UV resin

[ColdBore]

What's everybody using for UV resin?

I know I've read about at least a couple of guys who make (or have made) some really good resin, and sell it as sort of a "house brand" under their own names, but I can't recall the names.

I need to restock, and looking to see what other options are out there besides the normal Loon, Solarez, etc brand names.

 

[drakeking412]

I use a "house brand" it's called silver Creek he's over on NA fly fishing forum. He has thick and thin and it's like $16 a bottle. I tie small stuff so I only ever use extremely small amounts and it's still a little too thick. Solarez bone dry is good though for those light applications

 

[sgrim]

I have only recently started tying with UV resin. I picked up a cheap kit on Amazon (RiverRuns label) that included 3 types of resin and a light. I guess once I get some mistakes out of the way, maybe I'll invest in higher quality materials.

 

[ColdBore]

drakeking412 wrote:

I use a "house brand" it's called silver Creek he's over on NA fly fishing forum. He has thick and thin and it's like $16 a bottle.

Thanks! That was one of the names that I couldn't remember. I did a search and found his direct contact info. I just sent him an email.

Thanks again for the help.

 

[PennKev]

sgrim wrote:
I guess once I get some mistakes out of the way, maybe I'll invest in higher quality materials.

No offense, but that's sort of backwards thinking since better materials generally yield superior results in the first place as they work as intended and look as expected. UV resin is a good example. Some of the cheapo brands are almost useless and a weak/incorrect light will further compound the problem. How do you know that the mistakes and not simply due to inferior products?

 

[drakeking412]

ColdBore wrote:

Thanks! That was one of the names that I couldn't remember. I did a search and found his direct contact info. I just sent him an email.

Thanks again for the help.

Anytime! His $30 torch is pretty good too although you have to buy special batteries

 

[sandfly]

solarez for more than 20 years.

 

[sgrim]

PennKev wrote:



No offense, but that's sort of backwards thinking since better materials generally yield superior results in the first place as they work as intended and look as expected. UV resin is a good example. Some of the cheapo brands are almost useless and a weak/incorrect light will further compound the problem. How do you know that the mistakes and not simply due to inferior products?

PennKev, I agree to some extent but I was looking to just play around a little bit without dumping a bunch of money into more material that sits in a box. The stuff I got works well enough to tie some flies that meet my needs, and I got a lot of the "oops" out of the way at low cost. When the time comes, I'll replace with something a little better.

 

[baileyoconnell]

Jewelry resin is clearer and less expensive. Most is medium thickness and cures with 390 - 405 no torch.

 

[sgrim]

baileyoconnell wrote:
... cures with 390 - 405 no torch.

I don't know what this means. Is that the type of light?

 

[czechmate18]

390 - 405 is the manometer wave length of the light needed to cure the resin.

 

[ColdBore]

sgrim wrote:

baileyoconnell wrote:
... cures with 390 - 405 no torch.

I don't know what this means. Is that the type of light?

I'm betting "no" was a typo or autocorrect for "nm" (nanometers).

Most UV resins cure in the high-300's nanometer wavelength of light.

 

[sgrim]

Aaah, that makes sense. I thought maybe it meant it would cure without a light. Thanks.

 

[afishinado]

sgrim wrote:
Aaah, that makes sense. I thought maybe it meant it would cure without a light. Thanks.

Actually it will always cure using your backup light....the sun.

Back to the OP question.

I've landed on Solarez and it works well for me.

 

[mcwillja]

I second solarez bone dry as one of if not the top resin.

 

[mcwillja]

and for colored resins i have been using Gulff. the florescent orange is killer.

 

[Wetfly01]

Being new to the uv resin game and not bashing anyone's product. I've been using Loon's uv resin and torch. I've noticed after curing it's still a little tacky, so I applied some Sally Hansons hard as nails over resin to eliminate the tackiness. Is there a better product out there that will not be tacky?

 

[nfrechet]

solarez bonedry is not tacky

 

[PennKev]

nfrechet wrote:
solarez bonedry is not tacky

I've had very good luck with the Solarez products, including Bonedry.. ...with one caveat. I upgraded my light. Prior to switching lights, I still had some tack and greasiness issues.

Here's what I use, cheap and works well (Keep the batteries fresh!):

UV Flashlight

 

[ColdBore]

I tried going the "cheap" route on curing lights, this is what I ended up with. :roll:

It was advertised as using one AA battery. The cavity was the correct length for a single AA (I backed it out to show the incorrect diameter), but the diameter of a CR123 (though too long for one, and too short for two).

In other words, it fit neither one, and was useless.

Thanks Chinese eBay seller (yeah, I should've known better, but was looking for a cheap backup "travel" light that might get lost).