let it dry for several hours and reapply.

This technique (although nothing special) has never let me down!

I have to comment on the chartreuse thread wraps. After all I've done to protect the color fastness and with only two coats of Flexcoat thin...they practically glow! They're not my cup of tea, but I know the customer is going to be quite happy!

Domenic Federico
Infinity Rod Creations
Wickliffe, Ohio

Defjam@core.com

You are referring to the 811? I do the same but add a 3rd coat. This seems to fill in the tooth of the thread and allows me to use less topcoat. I did have some grey silk that splotched up, even with the 811. Always have had bad luck with light grey. Don

I do the same, with one coat. The only reason you would use another coat is if you think you screwed up the first time. Color Preserver is designed to protect the threads.....it does this on the first coat you put on. If you apply it properly, the second coat does NOTHING since the first coat forms a BARRIER to anything else applied over it. Epoxy, CP, probably chicken grease (Mick, lol) & finger oils too.

On darker threads 3 coats of 811 will have small crystals which is the excess CP which dried on top of the first 2 coats. If you apply it and there is "foam" on the brush & you put that onto the thread, or if you are brushin goff the excess and you see a small patch of foam where threads crossover each other on a butt wrap, it will dry with that foam and look like a gazillion bubbles.

I'm especially interested in the comment.

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I was a little worried that the tag ends of the red would show through.
<<<<>>>>

When using the FlexCoat CP, I think I am seeing the tag ends of guide wraps showing through. They don't show before I apply the CP. They seem to pop up after applying CP. I thought it was just my error. But, if others experience this same thing, then maybe it's not really my bad. Maybe it's something I'm not doing right, maybe it's the CP, or how it works.

Is this "tag end showing through" thing common? Am I doing something wrong? Thanks

With ANY CP - there isn't 100% color retention. If you paint a section of a scrap blank white, then do a wrap over that going from black blank to the white painted section, CP, then epoxy it - you will see a difference in color. It happens on butt wraps as well, if you have a lighter color on top of a lighter color, no problem, but if that same lighter color passes over a darker color, it will be slightly different. It may not be noticeable, but there is definately a slight difference.

I have no experiance with FC, so I cannot comment on your tag end showing through problem.

Nick-

You should not "see" the actually tag end and its color through the wrap. What you will see, especially when dealing with thinner, lighter threads, is the impression of a tag end under the wrap.

If you meant you can see the tag clearly when applying the first coat of CP, you certainly will. My yellow wraps turned a translucent green when the first coat of CP was applied. But as soon as it had a chance to dry, it was back to the normal solid yellow color.

Billy-

I think my second step is due to making sure all is covered well and the fact that I thin the first coat fairly well for penetration and coverage. I would guess that you don't thin you CP? Because I could probably put 3 layers without the crystaline forming that you described. I know exactly what you're describing and had it happen before I went to thinning the compound for application.



Anyone know what kind of CP that Mr. Garcia used in his instructional video on building a fly rod? It looked like milk and he applied it using a knitting needle if I remember correctly.

Domenic Federico
Infinity Rod Creations
WIckliffe, Ohio