What is best for finishing white thread, that will prevent yellowing or discoloring of any kind? I have Flex Coat UV, but not sure how well that will hold up in the long-term.

Sterling,
It is quite well accepted that virtually all epoxy thread finishes will yellow with time, some possibly more than others. While such yellowing may obviously be more noticeable over a white base, remember that the thickness of thread finish is rather thin which will minimize the appearance of the discoloration. That said, the best thread epoxy which I have found regarding yellowing, flow-out, bubble release and pot life is CTS Crystal Coat. There are those who claim that U40 PermaGloss does not yellow but I cannot attest to that. If you decide on using PG, plan on its thinness to require a minimum of 3 coats, as many as 6 or more if you desire any depth.

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

PermaGloss will not yellow. But it does not have the same appearance as epoxy.

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Is that the stuff manufacturers use? I have off the shelf rods that look more like the guides were shrink wrapped vs. epoxied.

No. It's a moisture curing urethane. Most commercial rod manufacturers use Flex Coat epoxy.

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Daryl, I thinks the wraps you're referring to may be done with NCP thread. It gives a tape like appearance to the wraps.

Could be Lynn, it definitely does not look like a regular epoxied wrap. I'll try to look up a NCP thread pic to see if it's what I'm talking about.

Thanks for the info Mark. I understand that the perma gloss requires good ventilation and a respirator also. Not a problem , but something to think about. I am thinking of building a rod the will be displayed and probably never fished. As an heirloom build, I would like to consider the long-term conditions.

If in doubt- don't use white thread and you will never have the problem.
Rather use yellow thread for your wrapping and then - even if the finish yellows, it will remain invisible.

Best wishes

FTR I have a Favorite Whitebird that is wrapped with white thread and has regular clear epoxy (not the heat shrink looking stuff I mentioned earlier). It's so clear, you can count the number of wraps around the blank. I haven't noticed in yellowing, but I keep socks on all of my rods so that might be why.

This world is awash in UV. If a finish absorbs / stops the UV then the substrate (windings) are protected at the expense of the finish, else the finish permits the UV to pass and remains clear at the eventual expense of the substrate. It's a pick your poison thing.and an argument in favor of rod bags and tubes.

Daryl, your being able to see individual threads in the wrap is the way nylon/poly appears. When the wraps look more like paint or tape that's more likely NCP thread. With it the individual threads tend to appear blended together.

> Daryl, your being able to see individual threads
> in the wrap is the way nylon/poly appears. When
> the wraps look more like paint or tape that's more
> likely NCP thread. With it the individual threads
> tend to appear blended together.


So it's the thread that gives it that tape look, not the epoxy? As far as the UV business, I don't worry about it. My boat is stored in my garage and, again, my rods all have rod socks on them.

Yes! Best place in the world is out of the sun.

I love the look of some white wraps in a dec-wrap or guide-wrap - but its knowing it will turn dingy yellow before long that gets me and I do my best to avoid it. I've had a few customers demand white so I warm them well upfront what will happen.

As to using white - I've found the best luck with Fuji NOCP size A - and pack, pack and pack it some more....

Thanks for the tip on the Fuji NOCP.