You guys are gonna have to pardon my ignorance but I have seen this type of epoxy you cure with a light, what do you call it? I’ve been thinking about getting me some for my saltwater flies just to make them a bit more durable.
Thanks
Clear cure goo (wait on buying this one. they are coming out with a tackless version)
tuffleye
loon uv knot sense
how much are we talking about for the kit? I wonder if it’s one of those things everybody wants to buy but aren’t really worth it.
I’ve used knot sense on copper johns and like the way it looks, but it is not dead certain heavy duty.
Another uv light cured resin is Bug Bond from the UK. I liked it because it is clear, flexible, and it was non-tacky when you put the light on it. Clear Cure Goo is coming out with a non-tacky version. It is a shame that it doesn’t work with my Bug Bond light, at least that is what I was told. I was going to try the CCG non-tacky…but hate to buy another light. Once the non-tacky hits the market, and I hear how people like it or not…I will probably try it out. I have no complaints about Bug Bond at all, I love it. Also the guy who owns it is a great person to deal with. He is a great communicator, and will make sure you are a happy customer.
different prices for different brands. just GOOGLE each one for prices!
The Tuffleye seems to be a bit brittle and crack under hard use (banging off rocks, pilings and such); the Clear Cure Goo appears to be more durable. I saw the Bug Bond being touted at TieFest 2010 this past winter and it looks similar to the Clear Cure Goo.
Regards,
Scott
I have used both the Clear Cure Goo and UV knot sense versions … they both use the same type UV light so don’t be suckered in to buying two lights if you want to try both products. Both of these products are great as far as durability goes and ease of use. They both leave a bit of tacky film which is easily covered with Sally Hansons hard as nails to put a great shine on. I like both of these but as far as money goes, I think maybe Clear Cure Goo might be a tad cheaper, and it has many different choices of finishes as well. Thick and thin for different uses but the same type of finish… then there is flexible for a flexible finish. Now they have the Thick version in a non-tacky version which I will try as soon as I need to purchase some more… It will be a while before I need some…
There you have it… I have not used Tuffleye although some of my fishing buddies say it gets brittle after a few weeks. :rolleyes:
I was told by Brian that the Bug Bond light will not work right for the CCG. I think he said it left the product yellow or something. So instead of trying the CCG non-tacky, I just reordered Bug Bond. My light is not the official Bug Bond light, I got it on Ebay, and it works good. It was less than ten bucks.
I’m trying to decide if I even need it, I guess a bit of regular epoxy on top of my sandcrab flies will do. I appreciate the info, thanks everybody.
I have been experimenting with a product called “Liquid Fusion” from Duncan Enterprises (see www.duncancrafts.com ) It is a thick urethane glue that dries clear. I get it a Michaels Craft store but it has started to show up in some fly shop catalogs. Runs around $8 or $9 per 2 oz bottle. It seems to work great for shell backs on copper johns, baitfish pattern heads like on the Sea Habit Bucktail, and other similar uses. I have thinned it a bit with water and used it as a coating for crease flies. So far it seems pretty durable. It cleans up easy. For crease flies or the heads of flies it helps to have a fly turner since the stuff takes a couple of hours to set up. It takes 24 hours to completely cure. A thick build up application might require several applications. So far, I haven’t needed to keep flies turning for more than 90 minutes to two hours, depending on temperature. The stuff might work great for the top of Martin’s sand crab. I have been going to try it on some shrimp patterns but haven’t got to it yet.
do you need a $50+ adhesive system to coat the top of of a dozen sandcrab flies when a $5 tube of epoxy will do the same thing? simple economics to me.
If you use the 5 minute epoxy, realize it will yellow and darken on the fly as it is exposed to sunlight. The longer curing ones don’t seem to have that problem but then you have the extended set-up time to deal with.
Regards,
Scott
I use frabric paint instead (gelles) in clear, stays soft and chewy for the fish but is tuff even on bluefish. I also use the pearl in standard frbric paint. plus they have a large selection of colors. Of course they have to dry over night but don’t need a wheel just hang to dry. Plus its cheaper than buying all those lights.