What’s your method of cleaning a section of epoxied surface before a second coat? My first coat almost always looks great and my second almost always has a couple of spots of contamination or fisheyes.

I’ve used painters tape to try to remove dust and such but even that seems to leave a residue that I wipe clean with paper towels leading to more fuzzies.

I guess I am lucky as I have never had any problems with a 2nd coat. If the rod has sat a couple days I have wiped the wraps with an alcohol rag to remove dust but usually I just apply the 2nd coat without doing anything at all.

Don’t do anything, just apply the second coat soon after the first coat has cured. It has been previously reported here on rod board that some varieties of painter’s tape may cause fish eyes. So beware of using it. If I’m going to clean a blank I like using soap(dawn) and water, windex also works well.
[www.rodbuilding.org]
Norm

You kinda answered your question yourself, if your first coat looks great, why are you attempting to “clean it” ? If you have a bad spot in your first coat, like a dust particle, use a razor blade to shave it off. Never put any type of tape or liquid on freshly cured thread finish. Your just asking for problems when you apply your second coat.

Any type of cleaning agent is going to leave a residue on the thread finish. Same with using tape to remove a dust particle off the cured first coat. Just use a Clean brush to swipe it away.

David,
The way to eliminate a "Fish Eye" that you see developing on your 2nd coat is to "scrub" the fish-eye with some of the finish you're using.
Either with a brush or large round-headed stylus.
Sometimes you have to be rough with it. The idea is to disperse the contaminant over a larger area. If that fails p- wipe off the 2nd coat with a dry(ish) brush and start again,.
Herb

David

The only reason to clean or prep between coats is if there has been a long time between them or if you have touched the first coat with dirty hands.

Basically keep your hands clean and your rod clean to begin with and you will never have to clean between coats. We clean the blank initially with a citrus based cleanser and paper towel and then keep it clean by having clean hands.

The tape you are using is likely a problem not to mention possible dirty hands.

Flex Coat Company
Professional Rod Building Supplies
www.flexcoat.com

David,
The other replies have said it all = don’t do anything with the first coat. Apply the second coat as soon as the first has cured enough to not be disturbed with /by the second. With the exception of CTS Crystal Coat, most thread epoxies will have cured well enough to apply a second coat after 6 hours but 12 hours is a safer bet. Thin or light versions typically require more time to cure than thicker / high-build versions. The sooner the second coat is applied = the better “chemical” bond you will achieve = within 24 hours. However, we are not talking about structural laminates here so it is not as important; days or weeks after would be OK for a thread wrap. But if sooner is better, why not employ it?
It sounds like you may have a dust problem in your finishing area. I cannot really help you in that regard except to say keep the area as clean as possible and minimize any movement in the area for at least 1 hour prior to applying finish to your rods. No FAU of fans while applying. Consider building a thin plywood cover for your rods or purchasing a curing tent to minimize airborne dust particles.
Norman, thanks for linking the “Blue Tape Contamination” post.
Good luck

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

Unfortunately I can not always apply a second coat within a reasonable time. I can not leave it untouched and apply a second coat because I can often times clearly see small bits of dust or fuzzies, whatever they are called.

I went through the linked post about the blue tape and I suppose that could be my problem. I use it very lightly to remove dust but will try something different moving forward.

Thanks for the advice, I will do all I can to apply second coats without to much time in between.

For years I've gone through different methods of eliminating dust, fuzzies and fisheyes with mixed success. Most recently, in my continuing effort to eliminate risk altogether, I've come across a product known as Honest Organic Dry Wipes. They are produced and marketed to clean a baby's bottom and are 100% organic cotton: no additives, whatsoever. They are 5"x7" they don't shed, or ball up or distort or leave any residue, at all. So about 24 hours after my first coat, with freshly clean hands, I trim off any fuzzies and tiny bumps, if any, then I give each wrap a very vigorous rub with the wipes. Nothing else added, just the rub.. I think I've wrapped 3 rods since using my baby wipes: so far so good. Not yet perfect, but getting very close.

