Head Cement Question

I have two normal and one stupid question for the head cement users out there:

• BESIDES Griff's Thin; what other head cement have you found to be extra thin right out of the bottle? I know I can thin any brand but I am looking for something extra runny without thinning.

• Has anyone had success with any of the water based head cement brands in regards to thinness, performance, thickening issues, etc.

• Dumb question: What do you thin the water based stuff with; plain water?

Thanks in advance for any insight you can offer!

:D

Bamboozle, the one I like the best is Fly-tite. It's fairly thin right out of the bottle, doesn't thicken or discolor and remains flexible. Chris Helms put me on to this one. I also use several others but always have to thin them with head cement thinner. I haven't used any water based cements but I would imagine water would thin them. that's just a guess.


Just got a chuckle. I read the bottle and it says not to thin with Vodka. Oh well.

Rookie:

That's good to know because I trust Chris more than myself! Did you get it from Whitetail?

I can't believe how hard it is to find more than one brand of head cement in any fly shop. Where I live all I ever run into is Rumpf I guess because he is a few miles way. Finding more than one brand in any shop is a rarity anymore.

Thanks!

Yes. I got it from Whitetail. I wanted to place an order and had questions so I called. During the discussion he brought up about this cement and I told him to throw in a bottle. I love the stuff.

Your right about Rumpf. Thats one of the ones I have to constantly thin. Once I've used it up I won't be buying any more.

I tied my rirst fly about 44 years ago and the best fly dope, i mean head cement, I ever used is Sally Hansen's, hard as nails nail polish. It's the only one I've used in at least 15 years. I thin it, if/when nessessary with acetone. I take one of my insulin syringes and put a few drops into the S.H. and mix to the consistancy I want. I keep thin, very thin and original depending on what I need at the moment.

Fly-Tite is derived from rezins from plants and ethyl alcohol solvent and can be dilluted with denatured alchhol. Had mine for years and never had to delute. Dries clear and flexible Bill

Hi Bamboozle,

I've used Fly Tite for five or six years now and have found it to be very satisfactory. It thickens with use like any other cement but thins EASILY with denatured alcohol. I like it for everyday use. When I really want to impress someone with nice. shiny heads, I go the Sally Hansen route. "Thin enough" is a relative term but I use the Fly Tite right out of the bottle for at least a month or two before it requires thinning. Try it, you'll like it. 8T ;)

I started out tying in '69, and used fingernailpolish I bummed offa my mom. I used it forever and thought it was just great. Then, in '05 I took a fly tying class, (after tying for 35 years :shock:) and got turned on to Dave's Flexament. Word was it was the Schizzle ! Well, I went back to nail polish last summer. I use Sally's Hard As Nails. I have clear, Red, and Black. See, actually, It's "The Schizzle" . Almost never gets thick in the bottle, and if so, it thins easily with acetone. I won't be swayed again...........
I trim the little brushes a little narrower. and on the little flies I apply it with a toothpick.
...............happy tyin'......................ModocDan

Eight thumbs, I've used this same bottle for over a year now and it hasn't thickend at all. Is it possible there have been any modifications by the manufacture?

Pro lac comes in both a thick and a thin. They also have a thinner to make the thick stuff thin. I like the thin. I also have the Griffs which is a tad thinner than the Pro Lac thin. I got mine in the White elephant Spokane , Pro lac is made in Kalispell, Mt.

Bamboozle, Loon is a water based cement and can be thinned with tap water. Just trying to answer your other question with accuracy.:D

Steve,

I have a tendency to leave the cap off periodically when I'm tying or when something else catches my attention. Evaporation results. I can't blame the manufacturer for this one. 8T :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bamboozle

I have two normal and one stupid question for the head cement users out there:

• BESIDES Griff's Thin; what other head cement have you found to be extra thin right out of the bottle? I know I can thin any brand but I am looking for something extra runny without thinning.

• Has anyone had success with any of the water based head cement brands in regards to thinness, performance, thickening issues, etc.

• Dumb question: What do you thin the water based stuff with; plain water?

Thanks in advance for any insight you can offer!

:D

---

I've been using it for a while. It seems to work well wnough so far. I would thin it with distilled water. The water in Nashville has enough chlorine and fluorine to ruin paint.

Ed

I have been using the Loon water based cement this winter. An incident with a bottle of solvent based cement in my lap got me looking for something I could clean up without destroying my liver (or other body parts). I'm not sure I like it, though I haven't had a chance to really fish the new flies yet.

Larry

I'm also a Loon advocate. It might be a little off your original question, but the water based feature is great.

I left the top of a bottle off over night and it turned to jelly. After diluting with water as instructed, it was as good as new. Seems to hold up well on the fly from my experience.

Thanks everyone for the responses!!

I am having a head cement issue related to another product and if I ever figure it out I'll post the result and save you all a bit of aggravation.

;)

I'll just toss this in for what it's worth...

I use a number of things and one that so far I am quite pleased with is "Wet & Wild" ..."Clear Nail Protector"....picked it up one time when no Sally Hansen's was available [imagine that] ...and the price is similar..maybe even less.....anyway I like it....it's thickened up [can be cut with acetone]...but in it's present viscosity it handles well comes of the wire real well and does not run....in fact it handles very much like epoxy and dries hard and clear.....

I buy half pints of DH-66 vinyl cement and a jug of thinner, and make my own. Sometimes I need super-runny cement so it penetrates the fly, other times I want it thicker so I can slather in on a wingcase - so I make one bottle of each.

You can get a pint of the stuff for about $5.00, and the thinner is about the same. Truckers use it to repair tarps, it's also common for boat use to repair awnings, you may find it in your hardware store.

Clear Fly Tying Head Cement
by: Rumpf
SKU: OF-900065-0000

Product Overview:

"The finest quality head cement available. It dries quickly and gives a hard, glossy head on your flies, bass bugs, painted jig heads, etc. 1 oz. bottle."

....I just started using RUMPF and so far like it a lot....$2.45 a bottle!