Fellow Rod builders,

I have been plagued with bubbles in the finish for years and can't seem to figure out how to eliminate them.

I can eliminate small bubbles with no problem, my issue comes when the rod is in the drying box after three hours and realize there is a few large bubbles of course right where the angler will see them on the top side. i use color preserver, three coats on average. I assume the threads are sealed?

I used a dryer to heat the finish and remove bubbles. The problem with that is all of a sudden, more appear out of no where. as in the case last night, it was after the finish was dry for six hours and once I popped the bubbles, the finish never leveled back out and left a small crater.

To those of you who have this down to a science, I would greatly appreciate any guidance.

lots of people will chime in on this but # 1 you MIX your epoxy don't whipp it , # 2 when you aply your epoxy don't let the brush touch the rod let it kind of flow off the brush , # 3 don't run the brush back an forth ,
there will be some other ideas from other people , try them out some will work for you an some will not good luck SID

William Sidney
AK



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2014 09:53PM by william G Sidney.

James,
I find that the best hint is to keep an eye on the rod on the dryer for the first 30 minutes. If, during that time you find any bubbles, hit it with a bit of heat and add a touch of finish with a bit more heat to let the finish flow.

I find that generally by the end of the first 30 minutes, that as long as you have kept on top of the situation, the rod is good to go for the balance of the drying cycle.

I generally never just find a bubble and leave it, but normally add a touch more finish in the area and slightly heat it so that it flows in with the rest of the finish.

Be safe

1 hour of baby sitting rod in drier is better then re apply finish just because 1-2 bubble in the tunnel mouth

If you are using a high build finish A light may work better It helps to let bubbles escape easier then the high build
I also find if I heat finish to hot that this also causes bubbles

Bill - willierods.com

If they are appearing by the guide foot, you need to fill the channel that is created between the guide foot the blank and the thread, I do this by applying a small amount of epoxy at the gap while standing the rod up so gravity will work it in, then put the rod on your dryer/wrapper and apply the finish.

One thing I do is to thin the CP and load it on the guides trying to concentrate on the tunnel
After one coat when I see it soaking in I will turn the guide and put several coats on the tunnel area and let it soak in turning the guide left then right When it looks like it is full I start the dryer and put another coat over the whole wrap

As said if the tunnel is not full with CP the way Zachery said is your best bet to fill the channel

Bill - willierods.com

If this has been a long term problem, and you apply CP that has completely soaked the thread, it appears you are introducing the bubbles through one or more of the following.

Mixing too aggressively, mix slowly but thoroughly, at least 2 min. You want no bubbles from this process.

Brushing the epoxy on the wraps. As mentioned above, let the epoxy flow from your brush or spatula....don't brush!

Applying too much heat. Applying heat to epoxied wraps should not be necessary, if bubbles were not introduced prior. Heat can and does cause bubbles in epoxy!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2014 07:30PM by Phil Erickson.

James this is a great topic. And one that brings allot of differing opinions. I was frustrated when I stated building and through “many” telephone calls to Bob McKamey (then with Custom Tackle now with Mud Hole) I came up with a method that works for me. Thanks Bob!!

First: as stated above mix the epoxy slow using something round. I typically use the end of one of my brushes. Another issue here is what you use to mix it in. The small cups sold by many of our sponsors work ok but they have little ridges made to allow a person to separate the cups easier. These ridges will introduce bubbles as your stir stick hits them over and over again. So I use a small condiment cup made by Solo and sold at most party stores. They are cheap and have smooth interior surfaces. Stirring, my rule is mix until the epoxy turns cloudy then re-clears again. to be honest I have never timed it two minutes may be an ok time.

Second: Do not apply the epoxy from the mixing cup. Again “my rule” as I have never tried one of the power mixing units, pour the epoxy onto something flat so the epoxy can rest for a minute or so. This allows the bubbles to come up to the top and bust prior to applying on the rod. I used aluminum foil for years. I now use the aluminum dishes from Mud Hole. If you keep them covered you can reuse them several times.

Third: I use a brush and apply the epoxy to the wraps by rotating the rod by hand. Use thin coats. In my opinion two thin coats is better than one thick coat.

