Epoxy heads

[Ray]

I have a question regarding applying epoxy for heads of flys. I want to tie some flies with epoxy heads where the epoxy is in a thin layer, brushed towards the back, over stick on eyes. Kind of the head and shoulders look.

My question is, what is the best way to get a smooth finish? I was thinking of using a cheap small detailing paint brush. I don't want a streaky finish. I use epoxy heads for several of my flies, but the "self-leveling" effect usually works great for larger amounts of epoxy.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

Ray

[DougAnderson]

Ray,
If you want smooth heads and shoulders, one coat must be thick and self levelling. Two coats can be thin with a light sanding (wet sandpaper) after the first coat. I only sand if there are sharp bumps sticking out from the body. You can reduce the viscosity (thinning) of the epoxy by placing a cup of water in the microwave for 3 to 4 minutes and dropping the bottles of epoxy into the hot water. Now mix the two parts from each bottle. This works great for rod winding Flex Coat as well.
Cheap paint brushes can be used, but I usually use a bodkin and brush the epoxy out by laying a long section of the needle along the fly. You can slowly rotate the fly in the vise and get the effect of a larger belly by letting the epoxy droop with a slower speed. If you are looking for a uniform coating, place the coated fly in the motorized drier and let it turn.

[Ray]

Doug

Thanks for you help with the epoxy heads. I think I will try the bodkin first with some slow curing epoxy.

Ray