whats your favorite?
easiest to use/measure?
the loctite crap i’m using is just that!
this is for fly tying not rod building.
cheers
I would never buy an epoxy that comes in the double syringe again.:p:p.
i use devcon 2 ton epoxy and it works very well, it goes on as clear as crystal and dries very hard. if your having trouble with proper measurments on the two syriange system just saw through the middle and viola you have two seperate compartments
-tyler-
What are your specific problems? I find Devcon 5 Minute brand very versitile. The proportions are not critical and I can even lower the viscosity of the by adding a little lacquer thinner to the mix. In addition, I really like to take advantage of its characteristic of wicking its way into material to form a deep solid bond and of smoothing over rough surfaces on streamer heads. Yet another neat feature, not my idea, is to lash down thin plastic eyes onto streamer heads with fine monofilament and then covering them with epoxy. The monofilament wraps will then become invisable.
You can even make opaque colored mixes by adding non-waxy powdered artists pastel chalks that don’t chemically react with the epoxy.
From my experience, I don’t buy anything but the smallest size tubes because I seem to always make sticky messes when storing the the stuff between uses.
The only negative for me is the yellowing over time.
I use what ever brand I can find in the 5,15 and 30 min. Loctite and Devcon are the most common.
I use it to glue popper bodies to hooks, and to coat heads/eyes on patterns as needed.
I’ve only ever used the double syringe type and have found that you just have to be VERY careful when pushing the plunger. you can vary the amount on either side by pushing more on one side or the other on the plunger as needed.
Also after you squeeze out what you need, pull the plunger BACK OUT a bit and it will relieve the pressure inside the syringe and keep it from leaking before you can put the cap on it. Just like using a caulking gun.
For 5 min, I keep a pad of 3x3 post-it notes and a jar of tooth picks on my tying desk. If you need to mix up more than will fit on the post-it note, you probably need longer than 5 min epoxy.
Oh, and keep a bottle of regular nail-polish remover (acetone) on hand when working with epoxy for easy clean up.
I like the bubble packs of " Hardman" 5min epoxy. You just have to realize that realistically you only have about 3 mins. of actual working time. One pack is enough for 3 or 4 flies if you prep everything right & there is no waste,
It’s important to mix it very well.
Thorarinn
I prefer the Devcon 2 Ton or 30 minute because of it’s long working time. I use it primarily to put a hard coat on my balsa bodied poppers, but also for heads on my streamer flies. I either use my “micrometer” eye or disposable syringes to measure it with. When putting it on my popping bugs I thin it with rubbing alcohol after it is mixed, up to 50:50 epoxy/alcohol mix. This thins it to the point that I can paint it on with a disposable brush. You can add glitter to it for some “sparkle” on the bugs, and you can color it with Testor’s model paint. You can also use the alcohol for cleanup. In fact, you can use almost any low molecular weight alcohol for these purposes.
aged_sage
Doing 40-60 thundar creek streamers at a time requires a long setting epoxy. I use Flex Coat rod building epoxy. Takes several hours to cure but the finish is worth the extra time. Just let them turn overnight.
fishbum
Hi Fishbum, What is a 40/60 Thunder Creek?
My first thought too…but pretty sure he is saying when tying forty to sixty Thunder Creek streamers…
Quantity my friend. 40 each to 60 each like 60 each at one setting. I tie these commercially and epoxy the heads when there is a large number to do. I would do more but my old square piece of styrofoam is not big enough and I won’t take time to get a bigger piece.
fishbum
i heard some one mention something about yellowing, and with that said i have found with the longer drying time expoxys there is a less likelyhood of the finish getting that yellow tinge. i can go into my coho and pink salmon fly box and look at some patterns from a while ago when i used to use 5 min and the head and bodies are very yellow, all i can say is that im not going back to a 5 min anytime soon
-tyler-
part 2
whats your favorite?
easiest to use/measure?
the loctite crap i’m using is just that!
this is for fly tying not rod building.
cheers
I don’t see how measuring 2 separate containers is easier than a double syringe. With the syringe I can see and adjust the 2 parts at the same time and know I have the same amount.
I prefer the syringe type.
me too! thats why i bought devcon 5 minute
i do think mixing the proportions 50/50 is the correct thing to do.
The problem I have, is finding 15 and 30 min in any brand. I bought Loctie 5 min last week and also want 15 and 30 min, but my Home Depot, and Wall Mart, only have 5 and 7 min. Ace had Devon 30min (2ton) on their website, but have checked a local store yet. The last several packs I bought was at an Odd Lots, but you cant always count on closeout stores to always have the same thing.
I’ve been using Z-POXY the past 4 or 5 years. It is more expensive than most other brands. You get 2 bottles : 2 Fl. Oz.each. One is the resin and the other is the hardener. I mix it on aluminum foil squares. I find it easier to get the correct mixture this way. When your done you just roll up the foil and throw it out. Keeps the mess down. I’ve only found it in a 5 minute formula.
i’ve been mixing puddles of epoxy on a paper plate with a bodkin. works great.
Normand:
You are absolutely correct. Two-part epoxies are peculiar little beasts chemically. They react 1:1; that is, one molecule of hardener will react with only one molecule of resin, and vice versa; or so my chemist friends tell me. As both parts are “sticky”, if you have a single molecule of either part in excess of the other, theoretically you will have a sticky surface after it has cured. In the real world, one cannot detect that one lone molecule; and no one knows how many such molecules it takes before you can “feel” them as a sticky surface. If you have a sticky surface after all should have cured, adding more of one or the other of the two parts will NOT solve the problem, as you have no way of knowing which component was in excess. Sally Hanson’s “Hard As Nails” painted over it will solve the problem.
aged_sage