Fourth: And most controversial!! Once I put the rod on the dryer. While it is turning I take a cigarette lighter and wave the flame under each wrap. Don’t hold it close or allow the flame to touch keep it about 2 inches away. And don’t hold it steady in one spot. Also keep the flame small as to not create allot of smoke. Do this on each wrap once and leave it alone. You will see the bubbles come to the top and pop. It also allows the coat to level very nicely. After about 15 minutes take another look and use the same process on any new bubbles. You will have some appear from the epoxy soaking into the cavity under the guide. Check the rod again at 30 minutes but I rarely see any bubbles then.

There are those that feel heat creates additional bubbles. But I have followed this process for the last 16 years without issue. Just in case I will make one additional comment. I use exclusively Flex Coat heavy build. So I have not tried this process on other name brands. I would be very leery of using a blow dryer. I would think doing so would open up another can of worms with dust. Also check out the John"s post titled "New Video" it covers the use of heat also.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/03/2014 03:49PM by Gabe Neal.

Gabe,
Just one modification to your method.

Rather than using a lighter which can smoke and actually put carbon in the finish, I prefer to use an alcohol burner.

The alcohol burner burns with a near invisible flame that contains nearly no carbon or soot to affect the finish.

Or, if you use a butane lighter, then the same principle. Very clean burning flame with little to no residue.

Be safe

James

Since you have had this problem for years
How many times have you come here to try to solve it

Bill - willierods.com

It sounds like you are having the issue with bubbles appearing in a location that was bubble free at your first application.

I have this problem on occasion, but it's always with wraps having no CP. There are locations usually on the ends of ferrule wraps or butt wraps where this can occur, and is the process of air working out of the wrap. If you are having this issue on wraps with CP applied, then I would try a different product. 3 coats of CP should displace all the air in your wrap.

If you have this problem constantly, I would suggest moving to a 2-coat process. The first coat is very thin, and you will see the thread ridges. Let cure overnight. Apply the second coat the next day. If you want to stick with one coat, then watch closely for the first hour. Use a bubble buster torch or an alcohol flame, not a heat gun to LIGHTLY apply heat to the bubble area. Too much heat will create more bubbles. They may come back but stay on it with a light touch of heat. You should be fine.

Terry

I'm relatively new and have tried all the tricks I've learned from searching and reading the "perfect epoxy" article. No matter how careful I stir, I create bubbles. It's the little tiny ones that cause me troubles - larger ones go away quickly. I use the 1 oz solo cups from Mudhole which have smooth sides but the bottom is contoured. I actually get bubbles coming out of the syringes so that's probably where it all starts. Heat doesn't do much, mudhole bubble buster doesn't do much.
I have only used FlexCoat lite but have ordered other brands to compare.

John Shear
Chippewa Falls, WI

Good grief --- I do EVERYTHING "wrong" but still get good results. I turn the epoxy into what almost looks like whipped cream; I apply it right out of the mixing container; I use cheap solder flux brushes (throw aways); I apply it (at first dabbing and brushing) between guide feet and at the tunnels. How is this possible? (primarily because I don't generally use CP - possible). What I do do is use WARM low build -not hot just warm so it's 'runny'. I apply first to the tunnels at the guide feet and on the wraps over the guide feet (all of them first) then I come back with the rod rotating quickly 30-40+ revolutions / minute (this creates centrifugal and centripetal force (epoxy flows towards/away from the blank & threads) I do that AFTER I have finish on all the guide feet / tunnels. I apply a THIN coat and after it is dry apply a second THIN coat. Normally I use NO heat at all - when I do I use what is called an embossing gun (low heat // low air volume air flow) - most craft stores have them for $15--20. If you really feel it's ok to use an open flame - hold it NEXT to - and NOT under the epoxy / guide wraps. Not only will the epoxy run onto your hand but it will overheat - resulting in additional micro bubbles - and may also cause the epoxy to not cure correctly. Oh, when I do use CP I make sure all coats are THIN - and the tunnels are filled (this will take 2-3 coats to accomplish) - Oh when I use CP - NO I do not thin the CP - all you are doing is diluting the solids and making the CP less effective.