Popper Bodies From Cabelas (Hard Foam)

[famill00 0]

So, I bought some of these, and matching popper hooks, but I can't seem to get them to stick to the hook. I think the zap a gap and head cement both eat away at the hard foam. Anyone else have trouble with these? It is about to drive me nuts!

 

-Forrest

[Fred H. 0]

So, I bought some of these, and matching popper hooks, but I can't seem to get them to stick to the hook. I think the zap a gap and head cement both eat away at the hard foam. Anyone else have trouble with these? It is about to drive me nuts!

 

-Forrest

The glues you are using are having a chemical reaction with the hard foam. Try using a two part epoxy such as devcon 5 minute or quickset . Lay down a good thread layer on the hook first. Quickset and five minute are not recomended to coat the popper though as they will yellow over time. Yopu can use 60 min. epoxy which will give you a nice clear lasting finish.

[gpd4 0]

Or hit up any local hobby shop for "foam safe" CA glue.

[bluegill576 0]

I use 5 min Z-Epoxy to fill the gap. I have never had problems with the hook and foam coming apart so I guess it works well.

[Stippled Popper 0]

I use Loctite Super glue Gel. It has been years since I've noticed a CA product turn soft or melt hard foam and it was the more liquid CA. However, when it did

happen, the problem solved itself if I left the hook stuck in a piece of foam situated with the slot on the bottom for several days. I generally let the superglue

head sit for a couple of days in any case, which I can afford to do because I've a number in different stages of completion at any point in time.

 

Using five minute epoxy is probably fine for seating hooks but is going to waste epoxy unless you are efficient at doing a number of heads to cement and can

do it very fast. But five minute epoxy is a lousy choice for a finish clear coat.

 

Fred's point about a thread wrap is a good one. I'll even use something as small as Danville Spiderweb to achieve a nice snug fit. . . whatever it takes. If you

apply the cement first, it acts as a lubricant and will permit an easier fit and adjustment if needed.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

I use either the Harbor Freight CA gel or BSI Foam Safe CA, which is thicker than the regular CA formulas. I wonder if the thinner CA formulas have some type of solvents that eat the foam. I've had mixed results using the regular viscosity Zap-a-Gap on the styrofoam Comel floats that I use for poppers. Haven't tried the regular formula on the Perfect Popper bodies.

If I'm using a kink shank hook, I wrap thread as stated above only as a spacer to make the hook fit tighter but often that isn't needed. However, when I use a straight shank hook, I use the thread to help bind things together.

 

Kirk

[poksal 0]

I use Super Glue Control Gel (gray blue and red bottle) It is fast (but not too fast) and does the job.

[onceahoosier 0]

I just use Flexament and have had no problems with the Cabelas bodies. Slightly off subject, if you're using pre-formed bodies to make poppers, try the soft foam variety like Rainy's Pee Wee pops. Personally, I like them more than the hard foam stuff.

 

Tom