After I apply my flexcoat color preserver it doesn't dry clear. There is always a milky appearance (it is very noticeable on a darker thread and looks terrible on black). What am I doing wrong? I have two bottles - one recently purchase and an older bottle. They both do the same.

You may be applying too much, or your CP may be a bit too thick.

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

Out of curiosity, why do you apply color preserver to your wraps?

Different folks have different reasons and I was wondering what your reason was to apply color preserver.

Be safe

Went to a NOCP thread and have had great results and eliminated the need for CP altogether.. I also didn't like using CP on guides

The only reason to apply CP is to prevent the color of the thread from becoming dark. If you like the color of the thread you use for your wraps, the only way to retain those colors is to apply CP, The CP is not used to prevent damage to the thread wraps. The finish is applied to protect the wraps. If you like he dark color when CP is not used, then there is no reason to apply CP.

Since I made my first rod in 1959, I have applied CP on all of my rods except one. I built one rod with NCP thread for a rod building class and hated the appearance. The final color of the rod you built will depend what you like your rod to look like when it is finished.

Mike Blomme

I used a plain sky blue thread (it was a bright sky blue) to weave a name on a rod. The wrap was black. The NCP blue's didn't suit me. Did a test on the blue thread to see if it would become transparent or not and it did. So the reason I used a CP is I wanted to see the name in color I wove it in.

Thanks Tom for you input.

Kerry,
Perfect reason.

I generally like to make the thread invisible or to have the main thread wraps blend into the color of the blank. So, I seldom use either NCP thread or color preserver. If a client wants a particular look that I can only get by using NCP or color preserver, I will use it.

Take care

Thin out the flexcoat CP it is too thick right out of the bottle
Try adding a little Distilled Water Experiment on scrap Maybe 10 percent Put on 2 - 3 wet coats while turning

Bill - willierods.com

I used to have lots of CP problems too. I now do what Bill suggests. I thin the CP 50/50 with water, but I apply 5-6 coats. This also completely saturates the thread. When it looks glossy, the epoxy covers evenly with no fisheyes. I spend a lot of time on my decorative wraps, I don't mind taking extra time with CP to ensure the colors stay true.

Guess it's personal preference but I have liked my results with the Fuji NCP, colors have seemed to stay the same for the most part. But have used mainly dark colors.

jay
Try on a piece of scrap NCP thread no cp and regular nylon with cp coat with epoxy
You may change your mind The regular has a nicer look to it IMHO

Bill - willierods.com

I use Flex Coat CP exclusively (two coats always, not one, not three) and have no problems with anything. Did you stir it? Was it damaged by freezing, possibly in shipment?

Flex Coat CP is a little thicker than I prefer, and usually had to wipe off excess after letting it soak in a minute. For sealing threads I switched to Chromaseal which is thinner and I find that to be more user friendly for me. I always let CP dry overnight before applying epoxy.
However, Chromaseal doesn't have the same adhesive properties as FlexCoat. Chromaseal runs off decals so I still use FlexCoat over decals and for gluing down feathers.

John Shear
Chippewa Falls, WI

A little water and it can be thinner

Bill - willierods.com