First time it ever happened to me. I've bubbles in my flexcoated wraps. Hardly noticable in all the guide and ferrule wraps...but quite a bit in my butt wrap.

I noticed that when I mixed the flex coat on the aluminum one of the two parts came out of the syringe "cloudy." Did my usual 2-3 minutes of mixing....

Not sure why I had the "cloudy" stuff. Mixed up well...and then I had very little bubbles after the butt wrap...which I did first.

Even applied some heat to it with a camper's butane match (which I've used before). When I applied the heat the last time it sagged some......and didn't come out perfectly flat as it had been...but not to wavey either.

Anyway....This one seems to be the work of gremlins...not sure anything else went wrong.

Any idea why only one wrap would have a bubble issue....Something that has never happened to me before (this is rod two with the FC high build..after about 15 rods with the lite stuff)

Keith

Keith

I had EXACTLY the same thing happen to my last butt wrap. Only difference was that my FC was not cloudy before mixing. I think you may have over heated the finish causing the MANY tiny bubbles. This is what happened to me. I overheated and the whole wrap looked like you are describing but no trouble with the guide wraps even though I used the same batch for the wrap and guides.

John

Keith,
I don't know if this is your cause or not but I've found that if I don't mix long enough I get tiny bubbles all over the surface of the finish. I've learned (through trial and error) to mix the finish quite a bit longer than the instructions say to. Right now, I use Aftcote almost exclusively and mix the finish for about 5-6 minutes instead of the 2 minutes per instructions. I use the small plastic mixing cups and can actually feel the mix heat up a bit after about 4 minutes or so of mixing. It seems to me that once the finish starts to heat it actually thins a bit and is easier to use. I spread the mix onto an aluminum pie tin, hit the surface very quickly with a heat gun then apply. I hardly ever have to use heat again once it's on the wraps. This is just how I do it, works for me. My .02, Randy.

With CP or without?
If no CP is used air trapped in the wraps will work itself out and cause bubbles.
There is much more thread in a butt wrap so more chance for bubbles. You said
you have bubbles in the guide and ferrule wraps just not as noticable right?
I'll keep an eye open for those little buggers to appear and get rid of em.

If you did use CP then could be over heating or something your application process.


When you heated it and saw the sags did you wick them off or allow the finish to level
itself out as it cooled?

Use the search button here for "bubbles in the finish" and use all dates. Lots of info
and opinions

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

John....I considered that...but the bubbles were there before the heating. More confusing?

Raymond....No CP. Didn't think about there being more air under the butt wraps....but I've never had it happen before.

I was beginning to think the bubble issue was something I wouldn't have to deal with.....Dang!

Keith

The light formula has a thinner viscosity (so the name lite!)and releases bubbles quicker
and easier. High build of course has a heavier viscosity so can retain bubbles.
You said you heated the fininsh after you put it on so that should have popped any
bubbles that were present then so the present bubbles had to have appeared after or
you over heated it and caused it to boil. This will also cause any air still present to expand
and escape from the wraps and get trapped by the fininsh.

Trying different finish products can be a bit of trial and error at first.
Nature of the beast I guess. Anytime you use a new product even
if it is from the same mfg. read and follow the directions to the letter
the first time out and throw everything else out the window. Habits
you get into with one will not always work the same with the other.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Keth,

Why did you apply a finish that you were not happy with. That's utter madness. You spend all that time wrapping your Butt warp and then slap on a dodgy mix. Flex coat as you mix it changes colour form clear to cloudy back to clear once it is properly blended. Try mixing in a cup and then maybe pouring out onto foil. I don't use foil it is not necassary. Try gently blowing on your bubbles prick the big ones with a needle. Don't put on too much finish and then have to muck around wicking the stuff off. It will help if the mix is very young, work fast while it's viscosity is at it 's lowest. Once it's on leave it alone as much as you can. Fiddling around with it after say 20 minutes is asking for more trouble. Re-Read your instructions. Seriously no one should be getting all these problems we read about every day if the instructions were followed for the product and the oft repeated advice given on the board acted upon.

Mike O

With out CP the first coat of any finish should be thin. This way it gets into the thread and being thin the bubbles release easier then a thick finish. Even thinning a thick finish helps the bubbles release. Also mixing the finish with a thin object helps as to not introduce bubbles.I use a ' half " popsickle stick. Works better then a whole one.

Aggreed Bill B. except for one thing.

Flex-Coat warns against using a wooden implement to mix with. Wood is a pourus material
and as such, just adds to the bubble problem when mixing. I also used small popcycle sticks
and or bamboo scewers as mixing tools with little or no problems but after reading the warning
switched to plastic or metal mixing tools. Only makes good sence.

Raymond Adams
Eventually, all things merge, and a river runs through it..

Flex coat also says to thin out the first coat ?? On this board that is a no no. What ever works for ya.

Bill, with all due respect you're incorrect,
Thinner finishes only penetrate QUICKER not better. If you apply thinned flexcoat to a guide wrap, and un-thinned flex coat to a guide wrap, eventually they both will come flooding out of the guide foot tunnell...indicating the same amount of penetration. The thinned version simply floods out QUICKER than the unthinned.


Andy Dear
Lamar Fishing Products

Your right Andy
But bubbles will come to the top of a thinner finish a lot easer then a thick one. Compare honey to water. A little extreme but you get my point. That is why people heat there finish. To thin it so the bubbles go to the top and pop. I do thin your finish --- but a lot less then I used too. I also get rid of the putting the finish on foil, or using a torch. I put it on hand turn 3-4 times, then walk away.

I recently tried a new finish, just cause I ran out of the finish I typically use. I had the same issue. I used no CP, and I kept having to deal with bubbles in my butt wrap. I finally realized that it was exactly what Raymond and Bill mentioned. The finish I had used previously was a "light" version, which allowed the bubbles to come through and pop very easily, I guess without me even noticing. The new finish was a bit more viscous, and didn't release bubbles quite as well.

But, all that being said, there's nothing wrong with either finish. Long butt wraps just release more bubbles, and I just have to figure out how to get rid of them.

One thing you can do is thin the first coat. This will make it thinner and the bubbles will release easer. After that is dry, put a second coat on as usual.There is a recent post on other guys that thin there finishes. [www.rodbuilding.org]

Andrew, If you mix slowly and avoid getting bubbles (as much as possible) and then pour the finish out on to aluminum foil, you will find that bubbles will release in even high build finish (blowing un it through a straw or picking the stubborn ones with a toothpick will get rid of any stubborn ones) Personally, I wouldn't thin anything on a rod.



Mike (Southgate, MI)
If I don't want to, I don't have to and nobody can make me (except my wife) cuz I'm RETIRED!!