i used raindancer thread master i have mixed slowly using diposable cup&stick by hand 3-4 min used disposable brush to apply have applied heat under rod room temp 70-72 each coat leaves small bubbles with peaks i sand with 500 grit each coat gets better i am appling 4th coat is it normal for resin to jell inside top of bottle the finish is clear i used flex coat on my 1st 6 rods without problem suppler sugested i try does any one else have problems or am the only one

Charlie,

I've used Threadmaster for years, and love it.

You could be introducing bubbles when you mix it, when you apply it with your brush, when you heat it, or all the mentioned.

I heat both parts, slightly, before mixing. I mix with a large needle, and apply with a flexcoat brush by loading the brush and holding it over the wraps.

And, if I do use flame to get rid of bubbles, I hold it next to the wrap not under it.

Hope some of this helps.

Chris

You may be introducing the bubbles anywhere in your process. Mixing time is way longer then needed, half that time should sufficient! If you are brushing on the epoxy it may be the likely cause, flowing on is the way to go, no "brushing," Heating the epoxy should not be needed under normal conditions, too much heat = bubbles.

There is an outstanding article on applying epoxy in this sites "Library."

I also use Threadmaster, both regular and Lite without bubble problems. After mixing I pour the mix out onto a flat foil surface which allows any bubbles introduced while mixing to rise to the surface before I apply the mix.

Threadmaster is no worse than other epoxy finish when it comes to bubbles. After mixing pour it out onto flat foil and let the bubbles rise, then gently blow through a straw to pop them. Wet your brush first in a corner of the epoxy finish to get all the bubbles out of your brush before you apply. Put a lot of finish on your wraps so you don't have to keep coming back; let it flow off the brush. If there are bubbles after you have finished the wraps try gently blowing through a straw to release them. If you're going to apply heat, do it soon or it can make the bubbles worse. To get rid of a bubble on cured epoxy, use a razor blade, cleaned first with alcohol, to shave it off before the second coat. A razor is better than sand paper.

Greg

In my oppinion, cheap brushes usually have coarse bristles and are losely formed to the brush handle, hence they are able to trap a lot of air between the bristles. A high quality Sable brush does not have this problem and is much more likely to produce a bubble free finish.

Dang, I guess I have been doing it wrong for 14 years.... I whip my finish up for two minutes and brush it on. My guess is you are getting the bubbles when you apply the heat. Since I do mine "wrong" I use a mini torch to pop the bubbles and smooth out the epoxy. It took lots of practice to do it that way but it works for me. Do what works for you...practice on scrap until you get it right. Your first mistake was changing finish when the other was working fine....don't fix what ain't broke.

______________________________________
Super Tight Lines......Don

I use the same method as Don, mine starts out looking like a milkshake and the TM lite dries with no bubbles. I like very well mixed.
Something else is going on.
Are you certain its not Rodancer Threadmaster One?
The' Raindancer' in your post sort of has me thinking it could be as rodancer is not prominent on the TM bottles i have but is very on the TM One bottle.
TM One does tend to get crystals in the bottle.
You will get peaks and crystals and all kinds of issue if you apply heat or poke at it.
Do not mix that at all, the bubbles will be there and some stay there if you do.

.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2013 03:52PM by Lou Auret.

I do the same as Lou and Don.

Mix for 120 seconds, use a throw a way brush to flow the finish on the rod.
After all areas have been coated, I Use a heat gun to apply slight and gentle heat to thin the finish and eliminate any bubbles that might be on the rod.

Note:

GENTLE heat - and not very much - is all that is required.

No need for a straw and blowing air, because the heat gun supplied all of the air needed and it is dry heated air. The key is to essentially thin the finish just a bit with the heat as the rod turns. Don't worry about the bubbles initially. As you thin the finish the the finish flows out, the bubbles will tend to flow out with the flowing finish. By the time that you go from one end of the rod to the other, and start over you will find that about 99% of any bubbles will have gone. If necessary, just another slight touch of heat for the final 1% that might be left in a couple of spots and you are done.

Generally, no more than 1 minute per guide for initial application and any touch up is required for applying a perfect smooth bubble free finish.

If you are dwelling on a guide, and or brushing at finish on a guide - get over it and move on. Flow the finish on a quickly turning rod, Go from one end to the other, back to the beginning to flow out any areas that might need it and you are done.

I seldom use more than one coat of finish and the finished result is generally excellent.

Be safe
REW

On occasion, I will mix a batch and have a mass of bubble form in the cup, very seldom, but it happens. Sometimes I chunck the cup and start over sometimes I work with it. I do not mix with wood, only metal. 3 minutes max. I pour out into a sheet of alum foil in a metal plate. I get rid of most of the bubbles at this point. I roll the mix around and will use a straw for most of the bubbles. Most of the time I have very few bubbles.

