Will appreciate some comments on Threadmaster as I have just bought a new set to try on. I am very used of Super Classic Coat and loves how it brings out the shine when used directly on nylon threads. Need your expert advise on the following as this new product has just become available from my part of the world, Singapore.

1. How is the viscoscity when compared to Super Classic Coat?
2. How long is the turning time?
3. What's the penetration effect when applied directly with no CP?
4. Any specific rules I must follow when using this new product.

Many thanks for your help.

Alcusbuilt.

Hi Anthony,
Since this is my product, I'll answer your questions.

1. How is the viscoscity when compared to Super Classic Coat?

Don't know about Classic Coat, but it is slightly thinner than FlexCoat High Build....sort of a medium viscosity.

2. How long is the turning time?

ThreadMaster only needs to be rotated for about 1 hour before it is sag free

3. What's the penetration effect when applied directly with no CP?

The same as any other finish

4. Any specific rules I must follow when using this new product.

Be sure to mix and apply at above 68 degrees farenheit

I have also sent you a ersonal email as well.....please let me know if you have any other questions.


ANdy Dear
Lamar Fishing Products

Anthony,

The thing that I like is that it has a long enough pot (probably as long as most finishes, but when it does start to set it does so pretty quick (if hat makes ant sense). It doesn't take a lot of babysitting. Basically, I put it on and let it do it's stuff. I mostly turn by hand, rotating 180 degrees every 5 or 10 minutes and remove any sags from the bottom for about an hour, then turn on my dryer. I think that you will like the results.

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!!

The potlife at 70 degrees is about 25 minutes....plenty long to cover most rods in 1 pass. But once it starts to gel....BOOM, it gels quick like MIke says. Not only does it require less rotation time, but this also alleviates chances for dust contamination as well.


Andy Dear
Lamar Fishing

Ditto to what Mike said. If you gave me two cups and two sets of loaded syringes, one with TM and one with FC, I'd be hard pressed to tell which was which during mixing and applying. As soon as it starts to set up though, TM seems to level out and set up quicker. I've been alternating their use and I can get away from the rod with one, maybe two less "sag wicks" using TM, along with less rotating time, though I still occasionally find myself turning it every so often out of habit if I'm still in the area. It's good stuff.

I have used the TM recently and will add that this some really great stuff. I have used the Flex Coat low and high build as well with good results but I am leaning to the TM now.

Patrick Lloyd
Houston, Texas

My biggest compliment to TM is the clarity. As I was cleaning up my work area this morning, I noticed drips of epoxy on the table top. Some was yellowish, some was crtystal clear. The yellowish stuff was my old formula, the clear stuff the TM.

Add me to the ThreadMaster clan. I've been using it for 6 months and think it's a real good product - very easy to get a good result with great clarity.

Stan

Hi everybody,

Many thanks for your feedback and I am very assured with all your confidence in this new product. I have been using Flexcoat Lite for the past 5 years and lately switched to Super Classic Coat. The latter is far superior in the final result especially when applied directly to nylon threads. The threads seem to come alive as Super Classic Coat seems to be very pentrative and can completely disolve itself into the thread and dissappear. But I hate Super Classic Coat cause it is not commercially viable when I have to turn over 5- 10 rods within a week. It's turning time is 4 hours and drying time is 8 hours.

I have started to use ThreadMaster and am pleasantly pleased with my first try. Unfortunately, it was used on black nylon and the result will be difficult to judge until I have tried on Scarlett or other darker colors.

What I like most so far about ThreadMaster is that it's extremely forgiving. For beginners, this product is a must and for commercial builders like me, I think this will be my winner.

Once again, many thanks to all you helpful guys. If any of you happen to be in Singapore, please look me up.

Regards,

Alcusbuilt

Anthony, Keep in mind that when we are talking about "set" and "dry" time, we are not talking about total cure time. As far as cure time goes, I doubt that ANY of them will be dry enough in 8 hours to be used. Personally, I think that even 24 hours would be pushing it. As far as set time goes, an hour is roughly when the finish no longer sags, NOT when it is touchable!!

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!!

