Cement question

[Hookedintheear 0]

Would colored nail polish seal the thread sufficiently on a fly? I've been wondering because if it worked then you could use whatever colors you want for the heads.

[FlaFly 0]

I don't know how long it will last for guys who fish a lot more than me, as compared to sally hansen's or other finishers. I have used it, and find several things I like about it. and BTW you can get Gel polish now, even UV cured Gel polish. Anyway it is very glossy and makes a real slick finish. You can get it in clear (and I don't find that it yellows), or in colors. Since colored polishes are opaque, they can cover up a lot of not-so-pretty thread heads. I use black, but you can also get clear with sparkle inside it, and lots of other options. I have used Go-2 Glue, Aileene's Fabric Fusion, and other finishes. I can't say I see much difference except that the nail polish tends to be slicker and shinier.

[agn54 0]

I've used Sally Hanson's Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in various colors and it works well.

[Hookedintheear 0]

Reason I asked is my daughter is a Cosmetologist and has tons of colours reqular, gel the works. She has offered so I was thinking why not?

[Adam Saarinen 0]

Don't want to sound harsh! But if people don't try anything, they'll never know anything! If it's free, try it, but whipfinish it first!

[Hookedintheear 0]

That's true Adam!

[flytire 0]

yes colored and clear nail polish will work for covering fly heads

[mikechell 0]

I've got several colors of nail polish from Dollar Tree, and it works just fine. It's the only paint I use on any of my flies.

Your daughter's polishes will work well, and now days ... the color selection is almost infinite.

[Brian Myers 0]

I've got several colors of nail polish from Dollar Tree, and it works just fine. It's the only paint I use on any of my flies.

Fess up Mike , you didn't buy the nail polish for fly tying.

[FlaFly 0]

He has pink toenails :-)

[mikechell 0]

No, Brian, I bought the darker, natural colors specifically for fly tying.

 

The neon and florescent ones ... well, for fly tying, as far as any of you know !!!

[Hookedintheear 0]

I'm starting to get nervous now. Lol

[Brian Myers 0]

No, Brian, I bought the darker, natural colors specifically for fly tying.

 

The neon and florescent ones ... well, for fly tying, as far as any of you know !!!

Ah, so you're a regular at your local Dollar Tree. I picked up black nail polish last summer at the Dollar General not far from my house. The girl at the register could not help but be all smiles when she rang that up . I mostly use nail polish to paint bead chain eyes. Tie up a bunch then paint and let dry for later use. lol

[bass master 0]

I was stealing them from my wife and daughter. Finally got caught. Now I head to the dollar store or Walmart. It is weird standing in the nail isle checking out the colors when another women is also there.

[tidewaterfly 0]

IF you've been around long enough & tied long enough, you start to see similarities with products sold for tying & other products not sold for tying. IMO, it's highly likely that some head cements were actually bulk nail polish, and re-packaged. I used to buy quarts of clear head cement from Wapsi when I tied commercially, and it was so similar to some clear nail polish I had used it was scary. My guess is, big suppliers like Wapsi buy from the folks who produce the nail polish in a bulk form, then re-bottle.

 

There are many products used in fly tying that are not produced specifically for tying, and can be found in many cases cheaper & sometimes better quantities because they're actually produced for other markets.

 

There's no reason not to think that nail polishes of all types won't work just fine for tying purposes. I've tried many brands, and they all seem to work. Some brands, such as the Sally Hansen do work better as far as lasting longer, that's why they become popular with tyers but it then boils down to what you're willing to pay or what's readily available to you.

 

Flytire has posted on here many times to try things & experiment, & I certainly agree with him. It's a great way to learn & in some cases save some money over the cost of fly shop supplies.

 

Another item I like is found in crafts, art & some fabric stores. Check out fabric paints. They come in many, many colors & textures & like the nail polish can have many uses. For example, I painted some cork popper bodies with a copper colored fabric paint with glitter in it, and they turned out great.

 

As far as standing in line with the women, get over it! Man up! If you're married, you've likely done it with something the wife wanted at some point in time, so should be no big deal. At one store I used to frequent, one of the check-out women asked me if I was buying for my wife & I told her no, then explained I was tying flies. I'm sure they thought me strange, but seemed interested & after that they never gave me strange looks!

 

I'm sure they see enough real weirdo's as it is, (especially at Walmart) so just blend in!