High Build vs. Lite

[Mot's Sr.]

OK, I've got to ask you rod builders, what's the difference between the High and the Lite ??? I just flexcoated some freshwater spinning rods with the Lite Build and had much better results with the Lite Build than the High build flex coat. Seems to flow a lot better in my opinion, I don't have much experience with either, so I would like some opiniions on this subject.

[Mstonefish]

and lite build for freshwater is what P-bod and the guys at squidco told me.
Probably has to do with the amount of flex and stress put on the different types of sticks? Nate and John probably know for sure

[Mot's Sr.]

Hey Mark, whats going on with your saw ???

[el Toro]

The name pretty much says it all. Mark is right. The HB is for heavier rods where you want a thicker coat for greater strength and abrasion resistance. The LB is for lighter rods with small guides and where weight is a consideration. For this reason HB is usually used for salt and LB for fresh. LB flows easier because of its thinner consistency. I agree it is easier to work with. For this same reason I like to use U40 LS Supreme finish. It flows about like the Lite Build but it sets up just as thick as the High Build. It is also crystal clear, a bit more flexible, and virtually bubble free -- so much so that you dont even need to heat the finish to get the bubbles out. Personally, I think it is the cat's meow. I know John has a different opinion but I like Fords and he probably likes Chevy's. Opinions among rod builders are like assholes... you know the rest.

[MR Limpet]

well Gary, if the lite is easier for you to use ,and if you dont mind giving it an extra coat ,then that is the way to go , its pretty much like Nate said , so did you get your other truline wrapped up ? and did Greg get his rod started or even done ?

[Mot's Sr.]

Nate, where do you get the U 40 LS ?? I am doing a Salt Water rod right now and am ready to flex coat it, I havn't had much luck with the High Build stuff, to many bubbles and not a good finish. (In my opinion) I would like something easier and better.

[el Toro]

Gary, you can get the U40 LS Supreme from www.badfish.com or www.mudhole.com. Badfish will probably ship it to you faster. Unfortunately no local stores sell it. The key to using it is to use thin coats. The first one should just be enough to saturate the threads. Since you do not use heat to pop the bubbles the coats must be thin enough so the bubbles can dissapate on their own. Usually takes three coats but I like the end result much better than flex coat. I know Louis at Badfish has switched to it and wraps all his customer's rods with it. Follow the directions. Its similar to Flexcoat. Measure out equal amounts, mix it in a cup, then pour it out into a clean aluminum pie plate (or folded up piece of aluminum foil) to allow most of the bubbles to dissapate. Then paint it on in thin coats. If you do get any bubbles on the guide finish, they sould dissapate on their own or can be encouraged to pop by blowing on them with a drinking straw. Pay close attention to the area around the guide feet. THIN COATS. Again, if you can stand the patience required to apply a couple more coats than you would with flex coat, you might be very pleased. I like it better and think it is easier to use for us non professionals. I actually like the finish long term better too. It doesn't yellow and seems to resist cracking at the guide feet better than the Flex Coat. Again, all of this is personal opinion and you may disagree. But buy some small bottles and you might agree with me.

[Mot's Sr.]

Dude, thanks for all the info. Ive got the time and I can do the extra coats becuse I want it to turn out nice. I have been buying some stuff from MudHole for my spinning rod stuff. I got some cork reamers from them and they work great. Thaks again Nate. Much appreciated. I'm going to give it a try, and I'll let you know how it turns out.

[Fishslayer]

I started using the Flex-Cote Lite last year on both light & heavy sticks & haven't looked back.

Flex-Cote Lite. Thin, user friendly bubblewise, longer pot life than Hi Build. The down side? Yer gonna need more coats. But I've always preferred multiple thin coats anyway, & since I'm just a hobbyist I don't have to sweat customer deadlines.

LS Supreme is a great product but I've found it kinda thick. I use it when I want a blazing gloss finish. Decent pot life & almost zero bubbles. Which is good since I've found the LS Supreme to be kinda incompatable with heat once it's on the rod. For some reason it likes to set up almost immediately if ya apply heat after it's on the rod. Not a big deal since it's virtually bubble-free anyway. VERY easy to use once yer used to it. If it was as thin as FC Lite I wouldn't use anything else.

With both products I like to heat the Resin portion in the microwave 5 seconds at a time till just thin, NOT hot. Pot life decreases with heat, both in the product and in your work area.

Edit: AFTCO has a finish out called Aftcote. They claim (naturally ) that it has all the good qualities & none of the bad. Some of the pros are testing & will probly report when they have enough info.

Fishslayer

[Mot's Sr.]

Thanks for the info everybody, its appreciated

[Billy 40]

Originally Posted by Fishslayer

AFTCO has a finish out called Aftcote. They claim (naturally ) that it has all the good qualities & none of the bad. Some of the pros are testing & will probly report when they have enough info.Fishslayer

I've been using it since September, and it is the only finish I will use on overwraps.

I never used FC, but one thing I'd like to mention is with teh Hi build, you can use it on lighter rods, you just apply it lighter. You don't HAVE TO make it a one coat finish.

I have a friend who uses FC Hi on his surf rods, and applies 2 or 3 coats to each guide. He also uses it on his butt wraps, which come out like glass. No bubbles, thatnks to teh Propane torch he uses to warm the finish.

Not that anyone asked: I use Glass Coat on my underwraps and butt wraps, and Aftcote on guide wraps. I tried Supreme, Classic, I have Amtak Hi & Lo, Pac Bay - but I don't need any of them because I'm happy with what I am using.

Find a finish that gives YOU the results you want, learn it, and stick with it. If you get a perfect finish using FC Hi build over Crystal Coat - fuck everyone, stick with that.

[el Toro]

Well said Billy, use what works for you.