Head Cementing Bodies

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joaniebo
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Head Cementing Bodies

Post by joaniebo » Wed Nov 28, 2018 6:28 pm

I've seen videos when people apply head cement to the thread body before making a peacock herl wet fly body, so in the past few days, I decided that I would do the same thing BUT with touch dubbed bodies.

It's always concerned me that lightly dubbed / touch dubbed bodies without a wire rib could loose dubbing when fishing and end up with only the underlying thread as the body.

I now wind the thread to the end of the hook shank; do 4 or 5 thread turns forward (to make a small colored butt); then use my dubbing needle to put a drop of head cement on the thread before touch dubbing the fur to the thread.

Figure this might help keep the dubbing in place for a longer period of time plus also strengthen the "butt thread wraps" that sometimes come loose after a few fish.
Mike62
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Re: Head Cementing Bodies

Post by Mike62 » Wed Nov 28, 2018 7:57 pm

I'm glad somebody else tried the glue on the thread thing. I used to loose a lot of dubbing rather quickly and assumed my dubbing loop technique needed work; in desperation I tried running a tiny bead of glue down the thread with a needle. My dubbing has gotten better but I still use cement from time to time, too.
joaniebo
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Re: Head Cementing Bodies

Post by joaniebo » Wed Nov 28, 2018 9:55 pm

John

I don’t use Super Glue, only Fly-tite head cement and it gets absorbed pretty quickly on the body.

Bob
narcodog
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Re: Head Cementing Bodies

Post by narcodog » Wed Nov 28, 2018 11:50 pm

IMO if you use the proper wax you should not have the problem.
"I like beer, do you like beer, I like beer a lot."
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Theroe
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Re: Head Cementing Bodies

Post by Theroe » Thu Nov 29, 2018 6:16 am

Once I’ve wound down the shank, I untwist my silk down to the three strands, apply a bit of white pine sap(mixed with alcohol to thin), then apply dubbing and retwist.......it works for me.

Dana
Soft and wet - the only way....
Bazzer69
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Re: Head Cementing Bodies

Post by Bazzer69 » Fri Nov 30, 2018 1:20 am

Superglue or head cement under a herl body stripped or full peacock will make for a really strong fly, if not used you either have to rib the body with wire or thread otherwise you can be sure your fly will only be good for one fish.
Incidentally a guy on YouTube called Barry Ord Clarke has a great video on how to get a wonderful Peacock herl body. The Video in question is the one showing how to tie a Coch y Bonddu check it out.
Barry
https://youtu.be/-n2Rf4dJEqg
Love both fly fishing and fly tying, been doing it for a while
But not much good at either
Mike62
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Location: Northern Maine

Re: Head Cementing Bodies

Post by Mike62 » Fri Nov 30, 2018 7:56 pm

Theroe wrote: Thu Nov 29, 2018 6:16 am Once I’ve wound down the shank, I untwist my silk down to the three strands, apply a bit of white pine sap(mixed with alcohol to thin), then apply dubbing and retwist.......it works for me.

Dana
Okay, you're taking 'swamp yankee' ingenuity to a whole new place. Please post the proportions for this new tying elixir; I'd love to try it. I remember walking through the woods with my grandfather collecting spruce gum.

I never did acquire a taste for it. Of course his 'tastes' may have been in question; his favorite drink was Moxie, ...warmed on the wood stove.
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Theroe
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Re: Head Cementing Bodies

Post by Theroe » Mon Dec 03, 2018 6:15 am

Mike
I collect sap, maybe the size of a big marble. Then put it in a baby food jar and melt over very low heat - pick out the bits of bark, etc. Add just enough alcohol to turn from a solid to tacky paste: the consistency of cold bacon grease is just about right.

Footnote- my tying wax is 40% of this pine sap mixture,59% raw bees wax from my neighbor, and 1% virgin olive oil -an eye dropper or two full gives the right viscosity.

Dana
Soft and wet - the only way....
Mike62
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Location: Northern Maine

Re: Head Cementing Bodies

Post by Mike62 » Tue Dec 04, 2018 5:23 pm

Theroe wrote: Mon Dec 03, 2018 6:15 am Mike
I collect sap, maybe the size of a big marble. Then put it in a baby food jar and melt over very low heat - pick out the bits of bark, etc. Add just enough alcohol to turn from a solid to tacky paste: the consistency of cold bacon grease is just about right.

Footnote- my tying wax is 40% of this pine sap mixture,59% raw bees wax from my neighbor, and 1% virgin olive oil -an eye dropper or two full gives the right viscosity.

Dana
Thank you, Dana. I am absolutely going to mix up a batch; I love this idea! I've been keeping bees for the better part of most of my life and bees wax is something I have on hand.
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