I use a cheap hobby bush like they sell at Walmart. I trim about 3/16 on an inch off of the brush. This makes the brush stiff. (This was from one of Tom K.'s comments at the end of a thread. I always look for one of his "one" liners at the end of a thread.) I soak the brush in the mix which releases bubbles from the air trapped in the brush. I blow them out of mix again with the straw.

I may use a little heat on the mix after i apply. I flow my mix on to the rod like donuts most of the time. One of the builders on this forum mentioned it years ago. He said it worked for him and it works for me. This is done at a pretty high speed. I move the mix to the areas between the donuts. The smaller the diameter of the rod the stiffer brush I want to use. I will use a flex coat brush on a butt section but that is about it. IMO it holds too much epoxy and causes me to have to thick a coating. . For some reason I seem to get less bubbles if I add the hardner first then the resin. I started mixing this way when I noticed an instance when I mixed the resin then the hardner bubbles seemed to explode all at once in the mix. This was rare but it was noticeable.

I normally use 2 coats of TM. I give each part (bottle) 7 seconds in a micowave before I mix. I keep my shop in the 60's F and will heat it up the 72 F plus when I apply. All of this being said I am not counting fish eyes caused by trapped air in the thread. I never sand. My rods are bass rods for the most part. I rotate my rod for 1.5 to 2 hours at 180 degree turns then to the dryer. I have some things I like to do with guides at about 1 hr into the process depending on the firmess of the remaining epoxy.

every one is a little different but still the same , ways to help # 1 sure not to beat # 2 wait a min or two min for the bubbles rise to the top , they are slow, # 3 do not brush you apply mixture # 4 if you mix in small amounts you can hold in hand to warm it some to help the bubbles to rise , # 5 the aplicator [ brush if you use ] has got be full of the epoxie not just the tip
# 6 you apply it , not brush it [ brush will not touch the rod ] when you get finished you will have a way that works for you a little bit of what every one else has said
my 2cts Bill

William Sidney
AK

I have never had to use a flame or heat to burst any bubbles because I have never had any since I started using quality brushes. It is all what you prefer to do. :>)

Lot's of builders using brushes. I'm a spatula guy. I get occasional bubbles on wraps without CP, very few on wraps with CP. Any bubbles get a quick alcohol torch hit and they are gone. I usually go back within the 1st hour of turning to check for any new bubbles. I use Threadmaster lite, and mix with the spatula for about 2 minutes. I use a folding motion side to side, then front to back, repeat until all the swirls are gone. I'll sometimes get a bubble where the guide frame meets the guide so that's always a place I check.

Spatulas and stiff brushes are pretty similar.

Terry

thank you all for your input the product is rod dancer i did brush it on i wanted to make sure it sealed because of moisture under wraps so i thought i would do 2 coats

I love threadmaster lite. I've gotten to where I put it on then brush length wise to level, blow large bubbles out with a straw and don't look at it for 30 minutes. I used to get a lot of bubbles because I just messed with it to much. Let the finish do its job and release the bubbles itself.

The OP should understand that most all epoxies have different working properties. Switching from one to another isn't always an easy prospect. My suggestion is to move back to Flex Coat since you didn't have any issues with it........it suited your application style.

I tried 3 finishes back when I started until I found one that fit my own style. It has worked perfectly for me for years. I purchased some Threadmaster about 5 years ago because of the hype around it...it is still sitting unopened. LoL

Heat is something I don't typically use as I don't usually have a need for it.

Charlie,
you clarified that the product is Rod Dancer.
Does it say Lite or Regular or One after that?
There is a massive difference between One and the other two.
You do NOT mix, stir shake or do anything to One other than gently apply

Charlie,

To add to what Lou just said: if it is Rod Dancer Threadmaster One, you also do not add any heat or flame.

Chris

A little Common Sence here
try taking a straw and stick it in water Blow bubbles in it The bubbles release quickly

Now do the same thing to some thing thicker
like pancake surup The bubbles will take longer to come to the surface And if the finish starts to set They get trapped in it That is why builders heat to thin and release them

The thinner finish is easier to use And a quicker turner will hold more that only one coat will be enough

Bill - willierods.com

Bill,

If it is RodDancer TM one, common sense says that heat or flame applied causes the finish to set up, and form a cured shell, thus trapping any bubbles in the finish.

However, I agree with your statement, if it is regarding 2 part epoxy finish.

Charlie has not clarified which TM finish he is using. Hence the additional cautions regarding heat and TM one.

Chris

You are correct

Yet the thinner finish does release bubbles faster

he has also said he switched for Flex Coat and then had problems

Simple -- Go back to flex coat

Bill - willierods.com