I have used Flex Coat High Build for years, but looking for something with longer pot life. The odor on the High Build was OK.

I recently tried the Lite formula, and it worked well for properties I was looking for, but I notice a little more odor and it seems a bit sharper.

Have you guys found any particular finish that's a lower odor?

Have not used anything but the High Build for years - any input appreciated.

I personally never found any rod finish to have a strong odor . To me they all smell quite similar and not offensive in any way shape or form .

I have not found any finishes that have a lower odor than others . I'm talking about finishes that are two part , I haven't used any other types.

D-2 from VooDoo rods. I've been using it for years since Gene was still around.

Dennis J. Danku
(Sayreville,NJ)

Dennis Danku Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> D-2 from VooDoo rods. I've been using it for years
> since Gene was still around.


X2

Pro Kote seems to me to have the longest pot life. I've never thought that any wrap epoxy had a significant odor.

Pro Kote has a strong odor. I have 2 (two) 64oz kits that I use sparingly only for small repairs. I also was comfortable using
Pac-Bay epoxy but cant get it anymore.

Dennis J. Danku
(Sayreville,NJ)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/2022 02:54PM by Dennis Danku.

Marc,

You probably already know this, but thought I'd throw it in there just in case:

You can extend the pot life of your finish by pouring it out on a sheet of foil after mixing. I wouldn't say it doubles the pot life or anything like that, but it does extend the working time.

Thanks Leslie - yes I do pour it out on a plate.

I need to play with the Flex Coat Lite more - it's handling really well, but just caught me (and my wife) as having more odor than the UV formula.

I ordered some U-40 Duragloss LS Supreme and some Generation 4 - any thoughts on either of those?

Marc,
Out of curiosity - how much time do you wish to have for a freshly mixed batch of finish?

For myself, I figure 5-10 minutes per batch and that works very well for me and most of the finishes n the market will give me that much time.

Normally, no need to have a pot life that is longer than 10 minutes as long as everything is set up and ready to go - before starting to mix a finish.

When I mix, I mix for 2 minutes of 120 seconds as measured by the clock on the wall and then go to work.

The 10 minutes that I get from a freshly matched batch give me plenty of time for one full pass of finish on a rod.

So, each rod and each coat gets a fresh batch.

I never noticed a smell with Flex Coat and that's all I've ever used. Maybe I haven't been paying attention to it.

Epoxy doesn't out-gas so in order to smell anything you've have to be trying.

Now urethanes such as Permagloss do have a strong aroma and it's best to have some good ventilation going if you're going to use them on a regular basis.

.............

Marc,

I have used LS Supreme, Gen 4, and ThreadMaster. None of them have an odor I can detect. I like ThreadMaster the most, though Gen 4 is prety good.

(Pro Kote epoxy paste, not the thread epoxy, does have a detectable odor. Good paste, just on the smelly side, IMO)

I wonder if the "smell" came from some other product you may have used around the time you batched some thread epoxy? Example, you thinned some jig paint with M.E.K..