My Hard as Hull head cement is getting very thick and isn’t as easy to use as used to be.
Any suggestions for a thinning solvent that i can use? How about nail polish remover? I can “borrow” some from my wife.
Thanks,
Northwoods
“Where winter has pasted us by” 
Yes I think an acetone(nail polish remover) will thin hard as nails. But what I do is use the thicker hard as nails as a clear coat for head and go spend another dollar or less at the local walmart for a new bottle.
Just my two cent worth,
Ghost.
I think Hard as Hull is a Loon product isn’t it, Northwood?..it may not use the same solvent as Hard As Nails…hence the question???
If acetone is the solvent I would stay away from the removers and use pure acetone…don’t most of our wives nail polish removers have lots of additives …like scents …
sorry miss read your post. But one thing all my loon product are water based, so what does the label say. If it state it a water based product then use water if it smells then acetone.
Ghost.
I read the label, no mention of water. Smelling it it reminds me of the model airplane glue we used as kids. Must be solvent based.
Northwoods
Northwoods, I would try some lacquer thinner, it seems to work for me on all the head cements. I f this Loon product is an epoxy, then epoxy thinner is the way to go.
If the product smells like old model airplane glue, then the proper thinner would be toluene (aka toluol) or, preferably, xylene (aka xylol). You might get away with methyl ethyl ketone (aka MEK) or lacquer thinner. Or you might get a mess. It’s hard to tell without trying.
But don’t buy a $5 can of solvent just to thin a $1 bottle of head cement. It’s cheaper and safer just to buy a new bottle of head cement.
And don’t use nail polish remover as a thinner. The nail polish remover contains acetone, but also water and oily additives. The water and additives will do some nasty things to your head cement!
Tom
Yes. Don’t confuse a thinner with a remover or cleaner. Thinners thin; removers destroy; cleaners take off something and leave the rest in tact.
Just because it is a guy thing, I usually have 4 or more thinners/removers/cleaners around the workbench:
Laquer Thinner which is the classic base for a lot of hobby paints and nail polish. Use carefully; it can be a destroyer.
Mineral Spirits which appears on a lot of labels and also removes gooy deposites left by labels.
Rubbing alcohol which is frequently the safest cleaner. For cleaning try this one first.
Charcoal Lighter and Lighter Fluid which, though not designated for those uses, really do the trick sometimes. Charcoal Starter works for thinning oil based paints too. Don’t use Ronsinol for that.
No Acetone yet.
If the stuff you have has gone bad anyway, I would experiment on samples starting with laquer thinner and ending when the product is the right consistency or has curdled into a hopeless gooy mess. BTW do this outside or in a well ventilated, non-smoking area.
Don’t worry about the cost of these products. They are workshop staples. If your workbench does not have 4 or 5 of these products within reach, it is a called a kitchen counter. (Note Well: Kitchen counters are clear and ready for the next project; workbenches are littered with stuff left over from the last project just in case it is needed for the next project.)
BTW, the other day, in the paint section at ACE, I was thinking about buying some “Pure Denatured Alcohol” but could not reconcile the oxymoron. Does anyone know what is in the stuff?
Northwoods,
While surfing through the “Tying Tips” section on FAOL, I came across this tip that may be useful in the future with your next new bottle of head cement. It stated that as you use head cement and the amount in the bottle goes down, it allows more air into the bottle which then causes the head cement to start evaporatiing which then causes it to get thicker and unuseable. The tip was to add marbles to the bottle of head cement which will raise the liquid up to the neck of the bottle which will stop the evaporation process. Keep adding marbles until you have used up the head cement. I have not tried this tip, but, it does make sense.
how ya gonna get marbles into a bottle of head cement?
Use a bottle neck stretcher of course. :roll:
I believe Flex Coat Head Cement comes in a wide mouth bottle that has a lid for it that has a built-in bodkin for applying the head cement. BTW, the lid from the wide mouth bottle that ketchup comes in, you know the one that has the lid that is plastic and you just flip the top open and squeeze the bottle and when finished flip the top closed, will fit the Flex Coat head cement bottle and this will give you a small hole to insert the bodkin through to use the cement and then just flip the top closed. I use Sally Hanson mostly, but, will pour it into the Flex Coat bottle and use the flip-top lid on it. That sure beats unscrewing the lid on SH and then putting it back on. The flip-top can be opened and closed with one hand. The mouth on Flex Coat Head Cement is large enough to insert marbles, ball bearings, etc., if that is what you want to do. The bottle can be purchased full of head cement and a metal lid or a plastic lid with a built-in bodkin for applying the head cement. It can also be purchased as an empty bottle with either lid to put the head cement you prefer in it.
Just reporting my findings and not making any recommendations.
Northwoods,
I think Hard as Hull is made by Backcountry Labs. It should say on the bottle. If you look in Blacks guide (which is on the Field and Stream web site) they give this entry:
Backcountry Laboratories
1441 W. Newport Center Dr.
Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
Tel: 954-480-9202
Fax: 954-480-9220
backcountry@shadow.net
Contact: Tom Winarick
If you come down to da Twin Cities in April for the Great Waters Fly Fishing show they should give you a printed copy of the Black’s Guide which lists all the companies that manufacture fly fishing products.
BTW, I found Hard as Hull in some online fly shops and it says you never need to thin it. What’s a guy supposed to do anyway?
Hard As Hull is an acrylic polymer. To find out what to use to thin it I would think the best thing to to do is go to your local hardware store and ask what to use or contact the manufacture.
Thats what I would do. 