Alternative to the liquid Clear Cure Goo Hydro at $20,00 a bottle

[whatfly 0]

Loon now makes a thin formula which is quite cost effective. As for tackiness, just hit it with Hard as Nails, and save yourself more than a few bucks.

[Cannonx4 0]

I found some glue the other day that I really like, though it isn't a UV type glue. It's called Glue2go made by Loctite, some of you may have seen it or even recomended it, because I saw it somewhere before I bought it. This glue is super thick, like epoxy, but thicker. It doesn't run when you apply it, it seems to tack up pretty quick. An best thing is no smell. I have been using it on nymphs like the flashback, works great.

[cheech 0]

Loon now makes a thin formula which is quite cost effective. As for tackiness, just hit it with Hard as Nails, and save yourself more than a few bucks.

Loon Flow. The best ultra thin formula without tack. $12 per bottle.

[switch10 0]

 

 

Loon now makes a thin formula which is quite cost effective. As for tackiness, just hit it with Hard as Nails, and save yourself more than a few bucks.

Loon Flow. The best ultra thin formula without tack. $12 per bottle.

I was given a bottle of Flow to try out. It's definitely priced right, but it cures in over twice the time it takes to cure silvercreeks resin. Silvercreeks is only $3 more than Flow.

[cheech 0]

 

 

Loon now makes a thin formula which is quite cost effective. As for tackiness, just hit it with Hard as Nails, and save yourself more than a few bucks.

Loon Flow. The best ultra thin formula without tack. $12 per bottle.

I was given a bottle of Flow to try out. It's definitely priced right, but it cures in over twice the time it takes to cure silvercreeks resin. Silvercreeks is only $3 more than Flow.

 

What light are you using? I like the silver creek stuff, but it heats up a LOT during curing, and is one of the more brittle UV resins I have used.

[heavynets 0]

The cure time / tackiness can have a lot to do with the newness of the batteries and the distance the light is held from the fly as well as duration of the light.

[cheech 0]

The cure time / tackiness can have a lot to do with the newness of the batteries and the distance the light is held from the fly as well as duration of the light.

Cure time yes, but not necessarily the tackiness.

[Harold Ray 0]

The cure time / tackiness can have a lot to do with the newness of the batteries and the distance the light is held from the fly as well as duration of the light.

That is true; but tackiness just isn't an enjoyable thing. I like dry with zero tackiness. I have used Sally Hansen's for years. It's nail polish but it works. I like a heavier duty cover for some things like poppers. I've used epoxy in the past and some of the other resins, but I haven't used a paint-on, thin resin, and that is what I am going to try now. Sounds like the best of two worlds.

[cheech 0]

 

The cure time / tackiness can have a lot to do with the newness of the batteries and the distance the light is held from the fly as well as duration of the light.

That is true; but tackiness just isn't an enjoyable thing. I like dry with zero tackiness. I have used Sally Hansen's for years. It's nail polish but it works. I like a heavier duty cover for some things like poppers. I've used epoxy in the past and some of the other resins, but I haven't used a paint-on, thin resin, and that is what I am going to try now. Sounds like the best of two worlds.

 

Yep. It really is good stuff. Two things you can do to get rid of the tack. 1- wipe it with rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer after curing. 2- apply a thin layer of hard as nails to the tacky resin. Both work exceptionally well. Sally Hansens is great stuff, but if you want to build up a head or a 3D epoxy back etc, it doesn't really apply.

[salmobytes 0]

As others have pointed out there are numerous alternatives. Loon UV Knot Sense is cheap enough. UV glues do not generally bond as strongly as epoxies or CA glues. But usually bond well enough for fly tying. They are convenient. Tacky when finished? If you used the UV/LED light long enough that tacky finish is probably a surface "blush" or waxy precipitate that will wash off (in the dishpan or in the river).

 

Here a zillion more links:

http://www.globalspec.com/search/products?page=ms#comp=3894&show=suppliers

[SilverCreek 0]

 

What light are you using? I like the silver creek stuff, but it heats up a LOT during curing, and is one of the more brittle UV resins I have used.

 

 

 

 

Hold the light farther away and it will not cure as fast and not heat up as fast.

 

The UV resins cure by exothermic reaction so they create heat. A thick resin will trap more heat so it has to be formulated to cure slow. My resin is formulated to cure extremely fast and it is still able to cure tack free with weaker UV lights or weaker batteries. The cure rate and heat production is controlled by how far you hold the light from the fly.

 

My choice was to allow the fly tyer the option of controlling the cure rate with a fast cure formulation.

[jor fly 0]

I use Loon UV thick and cover it with a thin coat of Loon hard head clear after curing to remove the tackiness. Having said that, I intend to invest in Silver Creek's product once my supply of Loon product is dry.

[cheech 0]

 

 

What light are you using? I like the silver creek stuff, but it heats up a LOT during curing, and is one of the more brittle UV resins I have used.

 

 

 

 

Hold the light farther away and it will not cure as fast and not heat up as fast.

 

The UV resins cure by exothermic reaction so they create heat. A thick resin will trap more heat so it has to be formulated to cure slow. My resin is formulated to cure extremely fast and it is still able to cure tack free with weaker UV lights or weaker batteries. The cure rate and heat production is controlled by how far you hold the light from the fly.

 

My choice was to allow the fly tyer the option of controlling the cure rate with a fast cure formulation.

 

True... but Loon flow cures just as fast as the silver creek stuff without tack or heat. Hydro heats up quite a bit too.

 

I have never had an instance in tying where I wished the resin would cure more slowly. I want an instant zap to set up the resin.

[switch10 0]

 

 

 

What light are you using? I like the silver creek stuff, but it heats up a LOT during curing, and is one of the more brittle UV resins I have used.

 

 

 

 

Hold the light farther away and it will not cure as fast and not heat up as fast.

 

The UV resins cure by exothermic reaction so they create heat. A thick resin will trap more heat so it has to be formulated to cure slow. My resin is formulated to cure extremely fast and it is still able to cure tack free with weaker UV lights or weaker batteries. The cure rate and heat production is controlled by how far you hold the light from the fly.

 

My choice was to allow the fly tyer the option of controlling the cure rate with a fast cure formulation.

 

True... but Loon flow cures just as fast as the silver creek stuff without tack or heat. Hydro heats up quite a bit too.

 

I have never had an instance in tying where I wished the resin would cure more slowly. I want an instant zap to set up the resin.

 

I'm using the same little cheapy UV flashlight that I use with Silvercreeks stuff, and Loon's Flow cures slower for me. Several seconds and Flow has a bit of a tack still, Silvercreeks doesn't. I haven't noticed any brittleness at all. I coat 100% of my midges with it, and have caught many fish on the same midges over the past 8 months or so...

 

The shop I work in sells Flow, and since it's too complicated to direct regular customers to Silvercreeks stuff, I usually recommend people use Flow. It is a close second in my opinion.

[heavynets 0]

I have heard that different UV epoxies require a specific frequency range of UV light to properly harden them. I don't know if that's true, but could that account for some of the differences in results from the same product?