John Wesley, who it is said, coined the proverb CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO GODLINESS, must have been a RodBuilder.
\
Jack

David,
Go to an appliance store and pick up a refrigerator cardboard box.

Take it home and use a razor knife and strapping tape to form a box that is large enough to cover your rod when drying.

One way to do it, if your area is deep enough is to have a box that is both long enough and wide enough to cover the rod.

Then, use strapping tape to cut out the front side of the box - after first forming a hinge on the front top of the box.

After the box is finished, Take it outside and use high pressure air or a leaf blower or the exhaust side of a vacuum cleaner to blow out every corner, edge, surface - both sides of the cardboard bod.

Then, take the box, open the front top hinged lid and put it over your rod drying /applying area. Then, slide it to the back of the bench so it will not interfere with your work.

Then, once the finish has been applied and is on the dryer, slide the box forward to cover the rod - taking care not to let any part of the box touch the drying rod. Then, flip the front cover down to insure against dust and or particle contamination.

Once the rod is dry, open the front lid, slide the box back and you now have a rod that is potentially free of dust related defects.

The cost will be the price of a roll of tape.

Best wishes.

p.s.
If you are not going to build a rod, or dry a rod for a while, you can make a slit on each of the two back corners of the down legs on the end of the box. Then, fold the legs up and over the top, fold the back forward, and the front back and you will have a compact drying box for future use. It would be even better if you cut up a couple of new lawn bags and cut them to size and taped them together to form an envelope for the dust box and to keep it clean during storage .

You can blot them with ordinary masking tape.

Thanks Roger, I think I will try to rig up something like you mentioned. I am using the Flexcoat 4x wall mounted drying system.

Painters tack cloth, don't rub or wipe, just touch it to a turning rod.

I've done what Grant suggests without problems.

David,
If you are using the Flexcoat 4X wall mounted system it is pretty easy.
Dust falls on items in a room.

So, just place a wide shelf above your 4x drying system and you will have removed a very large source of your contamination problem. However, if you have fans moving air around the room, you would still need a cover around the roof of the shelter.

Tack rags are typically a big NO-NO in the composite industry. Granted, rod builders are not building structural composite laminates for NASA, but I would still remain leery of employing tack rags for anything related to epoxy.

Mark Talmo
FISHING IS NOT AN ESCAPE FROM LIFE BUT RATHER A DEEPER IMMERSION INTO IT!!! BUILDING YOUR OWN SIMPLY ENHANCES THE EXPERIENCE.

I’m in complete agreement with Bill, don’t introduce anything to an epoxy application other than the edge of a double edge razor blade. I would add though that all double edge razor blades should be cleaned thoroughly before use.

Jeff,
If using a double edged razor blade in your hand - stop and do not continue.

Rather, go buy a box of single edged razor blades, if you need to use a razor blade.

Better yet, don't use blades at all. Rather use a pair of sharp fly tying scissors for all work on the threads of your wraps.

For example:
[www.amazon.com]

If you need to do some scraping, here is a single edged razor blade holder which will save you from having an accident if the hand held blade slipping in your hand. [www.amazon.com]
and:

[www.amazon.com]

Mark Talmo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Tack rags are typically a big NO-NO in the
> composite industry. Granted, rod builders are not
> building structural composite laminates for NASA,
> but I would still remain leery of employing tack
> rags for anything related to epoxy.

I used tack cloths with epoxy primer, and epoxy paint when painting for Lockheed. First came bead blasting, then anodizing, the primer, tack cloth, first coat, tac cloth, then 2nd coat. This was for all aluminam parts that were exposed to sea water. It was how I was taught to shoot paint. No orange peel, no dust, no contaminants, smooth, glossy finish. I wouldn't use it for cleaning a wrap because it is cheese cloth impregnated either with beeswax, or a tacky petroleum distillate. I would think it leaves a film, even though it was required for shooting paint.