glue for most parts of the tying process beyond just head cement. In an effort to balance cost and volume where do you find super glue at the best price or is there better prices on other glues that would work as well and survive the water.
Personally I haven’t used glue other than some head cement and am still not convinced it is necessary except for some of the complicated patterns that require a lot of material which I dodge like crazy.
I use brush on purple Krazy glue, goes on purple than dries clear. It’s easier to see where you put it. I also trim about half the bristle off the brush prior to using so I can get the applicator in smaller spots without a lot of glue. My main use is for securing lead eyes/beadchain eyes also use it for sealing the nylon thread heads on EP baitfish patterns.
I purchase from Walmart for less than $4.00, usually lasts about a year before drying up or getting too thick.
Wayne
Wayne,
Is the purple Krazy glue waterproof? I was told to get the green labeled brush on Krazy glue, with the red top, because it was waterproof. Ideas???
Hi Betty;
I haven’t had any problems with the glue failing when wet.
I looked at the crazy glue website and couldn’t find any significant difference between the purple or clear Krazy glue brush on. I even looked at the MSDS(material safety data sheet) and although the two MSDS’s seem to have been created at different times, they appear quite similar. The purple does say you can loosen the glue bond of fingers with warm soapy water but, the website lists that as possible with all thier products.
Wayne
I took A.K. Best to heart after reading his rationale for using clear lacquer in his new, at the time, book entitled "Production Fly Tying". As a woodturner, I used clear lacquer as a finish on some of my turnings. Having some on hand, I filled an extra ‘head cement’ bottle with some, and have stuck with it for about 18 years now. In my case, it is extremely cost-effective. Next in line would be ‘home-made’ Flexament, made by dissolving Goop (any ‘flavor’)* with either Toluene (Toluol) or Xylene (Xylol), both of which are readily available wherever paint is sold.
Hope this helps.
Frank
- By ‘flavor’ I am referring to the various “different” types; i.e., 'household"; “plumbers”; “marine”, etc. Regardless of these labellings, it is the very same product in all of the tubes. Such labelling is simply a marketing ploy.
I like the new Gorilla Super Glue. Think like Zap a Gap, but supposedly has a little rubber in it to keep it a little flexable. Don’t know if it is true, but it works, and is cheap
“Fake Finger Nail Adhesive”, liquid CA adhesive (aka: Super Glue) in a bottle with a brush attached to the cap. While you are in the cosmetic section, check out the fake eye lashes. great tail material for nymphs…
And since you have forsake your male “Male Mono Reputation” I like the "Sally Hansen, clear nail polish (with Teflon) which has a thinner viscosity than other nail polishes, and soaks into the thread better.
An look to see if they have any of those metal teeth eye-lash brushes, great for clean out the underfur from your hair hackle. ~Parnelli
I use zap-a-gap on the Goldie Jr and the boa yarn flies, becasue it makes them more durable. Have tried head cment, but it foes notwork as well.
Rick
I jumped pretty hard onto the glue bandwagon years ago.
Clear lacquer is still my favorite ‘head cement’, but I buy and regularly use four kinds of CA glue: thin, medium, thick, and flexible, on a lot of my flies. Epoxy also has a place, as well as Hansens and two viscosities of clear acrylic.
I use the CA glues for holding lead in place, dumbell and bead chain eyes, palmered materials like chenile, dubbing brushes, body braids, anything that I ‘wrap’ around the hook and don’t want it to shift around.
Wouldn’t consdier tying without it now.
Buddy
I used fly tying cement when I first started but if you use good half hitch’s and really good whip finish’s you don’t need them. I know the guys tying the presentation wet flies put it on the head thread when they tie off but that’s presentation.
Fatman
Parnelli:
The fake eyelashes also make great ‘pincers’ on helgramite patterns.
Frank
[QUOTE=wayneb;365774l]asts about a year before drying up or getting too thick.
