i have been using classic coat lite for years and have recently been having a problem with it beading upon application. at first i thought it might be a contamination problem so i switched syringes, bought new classic lite finish and still had the same problem. then, thinking it might be because of heat, i was storing the finish in the refirigerator until ready to use and then applying it. still the beading persists.

the finish stops beading after letting tit sit for a while and set up (thicken)before applying. What i think the problem is that even though i store it in the refrigerator, once i mix and start applying it (i do it in the garage), it doesn't take long for it heat up to room temperature and that the finish is very temperature sensitive and thins out until it starts to set.

anyone have the same problem. any other thoughts as to what is casuing the beading? any solutions other than changing finishes?

Something is repelling the finish. It's unlikely to have anything to do with temperature.

I assume you're apply this to your thread wraps and not the blank.

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the beading occurs on the first coat over the threads and blank and also when i apply the finish coat over the previous finish. at one point i thought the color preserver might have gotten contaminated but ruled that out because of the beading persisting on the finish coat but in different areas.

i completed a rod last night and after applying the finish, i waited about 45 minutes and went back and smoothed it out again. l think because the finish was setting and a little thicker, it didn't bead and adhered to the previous finish. checking it this morning, it was fine.

It sounds to me like you have some sort of airborne contaminant in the garage, silicon maybe? It's not hard to create such a problem in a garage given the large number of different chemicals, cleaners, waxes, etc, that you find in the typical garage. It is interesting that it smoothes out on its own over time.

You might look around for likely sources of contamination. Read the labels, make sure caps are on tight, no spills, etc. Some not so obvious sources could include sporting gear, automobile finishes and interior cleaners (did you recently detail the car?) and those colorful wrist bands everyone wears for everything these days. Items with a heavy silicon content (i.e. the wrist bands) can give off enough contaminant to cause you real problems in finish work. You will also want to clean up the workspace you use in the garage to remove possible contaminants.

You might want to wipe the rod down good with alcohol before applying finish. Try this on a sample and see if it helps. If it is airborne, it may help a little but you will need to remove the problem to eliminate it.

Joe Douglas

Thanks for your input, i'll check around and see if anything is uncapped and do a general housecleaning. the one thing i know it isn't from, is me "detailing" the car! i'd rather mow the lawn than do that!

i also thought i might try a different brand of finish to see if the beading continues to show up. i've been using classic lite for so long i not familiar with all the new ones that are on the market. what i liked about classic light was being able to apply thin coats and that it took longer to darken then flex coat. does anyone have other suggestions?

Silicone is more likely to creat fisheyes or pinholes. Beading is something over the entire surface or something unique to that brand of finish. When it thickens as it starts to cure it can hold down better.

I would try a different finish brand. If it does the same thing then it is the surface you are applying it to. If it does not bead, then it was your other finish. Simple enough to find out for sure.

You should give Thread master a try. I just switched from flexcoat recently and wow, it's good stuff.

I would recommend Threadmaster! IMO, it's the best thing out there and yellowing is NOT a problem. It's clarity is like glass

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 have never seen finish "bead up". Just for the sake curiosity, could Steve be dealing with bubbles that are bursting as the finish starts to cure ? I have never seen finish "bead up" so don't know what it looks like. Or maybe it needs to be nuked for a few seconds before application. Could it be trying to crystallize like Flex Coat does after sitting on a shelf for a long time?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/18/2007 03:53PM by Jay Hunt.

Jay,

Thank you for your input. it's not air bubbles, i am very familiar with that. i think nuking the finish would initially make it thinner, therefore more susceptible to beading. what i mean by beading is that after applying and smoothing out the finish, small areas of the finish tend to pull back and not stick. irregular shapes anywhere from 1/32" to 1/8" areas start to show up, but once the finish starts to set, i can go back and smooth it out without them reappearing. the one benefit of nuking the epoxy would be that it would set up quicker, therefore i could re-brush the sooner.

i doubt if it was because of an old batch, because the problem also showed when i tried a new bottle of classic lite.

i am begining to think, as Joe suggested, that there is something new in my enviroment that is setting it off. i have been using the same finish from the same bottle for the last 6 months without a problem and now in the last two weeks it's shown up. go figure!

thanks to everyone for there help and suggestions

That figures very well. If it is pulling back and not sticking in spots,definitely contamination. Just thinking out loud.

Sounds like its seperating, some kind of oil contamination, wd-40 comes to mind.

Since this is a relatively new problem in what was a relatively stable location, I would still lean toward some sort of airborne contamination. I know from my old automotive refinishing days that a variety of contaminants can cause real problems with finish work. The fisheye problem can manifest in irregular shapes and certainly can cause irregularities larger than 1/8 inch depending on the source and relative strength of the contamination.

If you have used finish from two different bottles and still have the problem, it is likely environment not the finish material itself. Are you doing anything at work that is different the past couple of weeks? Maybe you are bringing something home on your hands or clothes?

Joe Douglas

What thread are you using??

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

Joe, i tend to believe you are correct as to some type of contamination being the culprit. the $64.00 answer is going to be what is it. it must be something in the garage that is spoiling the finish. becuse of your comments, i think i am going to do a test batch and see what happens. what i thought i would do after checking the area to see if anything obvious could be the problem, is use new syringes, wipe my brush, stir stick and cup with rubbing alcohol and then mix up a batch and see if the problem persists. that way i can eliminate any contamination on the tools. if it still persists then i have to think it is something airborne. i don't think it is something on my hands because it has happened over a period of days, but just in case when i do the test i will make sure my hands are clean.

i'll let you know what transpires in the next few days.

I beleive Russ Cook hit it right on the head...For many years I have advised that WD40 is a great product but a rod builders worst nightmare...you can spray it more than forty feet away on something go back a week later and there is still air borne particles floating around
I wipe any and all things down with de-natured alcohol before applying finish if it is not new and do my WD40 down the block.

Tight Lines
Tight Wraps
Fishin'Stix by Fred

Steve,don't rule out cologne or after shave.They contain silicone.Also silicne is a bear to get rid of.Not sure if alcohol will do it.

Freddwhy (Rapt-Ryte)

Fred Y., i use Gudebrod. but the problem persists not only on the first coat, but also over the blank and second coat of the same finish.


Fred S., thanks for the input, but in this case i can't remenber the last time i used wd40 or other aerosol lubricant not only in my work area or in the garage itself. but it's a good thing tip to remember the next time i pull out a can.

why don't you try a different location like the house for a test application and see if you still have the ame problems using all the same components? Do you keep your thread in an air tight case so it doesn't get contaminated by airborne contaminates?

Kerry

I'm gonna way out on a limb and posit this:

He's storing the stuff in a frig. Then he heats it up before application. What if little bits of the finish coagulates in the cold and then never completely returns to solution when it's thawed? Since he says it's not air bubbles, it might be related to this.

Uncle Russ
Calico Creek Rods