Saw on one of the sponsors sites a vidio that mentioned 2-3 drops of acetone thins out and increases set-up time.

I'm working on a split grip handle and thinking about wraping 14-16 inches between grips with Jute / Hemp cord. My concern is getting the cord well impregnated with epoxy on the primary coat and having it thin enough with enough time to get the expected bubbles out of the way. Knowing this will probably fuzz like the dickens,, I'm planning on a fine sanding before the intermediate coat. I was thinking of High Build,,,,, but now wondering if a Lite Formular wouldbe wiser.

ANY input / suggestions on this will be appreciated (I'm just learning).

Thank you,
Gary

I've heard that FC-LITE is the FC-HI-Build already pre-thinned with a little Acetone by FC. ... Watch here for confirmation from TK et al. ...

If you thin FC yourself, just add a few DROPS of Acetone per 6 ccs (3+3) of epoxy Thread Finish (ETF), and stir and see if that is thin enough for soaking your handle cord. Your application soaking cord will tolerate a higher amount of acetone than guide or butt wraps, since you are not creating a heavy coating and trying to achieve a clear as glass optical properties, just creating a physical-exclusion barrier against grime & water infiltration into your handle.

The acetone must evaporate faster than the epoxy sets for a better cure. Do this in a room with some air circulation, normal to low humidity, and ~ 70 degrees Fahrenheit, to promote acetone's evaporation. Check a strand of cord for color change when wet with FC-ETF. ... Then, Good to go, ... Good Luck, -Cliff Hall



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/2006 01:43PM by Cliff Hall.

No, that's not it. No epoxy manufacturer adds or will add acetone to their finish.

.........

FLEX COAT / FINISHES & GLUE /
ROD WRAPPING FINISH
MEASURING AND MIXING
"How we do it!"
[www.flexcoat.com]

GO TO FC website for more Details.
FC quote: "Mix the Flex Coat until it is crystal clear. Some bubbles will form in mixing, and while a small amount is no cause for concern, avoid a frothy mixture. After the mixture is in its clear state it can now be thinned with acetone. The amount of acetone added should not exceed 1/15 of the total mixture volume. We use our graduated pipets for these minute measurements of acetone (see tips on measuring acetone for primer coat). Again mix the thinned Flex Coat until it is crystal clear. ... This primer coat with acetone should be applied in a thin coat, where once saturated, you can still see the thread texture. It is important that the primer coat with acetone is not too thick, otherwise it will not set properly."

I suspect they mean that the acetone needs more surface area to evaporate, and evaporates better thru a thinner layer of Finish, so don't lay it on too thick. Saturate your cord, but don't bury the valleys between the cords under a level layer of glop. -Cliff Hall.

One thing that may help reduce the bubble production is to use some CP. If you are thinking penetration maybe thin it with water and then recoat in several hours. As to thinning Flexcoat with acetone. I have done it for years and had fine results but many have had terrible results. If you are interested what my procedure and technique is then please drop me and email. Using acetone in this manner in not something that is commonly accepted so be careful.

Flex Coat is not an epoxy finish manufacturer. The manufacturer does not recommend thinning it.

Both Flex Coat and Flex Coat Lite are 100% solids epoxies. No solvents are involved in either.
..............



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/2006 09:18PM by Tom Kirkman.

If you are looking for something that will penetrate quickly, get hard, is very very tough and can be used in thin multiple coats try some Perma Gloss. It is very very clear and will not yellow with uV. If this is a twine grip surface the Perma Gloss will soak into the twine and leave a surface that you can still see the winding. Before you start applying thinned down two part epoxy I would try this stuff on a dowell for a test.

You will not need to mess with thinning.

Gon Fishn

Thanks all,, very much.
This appears to be one of those "more than 1 way to skin a cat" issues.
Cliff Hall, Flexcoat, and the Marty Weaver vidio all seem to be on the same wave length with this.
But, since a mistake at this point couldbe a bigger 'ooops" than I'm ready for,, I think some testing(s) are called for before I try it on the rod.
I'm sure that some experience at applying, speed, pot time, etc. would be of good interest to me. So in the interest of "confidence", I'm going with the above on a test piece of blank.
Going be a larger (time consuming) area to cover, with more time required to allow for satuation after coating and plenty of time to work out the bubbles. We'll see how it goes this week end.
Thanks all for the input. Great site, only wish I'd found it earlier. Good info,, good people.
Again, thank you all.
Gary

What works for me is to heat up the Flex Coat by putting the bottles in hot water. Helps thin out the Flex Coat without adding chemicals. Works great and helps eliminate the bubble problem.
Bill