Standards Change

Over time, standards change. Even within my own rod building lifetime I have seen the standard thread wrap coating change from varnish, to lacquer to epoxy. Each new standard has offered certain advantages over the previous one. Most of these advancements, however, have come at the cost of a loss of some amount of user-friendliness.

Varnish was easy to apply. It required several coats in order to provide adequate protection for the thread. At some point, usually several seasons of use, it would begin to crack and peel and require recoating. The advent of 2-part epoxies effectively eliminated most cracking and peeling, and rarely if ever required recoating. If there has been any such thing as a permanent thread wrap coating, epoxy has been it. As easy as it is to apply epoxy, some builders continue to struggle with it. More than a few have wished for a single part product which would be easy and foolproof as varnish to apply, but with the long term durability of epoxy. And… they’d like to see a product which didn’t contain the harsh solvents that most urethanes generally do.

The product they wish for is now on the near horizon. I believe it will again change the standard in thread finishing products. Born out of the furniture industry which has been pushed for safer and friendlier coatings, the prototype is said to provide the same depth as most common high-build epoxies in just two coats. However, it’s clearer than any epoxy and can be thinned and cleaned up with nothing more than water. Long term durability is said to be as good as most solvent based urethanes, which have long excelled in that area.

This new product will debut at the 2011 International Custom Rod Building Exposition on February 26 & 27.  Those who are there may one day remark that they personally witnessed the standard thread wrap coating of the day changed to something different… and better.

Tom Kirkman

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