Hi Lou,

The solvent for Fleximent is tricholoroethane, at least it was when I analyzed some a few years ago.

Another chemist and member of another fly tying bulletin board had analyzed some as tetrachloroethylene, also known as perchloroethylene or "perc", which is used by dry cleaners. (Dry cleaners have a surfacant (read as sort of "soap") added to the perc.) Thus, I believe that more than one solvent was used for Fleximent.

Toluene will cut Goop and make a Fleximent, I have used it.

Head cement is Lacquer, just like you buy at the paint store or lumber yard. It can be solvated with lacquer thinner, but better results are had with methylethylkeytone, commonly know as "MEK." MEK can be had at a paint store of lumber yard. It is far superior to the lacquer thinner that I have used.

Finger nail polish is often also lacquer. The solvents vary a great deal, and are often mixtures of several different chemical compounds. At least 20 or so are used. These often contain varous small famlies of compounds including: keytones, esters, alcohols, etc. MEK would work fine, but might offend the ladies nose, and it and/or acetone would rapidly go after PVC plumbing pipe if a concentrated shot went into the down the drain.

Lacquer thinner, mentioned above, might be a "universal solvent" for some of the different products listed. However, I don't believe it would work real well for Fleximent, or Goop. Toluene would work better. MEK would work better for Lacquer.

With regard to the other fly tying cements, I have no experience with them, as I only use Head Cement and Fleximent. I do suspect, however, that all of the various things used typically for these cements will boil down into a very few...maybe as many as 4, or as small as 2, types of actual products. Various manufactures put the same stuff in bottles under their own name and then each call the stuff under their own trade name. Thus it appears that there are many more products than in fact exist. These guys don't make the basic products, they only mix what they can buy and put it in bottles.

I have made a fleximent type product from Goop and Toluene, and have used it to treat feathers for wings. However, it is nasty enough that I treat the feathers outdoors or in the garage. Only when they are quite dry do I bring them into the house.
Thus, I agree with the advise to aviod breathing the vapors from toluene or xylenes.

Regards,

Gandolf