Head Cement

[FlatsRoamer 0]

Hey guys, anyone know of a head cement that does NOT dry up or get all gooey after a while. No luck with loon hard head and zap a gap

 

Please if you have any answers then share

Flats

 

*if that even exists*

[Bimini15 0]

Have you ever tried Sally Hansens Hard as Nails, from the nail lacquer section at CVS?

How long is "a while"?

[FlatsRoamer 0]

No, does it dry up or get all gooey after after a while ?

[Bimini15 0]

It is a clear coat for ladies nails that doubles as a head cement about as good as they get. It does last a long time before it thickens a little bit. But it is super cheap so no big deal.

 

Look for the recent thread on head cement thinners. Lots of info that applies to your question as well.

[phg 0]

Any head cement is going to thicken, in time, and become unusable. Those that use highly volatile drying agents, such as Sally Hanson's or Loon, with dry out sooner. For a number of years, now, I have been using Fly-Tite head cement. It uses alcohol as the drying agent, and seems to hold up well, both in use and in the bottle. I've been using the same 2oz bottle for nearly 10 years. I have had to thin it, once, to restore the viscosity, but it still works fine.

 

To prolong the life of your head cement, though, be sure to cover the bottle between uses. Also, consider using a dispenser bottle such as this:

https://www.feather-craft.com/wecs.php?store=feacraft&action=display&target=TZ008

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Here's the routine I've followed for years (when I'm not using Flex-Coat, a two part rodbuilder's finish). All of my flies get a sparse coat of Krazy Glue to seal and harden the thread (see pic...) then, after that dries a thin coat of Sally Hansen. The super glue is dry in five minutes, the Sally Hansen's clear nail polish in about 15 minutes - works great...

 

As already noted any solvent based finish will dry out over time and become thick and not very usable.... Whenever that happens I hang on to the old finish, buy a new bottle - then decant half of it into the old finish, re-sealing that new bottle carefully so it will last a long time. After adding the new finish into the old bottle I shake vigorously and allow it to stand for a few minutes then it's ready to go. The new finish acts as a thinner, restoring the old bottle and the brand new finish (half a bottle) will still be waiting for when the old finish begins to thicken... Repeat the mixing a second time and you're back in business again.

 

This was a routine I learned when tying dozens and dozens of bonefish and other small bugs for shops. It works like a charm, is very cost effective and pretty user friendly...

[Bimini15 0]

I have a 10 year old bottle of Fly-Tite myself with just a little bit left in it and it is true that it has only thickened slightly in the bottle. The applicator nozzle on the smaller bottles I had for everyday use developed some rust after not using them for years and contaminated the glue. Plus the glue thickened a lot more in the applicator bottles. But I would buy again if I did not have other cements already.

[stabgnid 0]

Flats

Sally Hanson's Hard as Nails (SHHAN) is the way to go .. I mix mine with 100% acetone to thin it out right at the beginning and if it gets thick just add acetone shake it well your ready to go ,,

Steve-stabgnid

[Brodrash 0]

Flats, I talked my wife into letting me use her UV fingernail kit. I save a lot of my flies and then cure them in batches. If anyone in your family has one, ask to borrow it and replace whatever you use of their polish, but it may take more than that to convince them, to sway my wife it took a weeks worth of dishes LOL.

 

Good Luck,

 

Brody

[Poopdeck 0]

Or you can try not leaving the lid off. Mine lasts for at least a year.

[AZWoolybugger 0]

I use Sally's HAN or Fly-Tite. I think all of the lacquer types thicken over time once opened and will need thinning eventually.

 

FLY-TITE® Fly Tying Cement (Head Cement)

This innovative non-toxic cement is made of all natural ingredients. Dries clear and flexible and can be diluted with denatured alcohol.

 

 

http://flyrite.co/gear.htm

[Brodrash 0]

Poopdeck has a point my father and law gave me a bottle that is still super thin and not gooey at all and it came from the early 90's at least. A little extra care when storing could go along way.

[Dave G. 0]

Use Sally Hansen Hard as Nails and put the cap on tight between applications. Not just between tying sessions but each and every application to a fly and between each and every fly. It will last a long time . I do as stabnig said as well, thin it with 100% pure acetone if it starts to thicken up ( to be really correct you should use finger nail polish thinner to which acetone is but one ingredient in that). I have a bottle now that is over a year old, I thinned it this spring with a few drops of acetone. At the rate I'm tying it will last till next spring when I'll get a new bottle. I think it costs $1.49 at the local Stop and Shop store or about $2 at the CVS drugstore and comes with a brush applicator that I may or may not use depending on the fly.. I also have Rumph head cement, I thinned that with acetone last year, that bottle is at least 10 years old and that was the first thinning at least that I recall. I use that one to dip a needle into and apply using the needle. But it has nothing to do with the product that it's ten years old, it has to do with keeping the cap on tight between applications and re-thinning it as needed ! You can rejuvenate your existing bottles of head cement with some nail polish thinner or pure acetone. Not the super glue though.

 

Super glue will last at least three times longer before the bottle dries up on you if you store it in the refrigerator between uses.

[vicente 0]

Flats the Loon stuff is water based you can just add some water to it and stir it around and it will thin back out, might want to use distilled water from a bottle if your tap water has minerals in it.

[vicente 0]

Oh the locktight super glue dispenser bottles work great I've emptied out two of them just tying before the glue got hard.