I've just tried Thread Master Lite epoxy finish for the first time and it seems to be taking a long time to cure all the way.It's been three days and it still is not as hard as it should be. I measured and mixed the same exact way I always do with Flex Coat products and have never had an issue. Does anyone know if Thread Master Lite just takes a longer time to cure?
Thanks

From my experience Threadmaster lite has the shortest cure time of any epoxy I have used. I keep the ambient temp of my room at 70 degrees and the epoxy does exactly what it says it will at that temperature. I am able to stop my dryer after 1 hour, re-coat after 4 hours, and fully cured in 8-12. I use flex coat 3cc syringes to measure around .5 CC for each pot.

Perhaps you got a bug somewhere along the process, silicone introduction, or some sort of oil from your skin.

Either way, if it is not hard after 3 days, it is probably not going to get hard. Better off to re-coat.

I don't want to be disagreeable, but I believe the specs on TML are recoat in 12 hours and cured in 24-36. I've found threadmaster to be somewhat temperature tempramental (Spiro Agnew eat your heart out). Below 70 degrees it can be slow to cure. Others have had better luck getting it to cure at 65-68. It's supposed to be less fussy than Flex Cote about slight mixing errors.
Gnossos

I'm in upstate NY and the temperature has not been above 70 since I applied the finish. I keep the heat in my house around 69 and it is colder in my basement where I do my work. Thanks for all the quick responses. Please keep them coming if you have anything to constructive to add. This forum is great.

funny you mention that Gnossos, I have ran into both of our assumptions.

http://www.donartrods.com/miva/merchant.mv...egory_Code=LTRB

Here is a link that states 1.5 hour spin time and 4 hour re-coat

http://www.mudhole.com/ThreadMaster-Lite-Build-Rod-Finish

Mudhole says exactly what you did....

Im wondering if maybe Threadmaster changed chemistry when it began starting to get manufactured by rod-dancer? Anybody else have any input? I know using the first method I have never had any curing issues fisheyes etc.

That's what I think happened. I use to be a Lamar dealer and after Andy sold the company to Scott I started hearing some people asking if the product formula had changed because some guys were noticing a difference in it. I Don't know for sure if he did change it or not but I ended up going to Diamond II finish which acts just like the original formula TM that I was use too.

Steve

I think I'm gonna give it one more day and if I don't see an improvement I'll recoat. Any opinions on using Flex Coat on top of the Thread Master?

Interesting Steve.

The stuff that I have is from Lamar still. I see more and more people using the Diamond II, maybe have to give it a shot sometime...what do u like/don't like about it?. I like threadmaster for small fly rods, but for spinning rods I have stuck with Flex Coat because I get better results in 2 coats then I do with TM lite.

LLR- There's virtually no difference between Diamond II and Threadmaster original formula far as usage. Diamond self levels just as good if not better than TM and I think it has a slightly better pot life as well.

pung35- you will be fine using FC over TM. I've had times when I was low on one brand of finish and had to use another brand over top and never had any issues.

Steve

I have switched from Thredmaster to Diamond ll. It is Gin clear and almost no bubbles,self levels and cures great. I don't see any reason to try anything else since sylvia came out with ll.Try it
paul

When you say Daimond II is just like the orginal TM are you taliking about TM High build or TM lite?

I just got an order of TM (regular, high build) in by rod-dancer, and I have finished one rod with it so far, and it was flawless. I did keep my room at 70 or above the whole time though, and I was thoroughly impressed. I just made the switch from Flex-Coat and AmTak's finish. I was not super unhappy with those, but the leveling effect of the TM was much better. Just my two cents though...

High Build. But if you heat the bottles it will thin down to about the consistency of lite.

Thanks Steve, that is what I thought. I like to do two coats of finish on most rods. My fly and light spins I do two of lite and the rest I do one lite and one high build. I have been wanting to try the D2 just been waiting for this last bottle of TM original to be finished but I keep hearing such good things about it I might have to get some sooner. I like the TM high build but I like the sounds of longer pot life. I like the pot life on the TM lite and can do a 10' fly first coat with out it getting too thick, the high build I have to do it in sections.

Hopefully the day was spent at a slightly warmer temp.