Help…
I recently purchased this product. I followed instructions and coated some knots on three different lines where I added mono loops with nail knots.
According to the package this stuff dries very quickly, Seconds in the sun and minutes otherwise.
I coated my knots about 20 hours ago and the coating is not yet dry.
Could ther be a logical reason or did I get a bad package, maybe out dated? I don’t see an expiry date on the package or the tube.
-Yaf
I dunno? I use the little blue UV light thingy and a few seconds under that and the stuff is rock solid. It’s supposed to be faster in the sunlight, but sunlight is a premium here in Upstate NY. When it exists I try to enjoy it and NOT tie flies.
I re-read you post. Did you try taking it outside into sunlight or have you just been counting on stray UV rays indoors? It reuires UV light to harden…so I’d at least put the knots in the window.
[This message has been edited by LWilliams (edited 01 March 2005).]
Loren, is that the UV Mini Lamp?
What do they go for $ ?
awe, see, I did not know that. Makes sense, but the package didn’t say that it actually required UV rays. Duh, call me a …
anyway, back to the lamp?
Well, it is winter in most of the country, and I’ve found that this stuff cures very slowly when it’s cold, sun or no. Inside with the uv lamp it cures in seconds. I have had some luck laying the knot on a window sill and waiting a few (sunny) hours. The directions say not to do this, but it works anyway.
Yaffle:
Yep, I’m not sure what they cost as I did not pay for mine. But, they also have a new product, the UV Power Light for like $25. I’m going to get one of those.
Looks like back to the fly shop and see if they have a lamp. -Yaf
Yaffle,
Here is a website that sells the UV lamp if your shop does not have one in stock. [url=http://www.flyfishusa.com/leaders/leader-accesories.html:8d442]http://www.flyfishusa.com/leaders/leader-accesories.html[/url:8d442]
yaffle-UV Knot Sense will not cure on its own. You definately need a UV source to cure that polymer. Use a UV lamp lamp indoors or the bright sunshine outdoors.
Also-Careful with your vision using a powerful UV lamp. I wear special orange UV filtering goggles when curing at the bench.
Rich
O.K. Where were you guys before I made the purchase? 
uh? ?
Yaffle-
Loon makes regular Knot Sense (not the UV activated type) that hardens in 20 minutes on its own. I use that on knots, of course.
They also make a product named Hard Head, which is a medium fast drying head cement…
Anyways… so many choices and so much to learn… It is all very fun, don’t you think?
Rich
[This message has been edited by flymaker2 (edited 01 March 2005).]
Yaffle,
You do, indeed, need UV to cure this product (as you have discovered!). Remeber that, using the UV lamp, there will be a small amount of surface tack on the product after it cures. This is because the air prevents the VERY surface from curing under that particular wavelength (the product was formulated to cure under the broader UV spectrum in sunlight). This tack will go away and doesn’t affect the product.
Cheers,
Chris
I was just on Loon’s web site. I found a Canadian dealer and sent them an e-mail inquiring about the mini lamp. The fly shop where I bought the U.V. knot sense doesn’t have the lamp, as I found out today.
I got burnt with high duty charges on my last U.S. purchase and it isn’t worth it for such a small item.
hope this work out. -Yaf
You can also get UV light from those 60’s era ‘blacklights’. Some of the smaller bulbs might be cheaper than the $25 that was mentioned earlier for the min-lamp mentioned.
I also have seen some small LED flashlights that had a lot of light in the UV spectrum.
Instead of the Knot Sense I use the UV wader repair, since it’s already in my vest. I actually have to be careful to apply it in full shade or it will harden before I can get the coating smooth.
As eyeryone knows, knots are the weak points in tapered leaders. I tried using this stuff to coat my tippet knots last season in hopes it would cement the knot coils together and make all knots test at 100%. To my disappointment, I still had knot breakage and wonder if it might have been caused by the heat given off as the coating cures. It’s logical that heat effects the strength of the synthetics leaders are made of. Has anyone else had similar experiences?
Andy,
I wouldn’t coat every knot. I coat the nail-knot with it. This smoothes the transition bt it also seasl the core of the fly-line so it does not soak up water.
If you are having routine breakage at your leader knots then either you are tying them improperly or your material is too old.
Andy, I have not noticed any heat generated by the water based Loon Knot Sense product. It is advertised as a knot fortifier which strengthens the knots up to 20%. This could easily be tested by anyone with a good knot tying skills and a precision scale.
I have noticed a little bit of heat generated by the UV curing version; and only when I use it in large amounts on fly heads and bodies. For the amount needed to cover a knot, I would guess the heat degradation of any mono line would be slight and probably none at all. Just a gut feeling.
I use knot Sense on knots on saltwater rigs and have found it to be a good product. I like the way you can protect a knot at the hook eye from sand abrasion.
Your milage may vary…
Rich
Just a side note for UV light. Most window glass is slightly to very opaque to UV. So depending upon what kind of glass and how thick your cure time will vary. Keep in mind that some of the new glass made for use in homes has a coating on it that blocks UV rays.
Back in my days as a manufacturing engineer we used EPROMs (memory devices) that had quartz glass windows on them so that they could be erased with UV. Quartz is about 95% transparent to UV.
Michael (Wooly) Woolum
State Certified Hunter Education Instructor
Hickory, MS
Flymaker2: Thanks for the tip on water-based Loon Knot Sense. I assumed all knot coatings were the same formula since they are packaged in similar tubes and came out about the same time. In fact, I thought they were made by one company and private labeled, but I guess I was wrong! I’ll make it a point to check that stuff out.
If you are still having trouble finding a UV light go to a pet store. Many of them sell UV lights for finding out where your cat sprayed in your house. (cheaper to put the cat out)