I am getting dimples in my finish after a couple of coats of flexcoat light. When applying with a brush it seems to shrink a little causing dimples. I am using foil to hold the epoxy, have equal parts of epoxy and mix with a hard plastic stir stick. I have built dozens of fly rods and once in a while this happens. Any clues...

thanks,
Russ

Sounds like "fisheyes" usually caused by some type of contaminate. Things to consider: different thread? Different mixing instrument? Different syringes? Silicone is the usual suspect.

Stir stick?

Decal in that area: glue smear?

Rod been sitting horizontal and gotten contaminates on it?

DR

I had the same problem. I think it was small bubbles surfacing and breaking while the finish is curing? I heated mine real good with the alcohol burner and that took care of it.

What Jason said.

These are depressions in the finish, not bubbles. It looks like the finish is not spreading, instead shrinking after applied, leaving depressions. Sort of like what paints do when a wall in not primered, it shrinks leaving unpainted spots.

It may be from hands touching the blank after being made and during shipping.

Did you wash it before the build.

Bill - willierods.com

Russ
I've only been building for a short time. I started off with Flex Lite, (and still use it), and have noticed the same thing. I have thought it was my problem. Poor lighting while applying the second coat. I use a spatula. The finish is so clear I find myself not applying the finish to the entire wrap without very good light.

The mix does not appear to move across the wrap unless you apply it to every area of the wrap. I thought it would flow on its on but I don't believe it does. It seems to spread better on the first coat than the second. I rotate the blank 180 degrees to remove excess finish. When I don't see any sags, I put it on a 6 RPM motor.