So for the last couple years I have been seeing this UV head cement becoming really popular. It seems really cool too. My question for you guys is that is this something that I would need or find extremely useful for tying flies for trout? Tying trout flies is about all I do and could see were I would use it occasionally. Do you guys use it much? How do you think it preforms, does it make a difference? And which is best the thin, thick, or flex?
Thanks,
Spencer
If you use and mix epoxy, UV makes you feel smart... I use the Loon thin (really thin) for things like chironomids and the CCG tack free for streamer heads, etc. I use a cheap light from China that Normand posted a link to a while back. Works good.
Does it make a difference? Only the marketing guys know for sure.
i dont think its one of those "must have" products that needs to be on every fly tyers desk.
its merely an option for epoxy, head cement etc.
i personally do not use it as head cement. i use it for coating chironomids and bass poppers.
but each individual may have a different use for it.
so is it worth it? well to some tyers it is and to other tyers its not..
it is an expensive item but for me its worth every penny from a time saved standpoint. no incorrect mixing of hardener and resin, no buying or making a drying wheel. i havent seen it turn yellow like epoxy tends to do.
if you have a tying friend that uses it, tie up a couple of flies that you think you would use it on and ask him if you could try out his resin. then you will get a feel if its truely the right product for you.
if you are considering buying some, i would forgo the goo that comes in a syringe as tyers are reporting difficulty when using it.
the variety of goos out on the market come in a syringe, bottle with brush cap and bottle with dispenser tips. i like the the brush cap for ease of applying and spreading the goo for poppers and chironomids followed by the dispenser tip. it is entirely up to you which one you might prefer.
I agree with Norm. I don't use head cement for my fishing flies. I do use it from time to time on some of my baitfish patterns. Is it a must have? No. Not for head cement. Save your money and if you must use head cement for your fishing flies, use Sally Hanson.
However, I am sold on Knot-Sense to secure my line to leader knot. I was using the product before they expended its use to fly tying.
I am with Norm, I use it on my chironomids where it works well, but not in place of head cement. I think it would be frustrating using it has head cement because you need to hit it with the beam for 30-60 seconds; that would drive me crazy when tying. But, I do carry some with a small lamp in my fishing bag for quick wader repairs. Probably don't need to carry the lamp with the big free one in the sky, but the larger light I bought also came with the smaller one, so had to put it somewhere!
Okay thanks a lot guys for the info. Probably will have to try and test it on a few flies first to see what I think of it. And Dave that made me laugh haha ---> "Probably don't need to carry the lamp with the big free one in the sky,"
So I'm looking at tying a number of flies with epoxy heads e.g. sand lance. I generally can't stand the messy mixing but haven't done it yet. Unrelated to head cement, it sounds like most of you would recommended it over other products in creating a built up epoxy head and/or body?
That is my resin that I sell to Lund's fly shop. I met the owner while demo fly tying for TU and he bought my resin. After using it, he wanted me to sell him bottles without labels for his fly shop, so we came to a deal.
Notice that the bottles are the same:
I have several options for UV flashlights and package deals. PM me if you interested in purchasing directly from me with free shipping deals.
Check out my posts on UV resin. I explain the chemistry behind these resins and why some are tacky and mine is not.
Gentleman thanks for the advice. I'll be shopping around and checking out your product too silvercreek. I found a couple of good posts on UV lights as well here.
Never tried the UV cement... rarely tie while on the road, let alone stream side, so quick dry is not a concern. I've always used Hansen's Hard as Nail's and a $2 bottle lasts me a couple years.
Just a quick update.
I purchased some UV cure and a light from board member silvercreek. This is the first UV cure I've used that is truly tack free. It doesn't require outdoor UV for the final cure or a top coat of Sally Hansens to cover the tack.
Others have advertised their products as tack free, but I haven't found them to be so.
His High Power light is great as well for curing his product. If you've been thinking getting into UV cures, his product would be a great option at a very good price point.
SF
Doug,
I still like epoxy, but don't use it much anymore. The UV cure is just so easy and no turners involved.
I find it just as tough as epoxy as well. It holds up nicely if you ding your fly on the beach with your backcast.
SF
I just ordered/received recently so haven't used it much but so far I'm really likin' it.
When I contacted him Henry was just getting ready to leave on an extended vacation but took the time to expedite my order and also stayed in touch via e-mail. I really appreciated that sort of customer service!
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