I use Flex Coat lite then I found a company from China had a two part epoxy for threads. I purchased a two oz to test it out. When I mixed the Chinese epoxy wow it gave off a smell that was very bad. I took it outside and opened up the windows. Thank God my wife was not at home. I went to the basement and took the fans upstairs. My clothing stunk. I had a bad headache even the next day. When my wife came home you could still smell a light chemical smell.. I told her I will never use that again. What mfg of epoxy do you use. That has me thinking maybe that is why the experienced builders get such good results. The manufacturer is the reason they get such good results.

I use Gen 4. It has a good pot life, dries extremely clear and bubbles are all but non-existent. It goes on great and there’s no need to use heat with it.

The bulk of domestic rod manufacturers here in North America use Flex Coat. There is a reason why it's the epoxy the others are compared to.

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What Tom said.

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

Sam,
It seems like a no-brainer to me = STICK WITH THE FLEX COAT!!! As you, I prefer the light version of Flex Coat although many prefer their original high-build. The light penetrates quickly, flows-out / self-levels very well, releases bubbles easily, yellows less than most others, good pot life, cures relatively quickly, and John’s and Roger’s customer service is second to none. All of the NAME-BRAND thread epoxies are basically variations on the same theme with subtle idiosyncrasies. Buy an UNKNOWN brand and who knows what it’s made of or how it performs = stick with a proven performer.

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

Gen 4 has much less 'aroma' to my nose than any other epoxy I've used.

I have no issues with Flex Coat or U40, but I used Gen4 on my last rod and liked it a lot.

Thanks for sharing this great learning example. It takes less than $2.00 worth of Gen4 or Flex Coat to finish most rods. That’s even buying at the modest four ounce quantity. I definitely prefer Gen4, but I wouldn’t criticize the standard bearer. Preferences aside, I’m continually amazed at how many builders go way out on a limb to save amounts that are truly rounding errors in the overall cost of custom rod components.

This point is bigger than a rounding error, but illustrative of cost savings that probably don’t add up to a good value.. My floor in cost for a freshwater build is starting with a Rainshadow Immortal blank and a Fuji/CC guide kit (have used LZR kits with success at this price level, too).. This results in a reliable and well performing build. With discounts easily available from VoodDoo Rods or Utmost Enterprises to hobbyists, it’s about $100 in total for the two main parts of a casting rod build. It’s hard to save more than $20:dollars on this portion of a build by going to the least expensive, retailer branded options. There is no guarantee that this extreme low-cost driven option will fish better and more reliably than a lowly discount store combo package rod after investing all of the required building time.

I use Flex Coat Lite and Gen 4 , whichever I have fresh on hand. I think more important than what you use is how you use it, use it with a common sense repeatable process that works for you.

For those trying epoxies and materials from outside the rod-building industry, what makes you think that there is anything from the outside that will perform better than the developed-for-rodbuilding products developed by the people who have been in the business "forever?"

I used flex coat for my last couple repairs and had a lot of micro air bubbles and the finish didn’t level out at all. It was cool in the basement, 60 or lower so I placed a portable space heater which got the area upwards of high 70s. Not sure if it was from the heater fan or what. Never had a problem with any other epoxy. I just ordered Threadmaster as I’ve had better luck with that.

Very confusing post, Evan. I'm not sure what your point is. Please elaborate. What happened with the heater and why you think it did. ??

In my experience, if I do it right, Flex Coat levels just fine, and bubbles are easily handled. A quick "fly by" with a butane lighter. That will work with any epoxy, IMHO.

my post was about how I didn’t have good results with Flex Coat and I’m not sure if the heater was the issue. I would get more micro bubbles than other brands without the heater too. I believe the force of the air from the heater introduced air pockets, or dust into the epoxy. And I believe the force from the air created an uneven finish.

I was just posting my experience with Flex Coat. I have had more success with threadmaster.

