Is Toluene the correct solvent for Softex and Dave's Flexement? My concern is that I believe this is correct but I am out of Toluene and don't want to buy another quart if I'm remembering incorrectly.
Printable View
Is Toluene the correct solvent for Softex and Dave's Flexement? My concern is that I believe this is correct but I am out of Toluene and don't want to buy another quart if I'm remembering incorrectly.
got naphtha?
Ray,
Toluene, naptha (as noted by Bugsy), Ronsonal/Zippo lighter fluid all work. I'm sure you know to mix it in a well-ventilated area.
Regards,
Scott
This is starting to sound more like a terrorist training camp than a fly tying forum.
I wish I had known about the lighter fluid when I could get Softex. I never got more than 1/4 way through a jar.
Cheers,
A.
I use Toluene...in fact I make my own "softex" by mixing marine goop with Toluene.
Okay, I got a bottle of Softex in a lot of stuff I bought. What is the best way to dilute/get the Softex the correct proportion. I don't want to dump lighter fluid into the bottle of Softex and have a big mess.
Thanks,
Mike
Pretty much is determined by how thin you like your Softex. Have not used lighter fluid myself, but for Toluene, you just add a bit, stir, add more if necessary, and repeat until you get something that appeals to you. You really cannot add too much, because the solvent element evaporates pretty quickly, so if you go too far, just leave it on the shelf for a while and it will thicken up again. Too little solvent, and the consistency is too thick to easily work with. Not hard at all to find a happy medium.
Mike,
Choose your own desired consistency then just add the solvent slowly ...mixing gradually...till you get the consistency you want.
I usually have several small jars around containing various consistencies.
If you get some that's too thin believe me it will thicken with time.
Let it sit for a while after you've mixed it, then stir it again; takes the solvent a bit of time to do it's job thoroughly and it can end up less viscous than it seems at first.
Regards,
Scott
As long as we are getting into chemistry we should note that all materials that involve "solvents" should not be stored in plastic containers. All solvents can permeate all plastics in varying degrees.