Permaglosss -- sanding and clean up

[Orthoman]

As I build up layers of permagloss on my wraps, I have little defects over some of the thread -- such as where the thread was pulled back under the wraps to finish the wrap.

Can these areas be sanded down after several layers of Permagloss have been built up?

Also, what is used to clean up Permangloss -- acetone??

[dleo6446]

Yes you can lightly sand those imperfections out with either one of tow or three methods. I use 2000 or 2500 grit sandpaper from the automotive parts stores. I cut thin strips of it, glue it to wooden hobby sticks, and wet sand the imperfections LIGHTLY....too much and you can get into the threads and you have a real mess on your hands. another method is to use a mixture of paraffin oil mixed with pumice or rotten stone powder to make a paste and that works well too. just make sure that you remove all of the residue prior to recoating.

One of the things you can do to virtually eliminate those imperfections is to use a very very smooth burnishing tool after you wrap and to use an alcohol lamp to remove dust, fuzzies and other things that may cause a lump in the finish. Secondly, if you are wrapping with silk, wrap the silk directly to the rod from the spool rather than running the thread through a tensioning device as that will definitely cause some fuzzing of the silk thread. My tensioning device applies ther pressure directly to the ends of the spool rather than to the thread...works for me!!

Clean up with acetone, and prior to what I have read in some other forums, the acetone will not thin the Permagloss it will ruin it if you try. Been there, done that!! Also, after you clean your brush in the acetone, dry it on a paper towel and reclean it in denatured alcohol to remove the acetone residuals...makes the brushes much softer that way

[Orthoman]

Thanks dleo -- I have followed your advice before and things have worked out well.

This is my first try with Permagloss -- before I always used Flex Coat light and would apply and flame the epoxy before moving to the next wrap -- this eliminated bubbles, made the epoxy flow and made for a smooth finish.

This Permagloss - after 4 coats is still not what I consider a smooth finish. Hopefully, it will reach that level of smoothness that I could get with the flex coat.

any other suggestion are welcome.

[Joe Valencic]

any other suggestion are welcome.

Not to be a smart aleck, but I would dump the Permagloss and go back to Flex Coat. Between your post on Permagloss and Betty's U40 dilema, I'm digging in more firmly and not venturing from my proven Flex Coat and Flex Coat Lite. I'm sure that these other products have their place, and they probably do a bang-up job if you hit the nail square on the head, but it appears that if you don't do it perfect the first time, then there are significant repercussions that follow. From day one I have not had a single problem with any new rod or repair done with the Flex Coat products, so I think I'll leave well-enough alone. Perhaps you should consider doing so as well, or get some tutoring on these alternate finishes so you don't end up with more work. Those products act like a high-maintenance spouse or a finicky bird dog.

Remember, you asked! That's my 2 cents.

Joe

[dleo6446]

You make a pretty good point Joe but I have seen just as many issues with the FlexCoat. In my opinion one is just as good as the other. I prefer the Perma Gloss because it requires no mixing, takes a few more coats but it dries much quicker and does a bang up job.

[TampaJim]

Permagloss will NOT be smooth like typical two-part thread finishes. As you 'build up' the depth, it will ripple and have the dumbbell effect. If you are looking for a super smooth finish with high gloss, go back to a more traditional finish. Permagloss is a one-part urethane ... while it is thin, hard, flexible, etc. it is not designed for what you are trying to do. The idea behind it is to use just enough to wet out and protect the threads ... ultra thin application.

[Joe Valencic]

You make a pretty good point Joe but I have seen just as many issues with the FlexCoat. In my opinion one is just as good as the other. I prefer the Perma Gloss because it requires no mixing, takes a few more coats but it dries much quicker and does a bang up job.

I know you are a talented and respected rod builder, but after reading TampaJim's comments, would you have any pics showing the final product on a rod using multiple coats of Permagloss to validate your argument? I'd like to see the results in comparison to a single coat of Flex Coat shown here. Wraps were burnished and fuzzies singed with a butane lighter prior to coating being applied.





Thanks,

Joe

[Orthoman]

Thank you all for your suggestions.

I wanted to try the permagloss once and I do like the ease of application -- no mixing and dries quickly rather than a day for each application.

This rod won't be all that bad -- Black thread with gold accent bands --and I'll keep adding permagloss until I am satisfied with the look.

I'll wait and reserve my judgement until I'm finished as to whether I'll use it again or not.

By the way, could flexcoat be added over the permagloss?

Thanks again.

[dleo6446]

Yes you can add flex coat over the top of Perma Gloss but make sure you give it at least 24 hours of full cure to prevent any issues.

[Joe Valencic]

Leo,

That is beautiful finish on the rod and wraps, and I'm sure there were several coats of Permagloss to achieve that look. I guess if you don't mind spending the time applying multiple coats, there's not a lot of difference in the look of the final product between the two finishes. Granted, the rod you are showing has the finish on the blank as well as the wraps, so the look is even more impressive than just coating the wraps. My thought process is that the more coats of finish that are applied, the more opportunity to get contamination in the finish (i.e. ambient airborne dust), which must be dealt with to achieve that perfect look. Not everyone is able to provide a dust free environment when coating their wraps.

Thanks for sharing the picture.

Joe