I would expect the heater to help release bubbles while putting some dust into the epoxy. I think you would really have to work hard at it to introduce bubbles with a space heater. If the current owner of Threadmaster (which is Mudhole who also appears to be heavily invested in American Tackle) is using Andy Dear’s original formula, then it’s still a good product. Andy is also the person who developed Gen4.

frankly if you dink around to long in applying or messing with any finish, it starts to get viscous and the more viscous it gets the bubbles have a harder time to rise to the surface to burst. I, like a lot of builders, have tried many finishes and they worked fine including Flexcoat, the very first one ever used about 1980, but I don't use any mentioned here.

At the very nominal cost of epoxy, I would stick to only the well know and well regarded brands articulated on this forum. When a rod building newbie, I would say my epoxy skills improved with each build, and I am sure this is true for most novices, then after about 8 or 12 rods you've got your mojo down.

Use a quality product, mix it well, let it sit a moment, pour into an aluminum cup or aluminum foil to spread out and disperse bubbles. Use a good brush or spatula type tool. Don't apply too heavy an amount of epoxy. Apply heat for bubble release with heat gun or flame as necessary. Give it at least 24 hours at the right temp to harden. If you are part way through a rod and your epoxy batch is setting up, toss it out and mix a new batch. Buy the proper mixing cups, stirring rods and syringes that are free of silicone.

If all the above is pain in the a for you, use multiple coats of Permagloss and apply in a well ventilated room.

If your epoxy is more than a few years old and has yellowed in the bottle, toss it and buy some new stuff.

I've been using Flex coat HB for a while now. Bought a bunch of stuff from a guy getting out and with it came 3-2oz packages of VooDoo UV formula. It sat for the longest time but just started using it. I don't think I can tell a difference in clarity between the two but I sure do like the 5 hr tack free VooDoo. And with both I run a fast butane flame over the aluminum dishes I use and 95% of bubbles gone in an instant. Once on the rack a few more passes with an alcohol burner. I do think I saw some micro bubbles left in a flex coat rod today.

Evan Cobb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> my post was about how I didn’t have good results
> with Flex Coat and I’m not sure if the heater
> was the issue. I would get more micro bubbles than
> other brands without the heater too. I believe the
> force of the air from the heater introduced air
> pockets, or dust into the epoxy. And I believe the
> force from the air created an uneven finish.
>
> I was just posting my experience with Flex Coat. I
> have had more success with threadmaster.


It is possible to "boil" epoxy which creates hundreds of micro-bubbles. This might be your issue but you typically have to get the epoxy very hot for this to happen.

Epoxy is so very easy to use and get results with that it's hard to pinpoint issues such as what you've experienced. Usually it ends up being something very simple but sometimes these issues are hard to convey in a forum post. The main thing I would say is "do less." Get the room to about 70F to 75F and let the epoxy do what it does. Don't brush it around too much. If you feel that heat is required, a quick flame from butane lighter is all that is required. This isn't exactly related to your issue since you're working with a carbon grip, but it might be helpful in some way. [www.youtube.com]

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

This video is what made my finishing game actually work and get level glass like results. Though this video starts talking about our brushes, that should not be confused with competitors that they made the same color, it finishes with a technique that is easy to understand and use, while not overworking the finish. I went from wavy, uneven finish to smooth, flawless finish in a snap. I just had to understand how to move the finish where I wanted it, allowing it to saturate the threads naturally and take away finish where I needed less, like moving toward the end of a wrap or toward a cork grip so it doesn't lap up onto the cork. It is worth a watch, like all our videos.

[www.youtube.com]

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



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/22/2023 11:46AM by John Cates.

I started with Pro-Kote from a MudHole kit. I used it for a while and started using Flex Coat when I got curious. I am currently working through some Gen 4 that was tried out of the same curiosity. I am satisfied with the results from all three. I have applied all three with nylon brushes, hair brushes, and spatulas.

-John C, you now have me curious about your brushes. I will have to give them a try.

Toms recommendation of only applying the epoxy in a room with a temp of AT LEAST 70 F is critical to getting good results . I found that out the hard way and had all types of issues when I attempted to apply finish in rooms that weren't warm enough .