So the other night I was tying up some flies, and I knocked the bottle of head cement all over me, and the floor. So I needed some more. Well I told the kid that was working in the shop I needed head cement. I got “Vinyl Finish - Jig & Lure”. Smells the same as the head cement, nearly. But it’s thicker, I do also have some thinner, as my black head cement is really thick too. What’s the difference between the jig and lure vinyl and the head cement? Will the J&L work in place of the cement?
NO it won’t work! I used to mold jig heads & I wouldn’t paint my jig heads with that stuff. I did once & in the heat, the jig heads touching each other got stuck together somewhat. That stuff will get gooey in the heat. Nowhere near what you want or need.
Mike
If the odor is the same, then it is likely that the solvent is likely the same or at least very similar.
I use MEK, from the lumber yard, (or paint store) to thin my head cement. It works better than lacquer thinner. (Traditional head cement is in fact just lumber yard or paint store lacquer.)
Lacquer in not a vinyl type of material, so it is likely that the vinyl material is different from head cement, but the same thinner may work for both.
However, I am not familiar with the vinyl finish material. To test it and see if the thinner works take a few drops of each onto a flat finish, like glass or metal, and mix to see if it thins well with the thinner.
Thanks for the heads up with this stuff. I can totally see this stuff turning gooey. It already looks gooey. Today was a bad day to goto the shop lol. I won’t use it, thanks a lot. Is there any use for this stuff at all?
Gandolf,
I don’t even know what kind of thinner is it. Just a bottle like the head cement, but sticky-ish tape with hand-written “Thinner” on it. I have a bit of head cement left from the spill, a very small amount, but enough for a bunch of flies. I’ll pick up some more head cement when I goto the shop next. This time I’ll have the owner get it for me lol!
Well, they’re moving from one store to another, right beside each other. So everything isn’t put away. So I asked “Where’s your head cement”. The kid then said “Over here, I’ll grab it for you”. Cause I was talking to the owner. So he got it (Got something!) and came back to the counter and put it with my stuff. My mistake for not checking it:(
Save your time and quit the experimenting. Most of us have done it and the majority of us end up using Sally Hansen’s nail polish anyway. On a reasonably neat head three coats will give you an epoxy like finish and if you want deeper penetration just thin it a little with lacquer thinner. Good luck.
I make my own, out of Performix Vyna Bond and Ronson Lighter Fluid (Naptha). You can buy Naptha, but it only comes in ridiculously large cans, and you will never use it all. Lighter fluid is straight Naptha. Both of these are easily available at Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Ace Hardware, Lowes, Home Depot, etc…
It is indistiguishable from Loon Hard Head, and it costs me probably less than .50 cents a bottle to make. It sets up better as well.
All you do is get one of those bottles with the little applicator needle in them, and fill it halfway up with the Vyna Bond. Then just add the Lighter Fluid, stir it, and repeat until you get the thickness you want. Viola! Head Cement.