Flex coat bubbles ?

[basschazerRP]

What is the best way to get bubbles out of Flexcoat after applying it ?

Ive tried getting the bubbles out by working with a brush while the blank is turning.

Ive also tried warming the bubles with a lighter .

Sometimes these methods work and sometimes they don't.

Does anyone have any recommendations on other methods that are effective ?

Thanks

[capesams]

alcohol lamp...bubbles fear it,,builder's love it.

[afterhours]

propane torch, use with care, works great!

[afterhours]

when i say to use with care i mean just quickly pass the tip of low flame back and forth over epoxy , don't hold stationary.

[Bawana]

I have used heat but extreme caution is recommended as to much will boil the coating and cause more problems.I prefer to apply first coat as a thin coating to seal everything up. I usually heat resin part in micowave for 10 sec. Measure and mix with catalyst and pour onto tinfoil. apply light coat and push it up under feet of guide.If you see bubbles you can usually get them to pop by blowing directly on them with coffee stir sticks or a small straw.Just watch for moisture coming from stirer or straw.pouring the mix onto tinfoil usually gets rid of a lot of the bubbles from mixing and slows down the chemical reaction so you have more time to work.second coat usually gets less as you dont have to worry about air trying to escape from under feet.Haave also heard that new coating from aftco gets a lot less of these bubbles and have bought some to try but havent as of yet.

[afterhours]

used aftco epoxy 3 times now. less bubbles, more flexibility( should reduce cracking at guide feet which you see sometimes after a few seasons), it has a longer set time than flexcoat, good stuff.

[Saltheart]

I tried all the finish previously available and I really like Classic coat. I have not tried the aftco yet but will.

Everyone says it takes a long time to cure. Just how long does it take the new aftco before you can apply the next coat?

[afterhours]

with aftco i leave on dryer 8 hrs( might be a bit overkill). only put two coats on one blank, recoated next day without any prep.,came out fine.

[Stroth]

I'm not nearly as good as the guys who've posted here, but here is what I do and I've had all sorts of problems, but bubbling has not been one.

1. AMTAK Epoxy

2. Heat Part A and then measure it into a syringe

3. Repeat with Part B

4. Mix epoxy on an aluminum pie plate. Mix with even strokes for a full minutes (you'll be surprised at how long this is if you time it)

5. Heat with alcohol lamp under pie plate. Not too much, if it starts smoking and you are freebasing epoxy, that's too much

Then do your wraps, and then hit them with the lamp afterwards. Sometimes depending on the rod I'll reheat the epoxy as I'm wrapping.