30 minute epoxy

[the.atmos 0]

Has anybody used that "Softex"?

Does it work as advertised?

Yes it does, sir.

Apply outside or in a garage, though.

Are you thinking of using it for a certain application?

[mikechell 0]

Just the one mentioned ... to make a body on a surf candy type fly.

I've really been looking at that type fly, and keep putting it off because I have neither a rotating machine, nor a UV system. The Softex might be the answer.

[the.atmos 0]

Give it a shot. It's not advertised as epoxy or a resin. It's most akin to the glue sticks you put into a hot glue gun... but if they were in liquid form. They come out feeling that way too; it's softer than a resin but it shines. Works great on balsa and foam poppers too.

[Al Beatty 0]

Hi group,

 

Clear Cure Goo is our favorite but it is farily expensive. It sets up under a UV light. Take care & ...

[FlaFly 0]

I bought some Loctite Go2 Glue today and covered a head with bead chain eyes with it. It did indeed dry very shiny and clear. $5.99 at Ace Hardware.

[add147 0]

I bought some Loctite Go2 Glue today and covered a head with bead chain eyes with it. It did indeed dry very shiny and clear. $5.99 at Ace Hardware.

I have heard a lot about on the Loctite Go2 stuff. I just went ahead and used my Silver Creek UV on my Clouser Minnows. I thought maybe the 30 minute epoxy would make a larger head but I don't have a turner yet and it is sort of a pain to use 30 minute epoxy. I will have to get me some of that Loctite and give it a try for sure.

[fshng2 0]

What Buzfly said.

Tips:

1. 30 min vs 5 min will give more open time. You will be able to coat several flies before epoxy gets too thick.

Can also mix in a few drops of of alcohol to thin for even more time.

2. Put on thin coat will produce less bubbles.

3. Drying wheel or rotisserie is a must for no sag or uniform thickness.

4. I always use Devcon 30 min and my local hardware store carries it.

 

Good luck.

[FlaFly 0]

I've use my tube of Loctite Go2 on several flies. I would suggest (from my brief experience) don't use it as a head cement ... i.e. to secure the tying thread. Dab a bit of super glue on the head first, then cover with Go2. And don't put Go2 on too thick. If you do, you'll need to turn the fly for a couple of minutes because it is fluid enough to literally drip off the head if you do it too thick. Best to use a small amount at a time. But it really does dry clear!

[Stippled Popper 0]

What Buzfly said.

Tips:

1. 30 min vs 5 min will give more open time. You will be able to coat several flies before epoxy gets too thick.

Can also mix in a few drops of of alcohol to thin for even more time.

2. Put on thin coat will produce less bubbles.

3. Drying wheel or rotisserie is a must for no sag or uniform thickness.

4. I always use Devcon 30 min and my local hardware store carries it.

 

Good luck.

 

 

If you want to increase the effective working time of your 30 minute epoxy, keeping it cold works very well. Being cold will make it briefly cold when you remove it from what is containing it. But it quickly warms up and becomes workable. Doing this has more than doubled my working time. No need to add anything to the epoxy via this method.

[ihang10 0]

I've use my tube of Loctite Go2 on several flies. I would suggest (from my brief experience) don't use it as a head cement ... i.e. to secure the tying thread. Dab a bit of super glue on the head first, then cover with Go2. And don't put Go2 on too thick. If you do, you'll need to turn the fly for a couple of minutes because it is fluid enough to literally drip off the head if you do it too thick. Best to use a small amount at a time. But it really does dry clear!

Might have been your post previously here, or someone else's, but I've been using g2go recently and I like it more and more every time.

[fshng2 0]

 

What Buzfly said.

Tips:

1. 30 min vs 5 min will give more open time. You will be able to coat several flies before epoxy gets too thick.

Can also mix in a few drops of of alcohol to thin for even more time.

2. Put on thin coat will produce less bubbles.

3. Drying wheel or rotisserie is a must for no sag or uniform thickness.

4. I always use Devcon 30 min and my local hardware store carries it.

Good luck.

 

 

If you want to increase the effective working time of your 30 minute epoxy, keeping it cold works very well. Being cold will make it briefly cold when you remove it from what is containing it. But it quickly warms up and becomes workable. Doing this has more than doubled my working time. No need to add anything to the epoxy via this method.

Thanks for the tip, makes sense. I will definitely give this a try next time I epoxy.

[josephcsylvia 0]

Just the one mentioned ... to make a body on a surf candy type fly.

I've really been looking at that type fly, and keep putting it off because I have neither a rotating machine, nor a UV system. The Softex might be the answer.

hey mike, go to a thrift store and buy a cheap microwave, take the motor out that turns the table and mount it to a board put a round piece of foam on it and you have a perfect fly turner for under $10 I have one been using it for a while now works great

[Dave G. 0]

I'm retired, it's not like I'm in any rush. I just hand rotate my vise for 3 or 4 minutes or so. Even Sally Hansens when put on way too thick comes out even in about that time ( that's long enough that it doesn't sag). Not that you can use Sally Hansens for this purpose, just saying, sometimes I get carried away.

[tidewaterfly 0]

I sometimes use SH to coat some Clouser heads & even small eel patterns instead of epoxy. It requires several coats to get it where it has the same appearance, and it's still not as durable, but as far as fishing them, makes no difference. Epoxy might add more weight, but I've yet to find that to be an issue either.

 

I have two power rotators, made with gear drive motors. They'll each handle 25 flies or even jigs. Not cheap, but I've been using them for many years & they're still going strong. They were built back when I was tying commercially, and I've dried hundreds of flies on them.

 

If you're not in hurry, and are only doing a fly at a time, rotating epoxy by hand is fine. As I stated in a previous post, I tend to coat them in batches, so a power rotator is what you want if doing a lot of flies at once.