Fly Head Cement

[fivedials]

The oxymoron to end all oxymorons...water based cement?

Was on my last drops of cement and went to the local shop to get cement. All he had was water based cement. He told me the other cement was on back order for so long and becoming harder and harder to get that he finally had to give in and order the water based. Said this waterbased stuff was more enviormentally friendly (what?!) and doesn't require thinner, except H2O when needed.

Comments? Is this guy selling me a bill of goods?

I've tied up some flies; and, I'm not getting the same gloss as the 'olde' stuff plus the first coat seems to soak in warranting multiple coats. Other problems, because it is more liquid it wants to run into my eye and requires overnight drying to to assure it won't disolve. I've already glued one fly to my finger. I thought it was dry enough to move from vise to my foam board for further drying and the fly stuck to my index finger! Now I have to set my vise in front of a fan to dry when I could be starting a new fly!

Please don't tell me the industry has changed over. Please assure me the 'olde' stuff is still being made. Please oh please oh please.

Jim

[flybugpa]

head to the local home improvement boutique, get yourself a can of clear lacquer and a can of lacquer thinner. thats about a lifetime supply of cement.Hopefully you saved the little square jar the old stuff cam in to put the new into. put a marble or some shot to facilitate mixing the base and thinner. total cost about 12 bucks.

[alra195]

If water based isn't working for you I recommend Sally Hansons Hard As Nails finger nail polish. Clear works as an all around choice but it also comes in a variety of colors. The black works very well on streamer heads. Dries pretty fast and if thinning is required a few drops of fingernail polish remover seems to do the job.

[JohnScott]

Jim -

I've been using a water based head cement for the past couple years. I am well satisfied with the one I have. You do tend to use a bit more, as you suggested, because it does soak in more than the old head cements I started with five years ago. But I don't have a problem with it filling the eye of the hook - in fact, I have less problems in that regard with the water based head cement than the old stuff.

My flies are pretty durable, and I think the head cement helps. When I salvage hooks from flies tied using the water based product, it is very difficult to cut through and remove the wraps at the head that were coated with the head cement.

I suspect that the water based products are marginally safer for moderate use and more environmentally friendly. Personally, I prefer not to use solvent based glues, cements, cleaners, etc. I think I read somewhere that the actual cementing ingredients in the water based cements are the same as in the old cements, only the medium has changed.

The water based products are supposed to take more time to dry, as I recall, but that isn't really an issue. I've tied flies finished with water based head cement and fished them the same day with no problems.

John

[Betty Hiner]

Jim,
I've used the water based head cement for a number of years now. Got such a high off the old stuff, that I figured any thing would be better. Flys probably looked a bit better to me under the fog of chemicals, but they stay together very well with the new. If I want a glossy head I'll usually put on a couple coats of WB and let it soak in good, then hit it lightly with some Sally Hansen. The trees and fish I catch don't seem to mind.
Betty

[kengore]

A few years ago California passed laws limiting the use of 'volital organic solvents' (VOS) since then most manufactors of floor finishes have developed water based rather than solvent based formulas. California is such a large market that it can drive changes in an entire industry. The enviromental impact has to do with the airborne release of the solvents, sounds like a small thing but thousands of gallons of the stuff is used daily and there is clear evidence that it is harmful to breath.

I expect that the entire varnish, paint and laquer industry will start to move in this direction. Some of the earlier formulas just plain sucked, but the current generation of floor finishes might even out perform the older solvent ones, and you no longer have to leave your home for a week while the fumes subside.

If you can't find your favorite old stuff I suggest you try some plain old nail polish. Comes in all kinds of colors and you can get it almost anywhwere. I particularly like the Sally Hansons HARD AS NAILS brand.

[fivedials]

Let's see...washed the dinner dishes...took down the tent from airing out for the trip this weekend...is my fly dry enough to take out of the vise...YES! Hoo Hoo, I can start another fly.

Yes I'm exaggerating. It just seems the 'olde' stuff dried faster.

Hmm, I guess God did bless me with three girls. Time to go and raid their stash of finger nail polish.

[Sonny Edmonds]

Here in California, about all we can get in almost anything is water based...
But then, it almost never rains here. So when it does, we just repaint.

You think water based fly head cement is the pits?
Try water based junk on fine woodworking. It really messes up wood!

[bugman]

If water based isn't working for you I recommend Sally Hansons Hard As Nails finger nail polish. Clear works as an all around choice but it also comes in a variety of colors. The black works very well on streamer heads. Dries pretty fast and if thinning is required a few drops of fingernail polish remover seems to do the job.

YEA !!! besides that, sallys dont wick into the tying material like water base head cement will... dries fast too..

[Cold]

I use Sally Hansen's as well. With a single application, it is a dull finish, with multiple coats, it gets glossy. Doesnt harden in the bottle, and, as said, dries fairly quickly.