Light Cured Adhesives

T

Tiogadog

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Joined
Jan 11, 2011
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466
Does anybody have any thoughts on the semi-new trend of light cured adhesives? I use expoxy as a coating on some of my nymphs (poxyback stones, Juju Baetis, etc). It seems that the trend though is towards products like Clear Cure Goo, Deer Creek Resin (sic?), Loon fly finish. While these products look promising, they are also rather pricey.

My questions:

1. If you have tried them, what are your thoughts?
2. Have you noticed one is better than the others?

Any comments would be appreciated.

I currently have about 5 dozen nymphs waiting for a top coat and now would be the time to try something new.

Thanks,

T
 
I use solareze, its so much better than the epoxies you mix. bring a few by and give it a try.
 
Sandfly:

Wish I could stop by that way...but Tioga Co. is an 8 drive from my house in Virginia.

Solareze... If I am correct is not a specifically fly fishing marketed product , correct? Not that it matters, though...
 
they do have a line for fly tying. originally it was for surf boards.
 
I have Bug Bond and I like it for my Copper Johns and other flies that you would use epoxy on. It is tack free which I think is a major point. Some products have a little tackie feeling to them after the are cured.
I see the Hook and Hackle has a uv product on its web site that is really cheap. It is probable a good way to see the difference between the thick, thin and hydro types of coatings.
Bill
 
What type of lights are you guys using to cure these products?

Those sold by Fly industry companies seem to be much more expensive than UV spectrum lights sold by retailers.

I will most likely break down and buy one of these products, but I just want to see all of my options.
 
I was using the RIO UV stuff for the last 1.5 years and it's nice, but never really cures 100%. It's always a little tacky, even after leaving the flies in bright sunlight for an afternoon. It is very workable though.

I just made the switch to Clear Cure Goo and it's a world of difference. I bought the thick and liked it so much that I just ordered the thin. A big syringe of it is only like $11-12 if you shop around, which isn't too bad. You have to keep in mind you dont need to use a lot, especially on nymphs. one drop will do just fine.

As for the light, I started out with the little Loon pocket light which sucked. I remember someone posted a link on here to get a decent one for like $4 on Amazon a while back. I picked one of those up and it works just fine. You can also use those UV lights they give you in the teeth whitening kits if you have one of those lying around.

 
For the most part if you still have a tacky feeling after curing take some rubbing alcohol and wipe off the cured goo. removes the tacky feeling.
 
Tried that with the Rio stuff. Still stayed tacky. You get what you pay for. I bought like 5 tubes of it on clearance for like $1.50 each. There's a reason it's so cheap :)

CCG is the way to go. I also got some of the Loon glitter powder for streamer heads. You mix it right in before hitting the light. It works, but I then realized you can get twice as much for $4.99 at AC Moore than you get with a $15 bottle of the Loon stuff.
 
I just started using clear cure goo and have been happy with it. I think for trout flies the CCG thin or hydro is sufficient for most uses. I have only used the thick and thin so far. I've never used any other UV cured epoxies so can't compare.
I do find the syringe a pain to use. I squeeze a little out onto a scrap rubber pad first and use a bodkin to apply it from there.

How well does the alcohol work in getting rid of the tack? I haven't tried it yet (read that it will leave a haze). I've been following up with a coat of hard as hull.
In hind sight, I would have purchased something that doesn't leave a tacky finish.
 
mp, what type of light do you have? That makes a world of difference.
 
I bought my light on Amazon. UV spectrum is not much different from one light to the other UV is UV.
I agree with DUB about the tacky feel on some products. I used the knot sense and it was tacky too.
Bug Bond thick is not tacky but I haven't used anything other than these 2 products.
Google clear cure goo and watch their video on each product to see which on would be best for you.
Bill
 
dubthethorax wrote:
mp, what type of light do you have? That makes a world of difference.
Click to expand...

I use the light that came in the kit. Don't get me wrong, I think the CCG works as advertised. The thin and thick both say they will leave a tacky finish. I wish I researched better and purchased something that left a hard finish, only to eliminate the step of coating it after it is cured. My understanding is that the CCG hydro will cure tack free.
 
I use loon uv knot sense and don't have any problems with it.....it may be a little tacky but I haven't had any fish complain......my light was about 10 dollars, UV is UV but the strength of the bulbs will make a difference as will fresh vs old batteries

The only fly I really use it on is a straggle shrimp that george daniels had a you tube video for

but I can also understand wanting perfection even if it is unattainable
 
I have CCG, Solarez and Loon, I like them in that order.

After getting the CCG and Solarez I wont bother with the Loon so from here on I am only comparing the first two.

The thing that I dont like about the Solarez is the tubes, for me they are difficult to use and apply correctly. Additionally when I received them (from Solarez) they were poorly packed and the Thin had a big dent in it which put it under pressure and i had a "fountain" when I opened it. I do know Solarez offers their products in bottles as well, but from the webpage it appears that they are flip cap tops which I personally would make a huge mess with.

I bought the CCG thin in a bottle and the hydro in a bottle. I would like to try the syringes to see if they are more precise than the bottles.

I really really like the hydro, it is very thin and cures with no tackiness. I use it when i want to secure wraps while tying and use it as a finish over the head and eyes after the thick or thin has been used to build the head.

I use the blue CCG light but not the newest $60 light.
 
Crotalus wrote:


I bought the CCG thin in a bottle and the hydro in a bottle. I would like to try the syringes to see if they are more precise than the bottles.
Click to expand...

Are those the brushable kinds?

I just bought the kit, and I think I ruined one of the syringes already (1st sitting). They are precise...but being a fresh tube, the glue would leak out until I reversed the pressure on the syringe. Eventually, I pulled the whole syringe piece out of the tube where the glue is stored...now I cant put them back together without the stuff leaking out one side or the other, so I capped it and have it sitting upright as we speak.


Anyway, Im kinda wondering if the brushable is the way to go. Otherwise the product works great.
 
the Hydro is brushable or squeezable, comes with a couple tips and a brush. I kinda like the brush better since i have been using sally hansens for so long.

The thin that I bought only included a tip and I dont think it would be brushable
 
Tiogadog wrote:
Does anybody have any thoughts on the semi-new trend of light cured adhesives? I use expoxy as a coating on some of my nymphs (poxyback stones, Juju Baetis, etc). It seems that the trend though is towards products like Clear Cure Goo, Deer Creek Resin (sic?), Loon fly finish. While these products look promising, they are also rather pricey.

My questions:

1. If you have tried them, what are your thoughts?
2. Have you noticed one is better than the others?

Any comments would be appreciated.

I currently have about 5 dozen nymphs waiting for a top coat and now would be the time to try something new.

Thanks,

T
Click to expand...

"Epoxy" type flies for SW are one thing, but just for a coating on a nymph wing case I just use Sally Hansens Hard as Nails. Easy to use, cheap, and finishes off a nymph wing case with a hard, shiny and durable finish. HTH.
 
Afishinado:

I as well am a long time user of Sally Hansen's...but on some flies I just like the slight build up that epoxy provides... I doubt the fish care one iota about it but...

Thanks for all the dialogue everyone...
 
I still use a lot of SH and superglue, but the UV stuff is hands down better than epoxy in my opinion.
 
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