I'm going to be finishing my first rod soon and am just curious if it's best to do one or two coats of Flex Coat high build? I'm a little confused because the bottle says it can create a high build finish in one coat but the Flex Coat youtube video shows the guy doing one coat and hitting it with some heat and removing the excess and then later doing a second coat. I believe the reason was to ensure that the finish penetrated the threads. I'm building a 7' spinning rod with micro guides using ProWrap Color-fast thread. Do you think doing this rod in one coat will be ok or should I follow a two coat process? If I do two coats, how long in between coats?

Thanks!

Joe

Joe,
If you get good penetration and complete coverage with one coat, then you only need one coat.

However, most folks find that it is easier to get a perfect finish if they use two coats.

The problem is that if you try to get complete coverage with one coat, you can end up with finish that may be too thick in places.

You are really better off to get very good penetration and cover the threads, but perhaps not covered completely for the first coat. Then, after 24 hours do a 2nd coat for the final smooth level finish.

Be safe

I did several rods with flex coat UV high build trying one coat Usually thin and use two thin coats
DID Not like it Any boo boos will come up in the first coat and then a little sanding The secound coat comes out Very Nice

I now go back to two coats of lighter finish Plus a thinner finish IMHO will let bubbles dissipate easier and it flows nicer

Bill - willierods.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/02/2015 03:11PM by bill boettcher.

Most of the rods I do these days are coated in 1+ coats.

By that I mean that I put on one coat, and let the finish sit for about 15 minutes to have it tack a bit. Then, if necessary, I will touch up any guides that need it.

I also do as flex coat illustrates in their videos. i.e. I use a bit of heat when needed to let the finish thin and flow out as needed.

Be safe

It's always 2 coats of reg/hi build or 3 coats of lite build for me.
Rog

Put one your first coat of epoxy and top that coat off with some heat like it shows on YouTube and let the excess epoxy drip off and this should also help with any bubbles in the epoxy. After letting it turn and dry you can put on a second coat if needed but if all is covered and looks good I would not worry to much about doing any more to it.

Glenn McMurrian

Always put at least two thin coats. I guarantee that it will look much better than one.

Lance

Joe,

I use 2 coats of Perma Gloss, let it dry overnight and then apply one coat of ProKote medium build the next day. The wraps come out looking spectacular. I really like using the two coats of Perma Gloss first, as it is thin, penetrates the thread wraps well eliminating any bubbles, requires only one hour drying time between coats, is crystal clear and hard as nails when set up.

Don Campbell
don@sensorfishingrods.com

Use 2 coats and light heat to remove bubbles. Dont sand your wraps like someone suggested above. Dust is a big problem so avoid creating any and make sure the rod and tools are clean. Good luck. MH

As Michael said, avoid creating any dust.

Hence the reason for all of my dirty work like drilling, sanding, or lathe work is done in a different building.

After any sort of work like that, I use high pressure air to blow off all parts, blanks, grips or anything else that is coming back into the rod room.

If you don't create any dust in the rod room, it is easy to keep it pretty dust free.

Also, any time that I am going to be wrapping or doing finish work, I start an in room air filter the day before that work, so that any air borne air will be sucked out of the room air, before doing any wrapping or finish work.

Good finishes really don't go well with any dust in the room.

Be safe

Some of us do not have the room some of you have

Bill - willierods.com

I almost always use 3 coats of high build. I preheat the resins prior to mixing, thinning it with heat. It seems to come out nice and smooth like that.