Trouble with UV

[Tony Buzolich]

This morning I went to put a few flies away and the glue on eyes seemed loose and still wet. With little pressure they slide right off even after sitting for several days.

I have been using more and more of the Loon UV stuff to finish and create a strong head to which I would then glue the eyes on and then coat again with more UV for a final finish.

Could it be that some of the UV isn't curing that has soaked deeper into the head of the fly? Maybe the glue I'm using (Loctite Super Ultra Gel) to attach the eyes isn't compatible with the UV base?

Maybe I just need to go back to the old Pliobond and forget using the UV?

Any suggestions? Tony

[JD]

My suspicion is the Loctite is indeed the problem. Could be that it did not finish curing, probably creating an improper bonding surface. Any particular reason you do not just use UV for everything? Loon has several viscocities so you could try using the thin for first coat, thick for the eyes, and then then either a final coat of thin or flow depending on how much bulk you need to create with the final coat.

Of course, this is one of the reasons I still just use epoxy.

[Darian]

"This morning I went to put a few flies away and the glue on eyes seemed loose and still wet. With little pressure they slide right off even after sitting for several days."

Tony,.... The above statement makes it sound like you might've forgotten to apply a second coat of Loon UV (over the glued on eyes). If that's not the case, then I'm in agreement with JD. I've never had a batch of Loctite Gel take longer than a few seconds to dry.

I've been using Loctite to glue on eyes over CCG and Solarez for several years and haven't experienced any incompatibility issues.

[Baja Fly Fisher]

Tony
are you sticking the eyes to the head with the UV already in place. What type of fly are the eyes going on.
I don't have any problems sticking eyes on. My sea habits, I place the eyes right on the mylar tubing then coat
the head with the UV material. When putting eyes on my wig hair bait fish patterns, I glue them on first using
automotive goop then once that's dry, I put a thin coated of UV over the top.
I'm using a UV called Solarez. It's not a new product and has no sticky feel once dry. You hit the UV material with a UV light
and then I set them outside in the sun and it will finish setting. The product was made for repairing surfboard dings. It's a
company down in San Diego. Much cheaper than CCG

[Tony Buzolich]

These are simple craft fur / wig hair baitfish patterns. I think I was trying to use the UV as an adhesive and a top coat at the same time. If the eye blocked the wet UV under it then it would never see the sun or light and harden. Maybe?

I'll play with it some more, Tony

[Carl Blackledge]

This morning I went to put a few flies away and the glue on eyes seemed loose and still wet. With little pressure they slide right off even after sitting for several days.

I have been using more and more of the Loon UV stuff to finish and create a strong head to which I would then glue the eyes on and then coat again with more UV for a final finish.

Could it be that some of the UV isn't curing that has soaked deeper into the head of the fly? Maybe the glue I'm using (Loctite Super Ultra Gel) to attach the eyes isn't compatible with the UV base?

Maybe I just need to go back to the old Pliobond and forget using the UV?

Any suggestions? Tony

Tony,

I 'am with JD on this one.

I only use Epoxy. however if the first coat isn't completely dry that will cause the second coat to stay tacky for a few days. Now when I make a batch of new flies I do them in stages, after the first coat I let them dry for a few days till they are hard as a rock and my new flies comes out perfect...my 2 cents

Carl Blackledge

[Tony Buzolich]

I'm sure it's something like that Carl. Buying the UV light and liquid does dry quickly on thin surfaces but I think it may be still wet deeper into the hair under the eyes.

Thanks All, Tony

[dryhollow]

The more I think about getting into UV, the more hassle it sounds like, and more expensive it sounds. I think I wanna try it as I do pretty much any popular product, not out of necessity. Come to think of it , anything I need to do I feel comfortable with now so why bother

[Hogan Brown]

Tony - I use the UV thick and thin on all my striper flies...one thing I have noticed is you need to replace the batteries on your UV light much more often then you think. Even though the light still "works" it is not at full strength to dry or reach thick coated heads. Also when using thick coats put a coat of the thin over the thick ounce you dry the thick.

[retirednavy]

Hi,

You can read my thread on the caveat emptor of Loon curing lights. I was experiencing the same issues as you were on my closers and EP minnows, and EP shad.

I guess it was just dumb luck when my super expensive Loon UV mega light just fizzled and I was left pretty doggone angry and not willing to dive into the hype anymore.

So I went to OSH and bought a $9 cheapo, with lower lumen, wider spectrum, and only one watt.

Dentists do not use 3.8 watts. They use max of 2.

What my tooth engineer told me is that the tack is due to vapor seepage. And that if the skin cures faster than the inner resin that pretty much with the heat that vapor has to go somewhere and so it seeps out through the harder outer skin.

So, when I went to the cheapo from OSH, I had MUCH LESS TACK AND A HARDER CURE.

So, go cheap my friend, go cheap.