Wayne[/QUOTE]
Store it in your freezer when you aren’t using it. This will prevent it from drying out.
Paul
Given that it is water,=moisture in the air,=relative humidity of your area that is the real culprit, this is not a fool-proof method. Keeping moisture out of the container in the first place is the real secret. This should only rarely be a problem in your area. Here on the Golden Gulf Coast where I reside, keeping moisture out is a horse of a different color. The scenario goes like this: If I open my container and use it, and the relative humidity is 98%, which does occur with a great deal of frequency this time of the year, after I release the sides of the container, the air that was in the bottle initially and expelled during application of the glue, and the volume of the glue used, is now replaced with air with a very high moisture content, exposing the glue to ‘moisture’. Yes, freezing should cause the moisture to condense and then freeze. This may not come close to solving the problem, as when removed from the freezer and thawed, one would expect a layer of water of some magnitude on the surface, and in direct contact with the surface. The extent to which this will exacerbate crystalization is not known to me, but it surely has to aggravate the matter. Therefore, the most direct, and best method, appears to be to be sure you have a tight fitting cap, as previously noted by others, and to replace the cap PRIOR to releasing the sides of the container; thereby creating a quasi-vacuum inside of the container by the exclusion of air from re-entering it before re-capping. Following this step, the placing the container either in the freezer, or using the storage jar/dessicant set-up mentioned yesterday, should do the trick. My very limited knowledge of the meteorology of your area of Wyoming causes me to wonder if the relative humidity ever reaches 50%, basically precluding the problem for you. (I have considered the Saratoga Valley area of the North Platte to be my ‘home waters’ for trout fishing since 1982. Acquired my CUTTSLAM certificate in July, 2002.) By comparison, I suspect residents of your area might be subject to drowning if they were to come down here the last half of this month, or all of June, and venture outside between the hours of 5 and 10 am, as the relative humidity here during that time of the year and between those hours is typically 100%. Thus, keeping moisture out of superglue containers can be problematic for us.
Here is my invitation for you to come down and take advantage of our great saltwater fishing for tailing reds, and speckled trout ( or have you already been here?).
Cheers,
Frank
wally world special add a little if it comes undone just got into it and bought head cement lost it have yet to have a fly come undone but i also whip finish with my fingers so yeah.
I haven’t lived in Wyoming all my life just the past 5 years. Before that I lived in DC and grew up in Ohio. So I understand humidity. In my other hobby I use CA quite a bit. Enough so that I have 5 different types of CA for different applications depending on what I’m doing. Some bottles are over 3 years old and going strong as long as they are kept in the freezer. Left outside the freezer they usually dry up in 8-12 months.
I agree squeezing the bottle before putting the cap back on and having a cap that seals the hole (Normally good ones use a metal pin to accomplish this) is also helpful.
Paul
Paul:
I am a firm believer in the philosophy that what works best for you is the way to do it. I too use CA in the pursuit of another one of my passtimes, and have settled on a single brand and viscosity that I use for all of my CA applications. I am fond of the BLOAC finish on my reel seat inserts, and other of my turned objects.
I have never seen a bottle of CA with a pin in the top! I am quite familiar with the ‘after-market’ watch-oil-applicator bottles that many use for head cement that have the wire pin that runs the length of the applicator tube. Is this what you are referencing?
Frank
Frank, The" Loctite Super Glue Precision" has a small metal pin at the top of the cap to seal the nozzle…don’t know about other types or brands. I do like that particular one.
Mine are from hobby shops. My favorite brand currently is proline Racing (RC Car Company) thin. If I remember, I’ll snag a picture of my bottle tonight. My bottle basically has the normal lid, a removable plastic tube for getting CA into tight spots, and a separate Metal Pin lid.
Mind you most hobby shop brand CA’s are just repackaged LocTite at different levels of viscosity.
I’m going to break out the CA for some hard bodied beetles later this summer. I think. 