I wouldn't recommend it!...... and agree with Mike above on the 24hours+ ..BUT....I did a flipping stick of my OWN with threadmaster and took it fishing and USED it all day the very next day, I didnt get the last coat on it until about 3pm. Meaning I was fishing with the rod in 15-16 hours after epoxy. NO heat box, nothing, just air dry in the summer time with the house A/C going.

DR

I've done the same as DR, also with Flex Coat. And I also do not recommend it. I factor in a 3 day cure time for my jobs. I will skip sleep and work through the night doing thread work before I give up a day of cure time for finish. I'm not saying that all finishes, even FC or TM, truly NEED three days, but that's what I like to give them. Anybody who has used any type of finish, especially wood finishes, is familiar with "dries dust free in X time, refinish in X time, useable in X time" and is equally familiar with their own response of ... "No.. No it doesn't".

Hopefully Andy will chime in with a true "cure" timeline for TM.

I always like to wait about 36-48 hours before fishing a rod, but that's a personal preference. Full cure isn't reached for several more days, but it is structurally sound enough after 36 that you could fish it with no ill effect. I was speaking with my chemist the other day, and he made reference that with any of the popular resins, you can accelerate the cure cycle by using a heated drying box. In fact, if you can build a heated box that will get the temp. up to say 120 degrees or so, you can have a fishable cure after about 4-6 hours with ThreadMaster. Kerry Burkheimer uses ThreadMaster in his production shop, and he uses a heated oven to accelerate the cure so he can wrap, finish and ship a rod the same day.


Andy Dear
Lamar Fishing

From the time I applied wrap to rod usage varies between fresh and salt water rods. I normally recommend 72 hours for fresh water and at least 7 days for salt water. What I meant by turning and drying time were actually sagging and free to touching time respectively.

In this part of the world, blue ocean game rods for very heavy metal jigs and poppers, 200 to 500 gms, are very popular. Most of such rods use spinning reels like the Shimano Stellas 10,000 & 20,000 and Diawa 6500. Famous hunting grounds are in Indonesia, the Maldives in the Indian Ocean and Maritius. Giant Trevallies, Yellow fins tunas and Samsons are the most popular species caught. To build such rods, we need to observe very strict QC, especially on the guide wraps. Most stripping guides are Fuji MNSG size 40 and we have to be extra careful with the tying and wrapping of such guides to withstand the large knots that join the heavy shock leader and the 100 lb braid lines. Normally we apply wrap directly to under wrap, especially where the guide foot seats with no CP. We let it cure for 24 hours, then tie the first layer of guide foot thread and apply the next layer of wrap. After another 24 hours, we will tie the second layer of thread and apply at least 2 more wraps some 8 hours apart. All such rods are normally used after 2 weeks.

The most popular wrap in use here are Flexcoat, both Lite for fresh water and High Build for salt water. I use Super Classic Coat for most UL rods and light fly rods, 0 - 3 wt. SCC is very thin and if your thread work is fine without and frays, one single coat will look very beautiful on such rods, especially the Sage SLT range of fly rods.

I am now experimenting on TM on all different types of rods and time will tell whether they can withstand the rigor of heavy metal jigging application. The high season for such application will be December/January and by then I should be able to report the quality of TM. My only concern now is the curing time of TM. The general believe is that any thing that cures fast will not be long lasting. I hope I will be wrong.

Alcusbuilt

The general believe is that any thing that cures fast will not be long lasting. I hope I will be wrong.


Anthony..... you are wrong (in a good way)


Andy Dear
Lamar Fishing

Andy,

I am confident that ThreadMaster will be a winner in this part of the world. Being a former employee of 3M for 17 years, I never doubt a US made product. However, in this hobby of ours, especially game fishing, many amateurs will blame everything else except themselves when something went wrong. As a custom builder, I really don't care if the rod broke, but I will be very embarrassed if the reel seat moved, handle gave way or expoxy wrap cracked. Thus, I am just being pessimistic until proven otherwise. I have a bunch of pro-game fishermen to try my new builds, especially when I am trying out new blanks for some of the large tackle shops in town. Thus, this coming December/January season will be a good test bed for your epoxy.

So far, after using your wrap on my second rod, a surf rod, I feel that Threadmaster is an excellent product from mixture to application, setting, drying and how it finally look.

Alcusbuilt