Solarez uv

[atitagain]

Has anyone use the solarez? Been using bugbond,but it's pretty expensive.solarez is less then 1/2 the price and I like that it comes in a much larger bottle. Is it really tack free?

[Tuna902]

Atitagain, I have been using the Silarez brand for about a year now and yes it is tack free. I have been using the thick and thin for candies ,

the thin and ultra thin for the hollows and everything in between. I personally love it.

 

Bob

[cgg]

   I like Solarez very much.  I use the Thin to set the shape of Candies--1st coat--and the Thick to finish.  Virtually tack-free after setting with the light.  And if I put them in the sun for a bit they are really tack-free.  The Flex is also excellent.  

 

Seems clearer and "shinier" than Loon too.  Bear'sDen has it for about $23 for the 2 oz bottles, I think, and the one's I saw in Bear's Den a couple weeks ago had a real good needle-nose cap for applying it and working with it.  Some other sources don't supply it with a very good cap.

Edited January 15, 2017 by cgg

[HillTop]

Are there inexpensive UV lights that work well with Solarez or do you have to buy their light?

 

I've been using Tuffleye and it's fine but not cheap. Would love a less expensive and less tacky UV

 

HT

Edited January 15, 2017 by HillTop

[atitagain]

Thanks for the info. Just placed an order of a bottle of each at bears den. Hope my loon's light works well with it. Which light are you guys using ?

Thanks

Don

[Tuna902]

Hey Don, I am using the Solarez light.

[jabster]

Solarez is a great product and tack free once you cure it properly. Their Flex is in my opinion the best flex uv on the market. I use a Chinese light and a Deer Creek light. The Deer Creek light is super powerful. 

Edited January 16, 2017 by jabster

[cgg]

Thanks for the info. Just placed an order of a bottle of each at bears den. Hope my loon's light works well with it. Which light are you guys using ?

Thanks

Don

I use a Loon light and it does fine.

[dbflyfish]

As others have said, the Solarez is a really good product and yes, tack free!!  I am sure you can use other lights, but their light is really nice - strong light and cures it quickly. 

[saltyh2ofly]

Are there inexpensive UV lights that work well with Solarez or do you have to buy their light?

 

I've been using Tuffleye and it's fine but not cheap. Would love a less expensive and less tacky UV

 

HT

The light that came with my kit has a rechargeable battery and recharger, the tubes were the small ones but as soon as I'm out I'm ordering the 2 oz bottle. I've been an ardent epoxy fan for a long time but now that I have this system it is really an excellent and exceeds the old epoxy.

[HillTop]

The light that came with my kit has a rechargeable battery and recharger, the tubes were the small ones but as soon as I'm out I'm ordering the 2 oz bottle. I've been an ardent epoxy fan for a long time but now that I have this system it is really an excellent and exceeds the old epoxy.

Thanks,

 

I've been using Tuffleye  and it's real tacky after UV and it takes a lot of rubbing with alcohol (2X) to get it feeling tack free and then it's really dull, which I'm sure once in the water it's okay but I'd like it fisherman pretty too so then I have to apply a coat of Tuffleye Top Coat.    Be nice to use something that's tack free without the need for applying extra material when I'm done.

 

So,  I'm almost out of my first purchase of Tuffleye and thinking of switching.   Where's the best place to purchase the Solarez, ie: best price ?    Also will need a new light as the Tuffleye  "blue light" I believe only works their products.

 

HT.

 

    Cool Tip:  I purchased a cheap $20 cordless drill at Harbor Freight and if careful you can pinch the eye of your hook in the end of the jaws and then spin your Candy slowly to apply your UV.   Once you have the volume you want you can slowly increase the RPM's and centrifugal force does a really nice job of giving you a beautiful shape to your Surf Candy.  Try it you'll like it  

[KironaFly]

   I like Solarez very much.  I use the Thin to set the shape of Candies--1st coat--and the Thick to finish.  Virtually tack-free after setting with the light.  And if I put them in the sun for a bit they are really tack-free.  The Flex is also excellent.  

 

Seems clearer and "shinier" than Loon too.  Bear'sDen has it for about $23 for the 2 oz bottles, I think, and the one's I saw in Bear's Den a couple weeks ago had a real good needle-nose cap for applying it and working with it.  Some other sources don't supply it with a very good cap.

 

Hey CGG .... with Solarez how "brittle" is it? With Tuffleye it seems to crack up easily if you touch that rock on a cast. Regular epoxy was much more forgiving though yellowing over time. What are you're thoughts on this ... the brittleness of the UV cures?

[cgg]

Hey CGG .... with Solarez how "brittle" is it? With Tuffleye it seems to crack up easily if you touch that rock on a cast. Regular epoxy was much more forgiving though yellowing over time. What are you're thoughts on this ... the brittleness of the UV cures?

I know what you mean, KironaFly.  When I used Devcon5Minute Epoxy I always thought it was pretty fragile and I had trouble with shattering and cracking flies on rocks shore fishing, or my engine cowling when on the boat.  I have fished with Surf Candies done with Loon UV quite a bit the last two seasons and have found them to be much more durable than 5Min Epoxy.  The Loon seems to have a little flex to it and be more forgiving.  I have not fished Solarez flies a whole lot, but did use a few at Cape Lookout last fall and they seem fine, but I have also gotten better about handling my back cast and not hitting the motor!  I still use Loon a little, because I have it, but have switched to Solarez for 95% of my "epoxy" fly needs.  I don't really use 5Min Epoxy for anything anymore.  I do use 30Min Epoxy for coating Crease Flies--it adheres to the foam bodies better than the UV acrylics.  I've found that they tend to peel off.

 

Hopefully I will get to start fishing in a few weeks and will have a better report on how durable the Solarez Candies are.

[jabster]

I have used Solarez for two years now and it has become my favorite. They are more durable then 5-min epoxy. I have a fly here and there that cracks. The reason is that they were made poorly/in haste. One air pocket is all you need to make your candy a lot less durable.

Edited March 8, 2017 by jabster

[KironaFly]

I do use 30Min Epoxy for coating Crease Flies--it adheres to the foam bodies better than the UV acrylics.  I've found that they tend to peel off.

 

Hopefully I will get to start fishing in a few weeks and will have a better report on how durable the Solarez Candies are.

 

Thanks for the comments / insights. Over time I switched all of my epoxy work to 30 minute Devcon (or similar) ... even though it took more like a couple of hours to dry hard / tack free. They didn't seem to yellow as fast either.

 

Tuffleye has been fine ... though I haven't done that much tying with it  ... or the flex version. The standard Tuffleye did seem more brittle. And yeah ... I have a few "spider cracks" on my outboard engine cowling / cover ... mostly from Clouser strikes.

 

Just another month or so till good spring fishing in Virginia ... tying up some Shad & Striper candies would be prudent on my part. Good luck with your fishing this year!