Bubbles revisited

[lastchance]

I read with the interest the post on bubbles in the finish. I get little pinpoint size marks in some of my finished guides--are they bubbles?

[dleo6446]

Most probably they are. either that or dust specs....difference is
air bubbles tend to leave a circular depression in the finish and dust specs tend to create a slighlty raised area in the finish.

[lastchance]

dleo6446: If dust specs look like pinpoints in the finish then that's what they are! I build on the kitchen table in my apartment and I have forced air heat. I close the vent above my table, but I guess that's not enough.

[Joe Valencic]

Here's a possible fix for the dust problem:

#1 Make sure you have a clean filter in your furnace that removes fine particulates. These cost more than ordinary filters, but greatly reduce airborne dust. If you don't have a good filter, buy one and run it for a couple of days before any finishing to cut down on the floating particulate matter. Even with good filtration, some particulate will remain suspended in the air.

#2 Build a "hood" to cover your rod while it's in the dryer. This can be a clean cardboard box (or more than one box) with cutouts to go over the rod. This will create a tunnel for the rod to rotate within while it dries.

#3 About 1/2 hour before coating the rod, turn the furnace off. This will allow most airborne dust to settle out. Wipe the rod with a tac cloth to remove any dust, and coat the wraps as usual. When complete, cover the rod with the "box tunnel" and leave it alone until it's dry. Once the rod is in the tunnel, you can turn the furnace back on.

This should significantly reduce the amount of airborne dust that may come in contact with your wet finish.

Joe

[Greg F]

A local rod builder just told me today to keep the spools of thread clean. Any dust is bad. I was just keeping them on the bench or in a drawer and have moved all to a plastic bag. I will strip off the top layer of thread before wrapping with any of these spools.

Greg

[lastchance]

Thanks, and all good ideas!

[dunfly]

Also be careful when handling the thread. Natural oils can come off your hand and get on the thread, which can be a problem when applying finish.

[TomW]

Dunfly is right. But more of a problem is using hand lotion before, during, or after wrapping threads. This also includes things like William's Electric shave. Many hand products have silicone additives similar to industrial products which, when used in excess, create monster problems with coating applications.

Tom

[Joe Valencic]

I learned that when I noticed color variations on a long sinature wrap I was doing. It came out splotchy. I now wash my hands with dishwashing detergent before wrapping (surfactants cut grease well), and sometimes during the process as well. Makes a big difference if you have oily skin like i do.

Joe