Abstract: A bubble stripping and coating apparatus for stripping entrained gas from the surface of a fiber, then coating the fiber with a coating material having a bubble stripping and coater body and a die assembly. The bubble stripping and coater body has a bubble stripping gas entrance for providing a bubble stripping argon gas to a bubble stripping gas chamber for stripping entrained gas from the fiber and having a die assembly bore. The die assembly is arranged in the die assembly bore, and has a guide die having a lower guide die opening with a diameter of less than 0.016 inches.