I have been using Flex Coat Rod Wrap Finish for some time. Lately, I been having some trouble with it not drying all the way. I have begun to pay more attention to my mix ratio, even allowing for a little more hardner than resin and that seems to work. However, I have a couple wraps that never fully cured and remain tacky to touch. Is there anything I can do to the tacky wraps to harden the finish besides applying another coat?
Thanks,

Steve

use syringes to measure your flexcoat, mix well. I,ve been using flex coat for years and when I have a problem it usually is measuring the finish or not mixing thoroughly. One of the othert boards had this topic and one of the responders said extra hardener would keep the finish tacky and that extra resin would cause it to cure faster.

"...even allowing for a little more hardner than resin...

Put in more hardener than resin and the result will be - tacky finish. More hardener does not make the mix cure more quickly nor harder. It actually prevents it from hardening completely.

Never, never, never, tinker with the 1 to 1 mix ratio. Get that right, and every batch will cure perfectly.

All you can do now is reapply another coat of correctly measured epoxy over the top of what you have now.


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I don't know how you mix teh parts together, but I know a few guys who have had trouble when they try to mix slow without getting bubbles - tehy don't mix enough. Especailly with teh colder temps, it takes a little more for teh finish to be mixed properly. I don't care about bubbles, I mix the 2 parts together into a froth, and I apply with a brush. Rarely do I end upwith any bubbles after applying heat, and I never have a problem with finish not curing. Actually, the only tim eI did have a problem was when I used the epoxy mixer.

Mix with a FLAT instrument, this slowly folds the two parts together. Stir the mix until it's crystal clear.... and this takes several minutes to do. Equal parts always as said above.

Billy,

That's funny right there.....you use a motorized epoxy mixer and it gives you trouble. Glad I haven't bought one! After all... stirring finish is such a tough job :-)

DR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2009 10:41AM by Duane Richards (DR).

You can add just a tad more hardner to get it to set up. bad thing is your working time is shorten. If you do a search you well find your answer. Why not call the company. the down side is a 1 to 1 mix is your best bet you can never go wrong. Also do not mix just fold.
Good Wraps Bob

Motorized mixers, good ones, have never caused an epoxy to fail to set and cure properly. If there was some inherent fault with them, then no one could get a nice epoxy mix while using one.

When something like that happens, the first place to look is at "operator error."

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Operator error or not, it's the only time the finish was tacky for me. I'm not alone. I know there have been a bunch of posts in the past where people have had the same issues with tacky finish, and that people use a different material to mix instead of the metal cylander supplied because of the same issue (ball bearing). I've also heard that the supplied metal piece wil flop around, and some people have had to change teh angle in which thier mixer mixes. For all those Operator errors, it's just easier, quicker, and more consistant to mix it up in a froth and apply foaming white epoxy to teh rod.

Another thing I have seen is did the solids settle to the bottom of the container. I always tilt the container and you can see the solids at the bottom. Then it may have gotten to cold. Left to long. I then heat it before I mix the two.

Bill - willierods.com

If they'd follow the instructions in the article, those problems wouldn't happen.

I have no idea what instructions Pacific Bay supplies with their mixer or what angle they have their unit set at.

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If they'd follow the instructions in the article, those problems wouldn't happen.

I have no idea what instructions Pacific Bay supplies with their mixer or what angle they have their unit set at.

Torching an epoxy changes its properties and can sometimes lead to cracking and crazing of the cured material down the road.

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I have a motorized mixer and love it. Just squirt the epoxy in, let it mix for three or four minutes, and it comes out perfect every time with absolutely no bubbles. Plus i got it free with my rod lathe.

Jason,

Most people that have them are happy with them and get perfect results. But when you switch to different finishes at different temperatures, the information in the article offers insight on the little things you have to watch out for - the weight of the ball, the position of it, etc. All tiny little things but ones that can make the difference between simple perfection and frustration if you overlook them.

I have never seen the instructions that come with the Pacific Bay unit so I can't say how well they're written or if they contain the same attention to detail that the article did.

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TOm, crackign and crazing happens regardless, and I would think has more to do with guides not being as flexible as teh blank than the amount of heat applied to epoxy. The only unit for sale is the PB mixer, and is the one I've had the issues with, as others have.

Stiff, metal guides certainly cause that at the foot edge, no doubt about that. But it is more likely and more often seen in epoxy that has been super heated by torching.

If you don't watch out, I'm going to hack into your computer, steal your wrap patterns intended for your next book, and then publish them under my own name... a year ago. So be careful.

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I'll have to fess-up and say I do it just like Billy V as far as mixing. I measure with syringes, whip it to a froth with a plastic brush handle, pour it on foil , blow away the bubbles with a soda straw, put it on the wraps. If I see a bubble after application, I blow it away. Never have a problem with not curing properly and never have a problem with bubbles in the finished wraps. I never flame the wraps nor use any kind of heat.

I've only been building for a year, so I'm still learning, but I mix my epoxy in a clear shot glass with a flat blade with little regard to bubbles forming. After a few minutes of mixing when the epoxy is very clear I scrape it out onto tin foil. I let it sit on the foil a minute to "settle" then I use a plastic tube, about the size of a straw, to blow out the majority of the remaining bubbles. I then apply the epoxy with the flat blade. Every 10 to 15 minutes I wick epoxy from the bottom of the rod and rotate it 180 degrees. While rotating the rod I inspect it for tiny bubbles and remove them using the tube. Getting a head strap magnifier has proven to be an absolute must-have for me. After an hour there is no epoxy left to wick off or bubbles to remove. I NEVER need to use any heat. I follow the advice that I read from Tom that the epoxy knows what to do if you just let it. So far it has worked well for me.

Thanks,
Chad Huderle

Huderle Custom Rods
Prior Lake, MN

Way to go Chad !! Over engineering or over thinking a simple process has always been very worrysome for me.

I have never personally run into the problem of having a tacky finish after applying the epoxy. I use Flex Coat and I use the CAPS of the bottles A and B to measure out the epoxy. There is enough in each cap to finish a 14inch butt wrap which I usually have on my rods. When it comes to the guides I repeat the process of using the Caps of the bottles to measure my epoxy. I mix it for exactly 2 minutes as per the instructions and I use a small plastic mixing cup to do the mixing. Like Billy I don't like the empoxy mixers. I also use a round plastic mixer to mix the epoxy. After 1 minute of mixing the epoxy should start to go from a cloudy to clear. After the 2 minutes pour it onto a flat surface and if you gently blow your breath on it the bubbles will dissapate. When I pick up the epoxy with my brush I once again gently blow on the brush to dissapate the bubbles that may be created by the brush. After the finish is on I will torch it to get out any remaining bubbles and then on to the dryer to run for a few hours.
As for cracked feet I am happy to say that although everyone says it is inevitable I am not of that opinion. I have had great success with my rods and have no complaints from any of the people who fish with my rods about cracked feet but that is another story.

That is toooo funny, lol.I have been saving my excess epox finish in a big round glass, and I'm considering sellign it as a crystal ball for anyoen interested in seeing the future.

Bernie - nice ot see you typing up a storm!!