I recently used flexcoat hi-build with UV and was dissappointed at how fast it cured in the bowl. I use a pop can bottom and as carefully as I can mix the epoxy. The air bubbles appeared to be gone so I proceeded to coat the threads. When cure time was up every guide had tiny air bubbles..The bubbles were so small I didn"t see them when applied to the threads. My main complaint was how fast it cured in the mixing bowl. I tried to thin it out a little with acetone to no avail. I called flexcoat and the lady on the other end said that epoxy cures faster in the bowl as opposed to pouring it out on to foil. She said that the molecules are much closer together in the bowl and start to cure faster than when poured out onto the foil. Which to me makes no sense to me. Would a rotating mixing bowl be better for airless epoxy. Also I'm going to check out thread master epoxy for more consistent results if my current problem remains a problem

There's nothing wrong with the Flex Coat Epoxy. If there was, it wouldn't be the #1 epoxy and that used by most major commercial rod manufacturers.

Adding acetone isn't going to solve anything. Two part epoxies are heat sensitive and will set and cure more quickly the higher the temperature. For every 18F increase in temp from about 70F, you halve the set and cure time.

Epoxies also generate exothermic energy through heat during the reaction phase. If you have the mix in a small container the heat has less chance to escape, which then accelerates the set time even more. This is why pouring epoxy out onto a flat surface of aluminum foil will tend to preserve a bit more pot life - the amount of surface the epoxy then presents to the air is greater, allowing heat to dissipate at a greater rate.

If you mix a large quantity of epoxy in a small plastic cup, enough to nearly fill it, the stuff will get so hot it'll set in just two or three minutes.

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Robert,
I have found that when using this product, you have about 7 minutes from the time you start to mix the epoxy until it is so thick that it won't flow. That includes the 2 minutes of mixing time. So you likely have no more than 5 minutes of use time with the product.

If you work slowly, then only mix enough to do a butt wrap or two or three guides. Then, mix again. If you work quickly and have the rods ready you can easily coat two or three rods before the finish thickens.

Good luck

It is not the epoxy brand - high viscosity (high build) epoxy tends to release bubbles less easily, has a shorter open time, and cures more quickly. On the plus side, the high viscosity finishes can frequently cover in a single application.

The medium viscosity and lite flavors of epoxy finishes tend to more easily and quickly release bubbles, have longer open times, and cure more slowly. Sounds good, but it is not always possible to cover with a single application.

I work slowly, so it is a serious challenge for me to use a high viscosity finish unless the wraps are short and few.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2016 04:19PM by John E Powell.

I used this same product at my seminar at the Expo this past February. Indoors with the temperature about 75F. The pot life was well into the 15 to 20 minute range, from the cup.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2016 04:19PM by John E Powell.

If your place is very warm - cool it off This will help the set time I use Flexcoat UV high build - I do thin it So I am thinking you may like a light build better then the high build The set time is longer Plus two thin coats IMHO is better then one heavy coat When builders heat finish They are thinning it with the heat so why heat Just use a light finish or learn how to thin the high build

Bill - willierods.com

Roger, I don't know what I'm doing different but I get much more then 7 minutes use time out of Flex Coat.

Robert,
I expect that the difference is the temperature of the mix before I start.

Take care

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2016 04:19PM by John E Powell.

I have had better results using ProKote....it has a longer pot life....that gives me time to let it sit after mixing to allow bubbles to release and still leaves me plenty of working time. The drawback I think, is that it may be a bit softer than Flexcoat on the rod but it has always been crystal clear and bubble free for me.

John,
Excellent summary.

I agree with your system 100%.

Quick, simple, and perfect results every time.

Be safe

So putting the bottles of finish in warm or hot water before mixing will cause the finish to start setting up faster and shorten the pot life? I've always followed the video's on Flex Coat's site about warming the bottles of finish before mixing. I'm in Texas, so not many months out of the year that room temperature isn't in the 70's.

Going to try not warming finish next go around and see what changes. Thanks.

At 70 the finish is already warm The only time I warm finish is if I turn the bottle and it looks like the solids have fell to the bottom Warming helps to mix it up

Bill - willierods.com

Especially in the winter, the epoxy will sometimes get below 50 degree in storage. So, I do warm the epoxy to 70 or so before using. But, not much higher than that.

be safe

I have also had the same problem with this epoxy. Like Tom said, I'm sure the epoxy is good, I'm just not experienced enough to work as quickly. Once I'm done with this bottle, I anticipate that I will go back to ProKote. It seems to be a bit more forgiving for beginners with its longer pot life.

One thing I wonder about though, is pouring it on "flat" aluminum. I always do this by cutting a small piece of foil in the shape of a circle and shoving it into the bottom of a ramekin and then removing it to get a shallow tray. But it seems to me the bottom of a coke can should have the same effect. It is, after all, made of aluminum.

I did a "primer coat" this morning per flex coat's "how we do it" video. By the time I got to the 10th guide on the rod, I felt like it getting thick. I went back with a tooth pick to add a dab in the corners of the guide feet to feed the tunnels, and I think I barely made it. I let it sit about 10 minutes and popped a few bubbles near the tunnels and let it go. The last few guides it seems like it didn't penetrate the thread quite as well because of its thickness, and I will have to slice a few bubbles off before adding my final coat or two.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2016 04:18PM by John E Powell.

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Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/2016 04:18PM by John E Powell.

John if you read the thread I started about a week ago, I had trouble with that. At least I'm guessing it was. It was a problem with very tiny bubbles, which I assume we're the product of too much heat. I used a hair dryer this time. I angled it from the bottom up as it spun so that I didn't stir up any dust that might have settled on my bench (I usually vacuums my work bench prior to epoxy). Maybe a heat gun would be better. Still trying to find my happy medium where I get enough heat but don't cook more bubbles into the finish.