Repairing Weighted floats

[Dinosaur]

I'm about to restart my hobby and in my float box I have several weighted wagglers among other things.

Whilst they have been in retirement for a lot of years the weight has become separated, unglued etc. from the float body.

Can anyone suggest what I should use to re-attach obviously a glue of some kind but I don't want to use anything that could cause damage to either venue, fish or tackle.

I seem to remember back in the 70's my uncle used something called "durafix" but not sure if it is still available or fits in with the previous sentence.

 

[Bobnewboy]

I have been using HMG Heat and Waterproof glue. It’s inherited from another hobby of mine - field archery - where it has proven to be tough and completely waterproof. It’s cheap and effective, and once set has no smell nor taste, so i think that there are no solvents left in it. I would happily recommend it.

Cheers, Bob

 

[103841]

Arakdite is good for the job and also for turning non weighted floats into weighted floats.

 

[peter crabtree]

You could use them without the weights attached. Just lock them onto your line with shot.

 

[nottskev]

Another vote for Araldite. Nothing I've repaired/made with it has ever failed subsequently. Even the "Rapid" gives you, unlike, say, superglues, plenty of time to position and adjust whatever you're sticking.

 

[Dinosaur]

Thanks for the pointers looks like 'Araldite' will get the job simply because I know where to buy it. Sorry Bob never heard of HMG so wouldn't know where to get it that's the only reason I've turned your suggestion down at the moment.

 

[Bobnewboy]

Thanks for the pointers looks like 'Araldite' will get the job simply because I know where to buy it. Sorry Bob never heard of HMG so wouldn't know where to get it that's the only reason I've turned your suggestion down at the moment.

No probs. It might but be a little difficult to find in a physical shop in Sussex, but it is widely available on the web through archery shops etc. There are 3 or4 such shops here in Surrey. If you do a web search it is the stuff in a white/blue or blue tube.

Cheers, Bob

 

[Tee-Cee]

With the Araldite Rapid just make sure you have everything ready to go BEFORE you start mixing the two elements!! Once you have mixed them together (about 45secs I recall) you don't have long before it starts to harden, so it pays to be really well organised if you are fixing a number of floats.

NOT to say you cannot glue a number of floats at the same time but I usually have a around six to work on at one time and I manage to do this without making a dogs breakfast. You just need to take your time and be methodical....

I hope this doesn't sound like preaching but from long experience it can all go very wrong very quickly, if you rush things.

For example, if I'm making wagglers with an top insert and a hardwood peg in the base I want both parts to be perfectly parallel to the main stem so I know some adjustment and fiddling around is always going to be necessary at the gluing stage.

In my opinion I would suggest you do a couple of trial runs just to get the hang of the glue setting time....

Good luck!

ps TRY TO KEEP THE STUFF OFF YOUR FINGERS FROM THE OFF - A REAL PAIN TO SHIFT IT ONCE DRY!!!