Pro Kote

[jangles]

I used this stuff on my first build and so far it has not hardened . I have heard of others having this problem (after the fact) . How do I fix this ? I have tried setting it outside 110 temp to no avail . Any ideas I'm going to like ! TIA

 

[nevadanstig]

I used this stuff on my first build and so far it has not hardened . I have heard of others having this problem (after the fact) . How do I fix this ? I have tried setting it outside 110 temp to no avail . Any ideas I'm going to like ! TIA

How long has it been and how long did you mix it?
The last thing you should do is set in in temperatures that are 110, that will definitely make it take longer to cure, if not ruin it. Prokote likes to cure at about 74-75 degrees. It needs to be kept around there the entire time.
Prokote does take longer than most. 24 hours till it can be handled or second coat. 5 days till full cure.
It also likes to be mixed for a bit longer than others. I like to mix mine for 5 minutes.

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[jangles]

Hi and thanks for the reply . I mixed it about three minutes like it days on the bottles . It's been about 3 days since I finished it and it's still not set , hard anyway . Thx again .

 

[bish0p]

ProKote is designed not to cure hard. I didn't like the final hardness of ProKote, so I switched to Threadmaster Lite. TM Lite's pot life it not as long as ProKote, but when it dries it's almost as hard as regular TM.

 

[swcr]

One of the prime reasons I will not use ProCote. It is one of the softest finishes I have found on the market

 

[jangles]

ProKote is designed not to cure hard. I didn't like the final hardness of ProKote, so I switched to Threadmaster Lite. TM Lite's pot life it not as long as ProKote, but when it dries it's almost as hard as regular TM.

One of the prime reasons I will not use ProCote. It is one of the softest finishes I have found on the market

Well I don't like it and that's what Mudhole recommended . It also turned my Tiger wraps almost black so here's what I think I will do . I'm going to wait 7 more days and then I'm going to wrap over the top of it and finish it with Thread Master Lite . Hopefully it will work if not, at least I tried something .Thanks for your replies .

 

[nevadanstig]

Well I don't like it and that's what Mudhole recommended . It also turned my Tiger wraps almost black so here's what I think I will do . I'm going to wait 7 more days and then I'm going to wrap over the top of it and finish it with Thread Master Lite . Hopefully it will work if not, at least I tried something .Thanks for your replies .

If your wraps got real dark, you probably missed some thing in the CP process.
What type of CP did you use?

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[swcr]

All finishes will darken the thread when it is not colorfast or NCP type

 

[flav]

Are you saying it cured but It's softer than you'd like, or that it never cured and is still sticky? If it hasnt cured by now i don't think it ever will. In either case I'd strip off the thread and finish and do it all over again. It's not too hard to do, just use a little heat (hair dryer on low), carefully cut the thread over the guide feet, then unravel the thread and the softened epoxy will come with it. Any epoxy still stuck to the rod can be scraped off with heat and a fingernail or I use a bamboo shish-kabob stick and then I wipe down the blank with alcohol and re wrap. I just stripped down and rewrapped a rod I built a few years ago because the finish footballed too much for me. It took several hours to strip and re wrap, but now I'm satisfied with the results.

 

[mudholetaylor]

did you make sure to mix exactly half and half? I had an issue with epoxy hardening on my first build and turns out it was a mixing issue.

 

[jangles]

Thanks guys for your replies . The stuff actually seems to have set up now . I will use something else on my next build . Thx again . Ron

 

[Lewis Chessman]

I had a similar issue with some Flex Coat Lite I used - it remained tacky. I suspect I got the proportions slightly wrong and, mixing small amounts, small differences really matter!

It was suggested to me on the UKFFF that I try a fine coat of hardener alone to see if that would cure the tacky surface. However, I wanted the practice so just took a razor to it and started over, getting the mix correct 2nd time! I'm now very happy with the result and feel it was well worth going back to scratch. The 'hardener method' may work though, I don't know.

Do be careful with the hair drier. I overdid it with a heat gun last week and snapped a top section 4" from the tip. You live and learn, hey?
I've since seen a vid on YT where a chap just warmed the old epoxy with a ciggy lighter and I'll try this myself next time as the heat can be better localised to where it's wanted. I am a beginner at building though, so stand ready to be corrected.

 

[flav]

I wouldn't use a lighter or a heat gun, both are way too hot. All you need is a hair dryer set on low. That way you can slowly warm the hardened epoxy all the way through, and not worry about damaging the blank. You may have to reheat the epoxy on each wrap a few times to get it all off, but going slow and easy gives you better results.