Homemade Head Cement

[John Ski 0]

So, I wanted to try the homemade head cement recipe I always see posted.

 

Have the Goop, but I can no longer find Toluene. My favorite hardware store had it just a few weeks ago, and when I went in this morning, it was all gone, and the owner said he can't order it either.

 

Chatted with the owner for a bit (he likes talking to me about flies and fishing) and he eventually suggested I try Methyl Ethyl Ketone after looking at various MSDS sheets and the like. I guess it's in the same family of chemicals. I went ahead and picked up a can (he really spent alot of time trying to find some for me) saying I would try it, and he said if it doesn't work to come and back and hell refund me the 8 bucks.

 

But before I play mad scientist, I thought I would check with the experts here.

 

Anyone have any thoughts about this, how long it will last on flies if it works, that kind of thing? Any other places I should check for toluene?

 

Thanks in advance for any help!

[agn54 0]

I have heard that Xylene (or xylol) also works well. I have never heard of Methyl Ethyl Ketone but I'm sure plenty of people on here can be of more help

[perchjerker 0]

I definitely would NOT try MEK, as it is in an entirely different family of organic compounds from both Xylene (Xylol) and Toluene (Toluol). Toluene and Xylene are "first cousins", and can be used interchangeably. All paint stores, paint sections in the big box stores, and even the Art Dept. in some of the local Hobby/Craft stores have one or the other. Try someone like Sherwin-Williams paint stores, or the paint dept. at wally world..

 

Good Luck!

 

aged sage

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Why not just use Sally Hanson's Hard as Nails with Nylon clear nail polish? You can thin that with nail polish remover.

Does the thinned Goop cement have advantages over the nail polish?

 

Kirk

[BrianMyers 0]

Xylene is what I use to thin down Goop. Just don`t leave the jar open when not using it, close it right back up , it will give you a headache.

[Moscow 0]

... MEK is the solvent used in Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails.

 

Moscow

[John Ski 0]

Thanks for the quick answers everyone. He did have Xylene or Xylol (can't remember what the can said) on the shelves... in the spot where the Toluene used to be...

 

Turns out I need some bolts for the blade on my plow, so I'll run back over this afternoon and swap. Any excuse to visit the hardware store.

 

I'm using Sally now, and have in the past. Just wanted to give this stuff a try and see how it works. I've seen the goop recipe in several spots on the web and I know it's recommended in one of the books I have (Scheck maybe?). I've never had a problem with hard as nails, but you know, just have to tinker.

 

 

 

 

I don't post on here often, but man, when I have a question you guys are the best! Thanks again!

[utyer 0]

Thinned Goop ends up being like Flexcement. It has many uses, and it dries as a flexable coating. Its not the same thing as a hard head cement. No reason not to try mixing up your own, just mix in a vell ventelated area, and keep covered when not in use.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

Figured it had something to do with the tinkerer in all of us fly tiers. Then Utyer confirmed my suspicion of it being a different type of finish from nail polish when dry.

 

Kirk

[lykos33 0]

I was thinking and thinking,"What did I use when I made my batch of head cement?" Looked up and saw the bottle of Ronsonol Lighter Fuel on my shelf and suddenly remembered. It is basically naptha or what I think some used to call "white gas". Highly flammable (hello, it is lighter fluid!), but it mixed well with the goop I had and made a nice clear finish and you can control the thickness...gotta o find my goop now, almost outta my homebrew...

[perchjerker 0]

lykos:

 

If my memory does not fail me, white gasoline is the pure distillate before any of the various and sundry additives have been added to it Naphtha, on the other hand, is a different distillate fraction, but very close to 'white gas'; at least close enough for government work! Not too much unlike the organic aromatic triplets; benzene; toluene; and, xylene. Not identical, but close enough for government work.

 

It has been 50 years since I had Organic Chemistry!

 

aged sage

[FlyFishin'Jam 0]

My wife just handed me a container of this stuff called 'nail tek extend' 'professional polish thinner'. I think she has been using my clear hard as nails, as she said 'your hard as nails is getting too thick, add some of this'. Comes with a little pipette...Fancy! Says its butyl acetate, heptane, ethyl acetate. Now just thinking how thin i want it, lordy it really is sharp on the nose!

[petelangevin 0]

Thinned goop much like softex is brutal on the lungs. Anything thinned with toluene is not for indoor use in my honest opinion. Nasty stuff.

[Kytroutbum 0]

I believe AK Best uses a 50-50 strength Lacquer and Lacquer thinner as a head cement.

[lykos33 0]

lykos:

 

If my memory does not fail me, white gasoline is the pure distillate before any of the various and sundry additives have been added to it Naphtha, on the other hand, is a different distillate fraction, but very close to 'white gas'; at least close enough for government work! Not too much unlike the organic aromatic triplets; benzene; toluene; and, xylene. Not identical, but close enough for government work.

 

It has been 50 years since I had Organic Chemistry!

 

aged sage

 

Thanks pj, it's been 31 years since my chemistry class, and since I do not use it every day...not much of it stuck in my head :hyst: Oh, and it did make a really nice cement...