"Foggy" flexcoat finish on damp days?

Does anyone know what causes this foggy problem with flexcoated wraps, and how to avoid it? My wraps look fine by day, but after a night on a damp beach on the roof racks, I get moisture under the finish. It evaporates when it warms up and dries out later in the day. Is it possible I thinned the finish too much with acetone to extend working time? Any comments would be appreciated, I have a few guides to do for a friend, and don't want to mess it up....

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"Knowledge is knowing, wisdom is understanding"

did you extend the flexcoat over the thread ends,make sure the tunnel is filled between the wrap and guide foot or feet.

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make a rod, catch a fish

Buildsrods, Yeah, I extended the finish about 1/8th" and filled the area under the guide feet. I used 2-3 coats of finish. I wondered if I thinned it too much with acetone.... Thanks for the reply, Jim

beachback;


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wow, hit the wrong key!
Beachback; your assumption is correct. You should have not bothered thinning Flexcoat with acetone in the first place. Learning to mix it correctly is the key and it really should not require thinning at all. With a proper mix, you should have no reason to want to thin it, for working time is sufficient depending on how you are working with it. Yes there will be a difference if turning the rod by hand vs a rod drying motor, but that may mean finishing the rod in stages due to the working time with Flexcoat. A common mistake made, is improper mixing and also trying to do all the wraps at one time when turning by hand. I have worked with Flexcoat for many years and had those problems when I first started. Once I learned how to mix it correctly and started building and repairing rods using a rod lathe my problems disappeared. You may find that your finish is not as hard as it should be and pressing your thumb nail into that finish may tell the story. Sounds to me that a restoration job may be needed to correct your problem. If you must use acetone, save it for the cleanup of brushes only or get rid of it....for health reasons, it can be absorbed thru the skin if not used correctly. If you wish further tips on mixing the Flexcoat, please e-mail me and I would be more than happy to help improve your finish problems.

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I find that's the problem with Flex-Coat - the "Working Time". It's possible it has to do with the humidity level at the time your finishing a rod but I find without thinning the Flex-Coat I can only finish about 4 guides at a time and the stuff is so thick it's time to mix another batch! - and I do take great pains to make sure it is mixed properly with the one to one ration.

I do use the ?lite Formula? and still thin it. However I have found acetone to create different problems. I have found Denatured Alcohol to work best. However I don?t think that is the problem in this case.

I have had the exact behavior you describe happen to me a couple times. This is when I used Color Preserver. It is the Color Preserver that gets damp and returns to its normal white color. Once in the sun it dries out and becomes clear again. I found it can be difficult to completely cover the Color Preserver. I decided to no longer use Color Preserver ? its either straight Flex-Coat or NCP thread for me.


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Let No One Walk Alone
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Bill




[This message has been edited by PanFisher (edited 20 March 2005).]

David and Panfisher, Thanks for taking the time to respond. I decided to take both your suggestions and play it safe. I never thought about the color preserver, which I did use and let it dry between coats. Next time I'm not thinning, making smaller batches and playing it safe. Wrapping rods is a craft that I don't mind if I have time, but time is short and stripping rods that I labored over fancy diamond wraps on is a big bummer.. Thanks Again, Jim

Panfisher;
The humidity level in your home certainly plays a very big role on how the Flexcoat or any other rod epoxy works out and setup time has a big bearing on that as well. As far as the Flexcoat working time is concerned, I have found that mixing properly in a small mixing cup, then transferring the mixture into an aluminum tart tray (some folks use aluminum foil), helps to lengthen the working time. I usually finish in 2 stages.....all guide wraps 1st, then diamond butt wraps with a separate coat another day. A tip on using colour preservor.....I use Flexcoat CP diluted 50/50 with distilled water, 2 saturating coats on the wraps letting each dry overnight before finishing with epoxy. If you try to rush the epoxy finish, you will end up with foggy results in the epoxy due to the humidity levels underneath the thread wraps. I have found this method works very well for me and with very good results plus never had to opt to using NCP threads. Personal preference here!



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Backbeach; Although I am not a lover of thinning any epoxy, it is not a crime to do so, for some builders thin using acetone to get the thinnist epoxy which is used as a primer coat on wraps where no CP is used. This method extends the working time and allows for faster application. It also provides the strongest bond. 24 hours later a second unthinned coat of Flexcoat is used as the finish coat. The amount of acetone used for thinning must be exact based on the amount of epoxy being mixed, therefore there is too much room for error. I am a beleaver of following the Manufacturers' recommendations when using their products. Just learning how to mix the stuff correctly in the first place is difficult enough. It took me a while to get it right and yes I did get lucky on some earlier rods. Because so many things can contribute to poor epoxy finishes, I found it best to use the exact items suggested for mixing and don't try to cut corners.

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