Head Cement

[silkfish]

What Head Cement do you use.Need some ideas flumes are too much,I have to change.I now use Hard as Hull


bob

[dudley]

I use cheap nail polish, crazy glue, or goop mixed with lighter fluid 50/50 (now there's some fumes) :brow

[Onshore]

Hard as Nails. Just don't lean over the jar.

[baldwin]

I don't. I use super glue. Quick, few fume problems (but... a shot up your nose is killer), quick and easy, dries fast. To add durability, I sometimes epoxy.

[JohnDe]

Bob - you might first try to ventilate the area you tie in or take the flies to an area that has more air flow to coat the heads. I am sensitive to several of the products. Anything with toulene or acetone does me in. Flexament is/was the worst. However I have Hard Head, CA adhesives, zap-a-gap-a-doo, goop, several epoxies, soft body, hard as hull, hard as nails clear, hard as nails colored and other chemicals that I don't seem to react to. I'm sure they are destroying brain cells. I'm just not feeling it. Some products, like super glue, are used during the construction of flies done with clear mono or foam which makes it hard to avoid.
If you are ultra-sensitive there are a few products that are enviro-friendly. Formulas marketed by Loon and Angler's Choice are a couple you might look for that are water based. Fly Tite head cement is sold by Hook & Hackle and made from natural ingredients. It is thinned with denatured alcohol. I use it more for freshwater as a penetrating head cement. It won't give you the built up glossy head that the poly stuff gives but your head won't explode. Good luck - you will notice that the user friendly stuff costs twice as much.

[ruge13]

Cotes isn't bad, but a little thin and will need a few coats for an epoxy like finish. Orvis head cement has a strong smell I think. Super glue Gel is my favorite. Quick application and dry time so the smell disipates quickly.

[Brians_22]

if you use nail polish, make sure it has nylon in it to make it water proof.

I use sally hansen, hard as nails, with nylon.

[sagamoron]

this is along similar lines. I tied up a few crease flies, painted the foam then covered the whole thing with Loon Hard Head.( I read to do this from an online how-to.) I let them dry over night and the next day the hard Head was peeling off simply by handling the fly. any idea why this happened?

[fishingqueen]

really Brian what color exactly, would you like to paint my nails? ill reward you anyway you want

[Rokus]

Try "Sally Fields' Hard as Nails" - in any Drugstore for a couple of bucks. Works great!

[titleguy]

I use zap-a-gap, followed up by Loon Hard Head to give it some gloss. When tying clousers, I zap-a-gap the eyes and then each layer of materials- little slower but makes them more durable. I have also been using ez-body sparkle lately as an alternative to epoxy ( which I never used much or liked) and have had pretty good results with it. It doesn't stink too much. :brow

[BuzFly]

I found that Loon Hard Head on Crease Flies not a good thing. It chips or flaks off. Loon Soft Head works OK as well as epoxy.
Brad