i gather that goop thinned with solvent can be used as head cement among other things and that it remains flexible. what other advantages or uses are there for thinned goop? i have used it uncut to attach doll eyes to estaz on spooky shad but never knew about thinning it for other uses.
It can be used to “fix” feather barbs to make things like hopper wing, shellbacks, repair leaks in your waders, just glue that dries pretty fast and is water proof.
Hi Jalama,
Thinned goop is a direct substitute for Dave’s Fleximent, and can be used in exactly the same way. It does not dry hard, so I don’t use it for head cement. I use it for coating feathers for wingcases, hopper wings, etc. Thus I use it pretty much exactly the same way Unckle Jesse mentions above.
Regards,
Gandolf
With one ‘glaring’ omission, Uncle Jesse said it all. What he left out is it’s use for gluing doll eyes, and other types, to such things as foam flies, balsa bodied bugs, deer hair bugs, saltwater streamers, etc. It was originally developed by Dave Whitlock to be used as a head cement.
We will forgive Uncle Jesse this one oversight!
Cheers!
Frank
“It was originally developed by Dave Whitlock to be used as a head cement.”
I was unaware that anyone had ‘developed’ the idea of thinning GOOP to use it as head cement. Just like so many things in fly tying, and I’m sure the same can be said of other hobbies, there are products that individuals use in off-shoot ways that aid them in their hobby. I have no idea who came up with the idea of using electrical thingees (elongated squeezing things found at Radio Shack) or artery clamps for hackle pliers, using a pair of hemostats for a traveling vise, etc., etc., etc. Personally, I had GOOP and it was flexible. I just figured that if I thinned it it would have some good fly tying applications. That was about 15 years ago and it did. John Betts found a material in a Pier One dumpster and it became commercialized with the name ‘Zing’. In the 70s I drove a taxi p/t. Had some fly tying stuff with me and when I parked at the airport in wee hours of morning waiting for flight passengers, I attached a hemostat to the steering wheel and used it as a vise. Years later I learned from Jack Gartside that he did the exact same thing. Anyway, all I’m saying is is that many of the things we use or ideas that are applied are probably not new, they may simply be unknown for any number of reasons. Often, it’s learned that something thought to be unique, isn’t. Also often, once something is public, it is also most certainly improved upon.
Had a friend who told me it could be used to help deerhair poppers float like a cork. I soaked a spun deerhair popper in very thinned goop, let it dry, and tested. I wouldn`t have bet money, but It floated much better.
can be thinned and brushed on wader seams that leak. have a pair of hodgeman boot-foot that are over 12 years of age and still work…
What do you thin it with? Will acetone work? How about lacquer thinner?
I’ve always used toluene to thin Goop. You can usually pick it up at the big bix stores, but be very careful when working with this stuff. It can be dangerous and should only be used in a well ventilated area using protective gloves and goggles.
Jim Smith
Keep in mind if you have the wrong type glove, the toulene might melt them also. And about the well ventilated area, 1 stick of dynamite has about 2,000 BTU’s, 1 lb. of toulene is 18,500 BTU’s. If you left it in a warm confined area where it would evaporate and ignite all the vapors simutaneously it would have similar effects. Be careful. I just noticed the last T in TNT is for Toulene.
And isn’t it difficult to “thin” goop? The type I have is for repairing furniture and it is super-thick! I can’t imagine the amount of mixing it would take to get it to a thinner consistency - and then how long do you have before it sets up/dries?
Karli-Rae
*edited for clarity
A small glass or resistant (I would guess polyethylene would work) plastic container and a popsicle stick will do the job nicely. It has to be tightly sealed or you get a goop bottom to your container. If you put the toulene in a rigid plastic container, it may melt the container also.:tieone:
You can add a steel ball inside to gently shake to prepere to thinning it down. Makes it more uniform and quicker.
Hi All;
I have never used Goop. Where do you get it?, hardware stores?, walmart? or online ?
MSD53X,
You can find Goop at most hardware stores and the big box stores. I’ve been using Marine Goop to attached eyes to streamers for years. I’m not sure if Marine Goop is really different to regular Goop but since I consider anything that goes underwater to be marine related, I use that Goop. Good stuff since it stays pliable and requires no mixing to use it.
Jim Smith