Tying Glue

[Tim Pommer]

Anyone use any conventional adhesives to replace their head cement?

[Ian Crabtree]

Try Sally Hansen’s Hard As Nails.

[Tim Pommer]

and that will help glue down the EP fiber wraps?

[Ian Crabtree]

I don’t know exactly what you mean by EP fiber wraps. Are you referring to the hi tie method used in EP fly construction?

Hard as Nails seems to be a good substitute for Hard as Hull. It’s pretty popular in sw tying.

Are you looking for a glue that has some flex? If so, thin out some marine goop and you’ll have flexament.

[Tim Pommer]

Sorry, that didnt make sense.

[anonymous]

Tim:

A. K. Best continues to use Park’s clear lacquer for head cement. I used it for several years, and it does a good job. You just have to throw out the contents of your head cement bottle from time to time and refill. You can find it at Lowes, Home Depot, etc.

If you want something that really looks nice, try the Orvis high gloss head cement. It does a nice job for streamers where you want to show off the head and painted eyes. I like it for Deceivers.

I use Zap-A-Gap in lieu of head cement on nymphs. Just bead it up on the threads and take about 5 wraps around. Hold for a few seconds and trim. The trick is learning to spread small beads on the thread.

[malcolm robertson]

SH’s Hard as Nails will work fine on the thread wraps at the head. As far as building up a hard clear-coat head, you probably would have to apply several coats to get that effect.

[anonymous]

I quit using standard head/finishing laquer a while ago- this stuff has been the

[Ian Crabtree]

Malcolm’s got it right with the hard as nails. I’d describe it as thinned out epoxy. Because it’s thin you have to apply several coats, but it will give you the glossy effect that you’re looking for.

If I were you I’d just use epoxy for the heads. I love that stuff.

[Tim Pommer]

I once took a flying tying class when I was really young and the instructor said that clear nail polish is the same as head cement.

[Tim Pommer]

Ok so I just looked up Hard As Nails and saw that it is a finger-nail adhesive…Drrrr

Thanks for putting up with my stupidity.

[adam long]

when i started tying i used hard as nails. I gave head cement a try, but i’ve gone back to the sally hasnon. I’ve also seen some nice flies using colored hard as nails for the head.

[Mike Anderson]

Ian is right about the Epoxy if you need to get it soon. For future reference try Loon Hard Head in place of epoxy. One part, no smell, won’t yellow, lasts forever. Great Stuff!

[Matt Jones]

If you can get some, try Loon’s UV Knot Sense.

www.mattjonesphotography.com

[Carter Simcoe]

For binding down the wraps when tying in your EP fibers, which I think is the part of the question no one has answered yet, I just use a small amount of Goop sometimes thinned with toluene (which I think is supposed to be highly toxic, but whatever).

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