Fly Floatant

(Conan The Librarian) wrote in
om:

wrote in message
. ..

No, but there IS guy whose family owns a silica mine...hydrophobic
(often treated with silicone oil - like copier oil) fumed silica
should have the properties of FF. The untreated variety should not
as it is hydrophilic. I can't remember where I heard it, but I do
remember hearing that FF is the treated stuff as is used in certain
toner formulations. FWIW, "Cab-O-Sil" isn't a specific product, it
is a line name, with various formulations in the line.

I am wondering if cab-o-sil is the same as "colloidal silica". The
reason I mention it is because you used to be able to get a sampler
pack from West System epoxy that included "colloidal silica" as a
filler. IIRC, you simply paid shipping costs for the pack. (Or
shipping costs plus a nominal fee.) I don't know if they still offer
that or not.

Anyhow, if this stuff is the same, I'd guess that you could order
some from them for a decent price.


Chuck Vance (who'll have to dig around in his shop to see where
he put that sampler pack)


FWIW I experienced the same result Larry L described earlier. I only mention it here
because I was testing West System 406 Colloidal Silica which Chuck mentions. I don't
know anything about Frog's Fanny but assume the Top Ride I use is the same sort of
thing. I added a teaspoon or so of the 406 to the Top Ride container and tried it out.
I am certain it is not the right stuff. Although it dried the fly well enough it
seemed to make it sink rather than float especially if I had applied paste floatant to
the fly earlier. In that case the silica clumped onto the fly and dragged it down
instantly. Perhaps there are different formulations of colloidal silica as RDean
suggested but based on my experience West 406 Colloidal is NOT the right kind.

Back to the fly shop to replace the Top (now Bottom!) Ride.

Jeff

Wolfgang wrote:
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote:
Amadou starts out very smooth on both sides. ...

Amadou is simply a fungus. Leave it in the package and it will
eventually oxidize and crumble. A piece of chamois works as well, is
a lot cheaper and much more readily available. The sleeve of a well
worn cotton shirt is better in every respect......except, of course,
for cachet among elitist idiots.

Always nice to hear the knee-jerk nasty contingent weighing in.

A small piece of chamois will de-slime a fly a few times, a small
piece of cotton will not de-slime a fly at all. Amadou is the way
to go.

--
Ken Fortenberry

"Wolfgang" wrote...
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote...
Tim J. wrote:

The minimum order is three sheets at $50.25 CHF + $30 CHF for
shipping (about
$62 USD total). I've never used the stuff before, mainly because
of the $20
Orvis price for a tiny patch you mention in another post. If 1/3
of a sheet is a
year or greater supply, this would be about a 10 year supply. How
long does this
stuff keep its properties?

Amadou starts out very smooth on both sides. Eventually, as you use
it,
it starts to shred. It works better smooth, but will continue to
work
until it just falls apart. I've kept ragged pieces as small as a
quarter.
To answer your question, if you keep it in the package and don't use
it, I assume it will keep its properties in perpetuity, if you use
it
it will eventually fall apart. I get a season or more out of a piece
that measures about 2"X4".

Amadou is simply a fungus. Leave it in the package and it will
eventually oxidize and crumble.

It's the "eventually" part I'd like to have clarified.

A piece of chamois works as well, is
a lot cheaper and much more readily available. The sleeve of a well
worn cotton shirt is better in every respect......except, of course,
for cachet among elitist idiots.

All that said, I have no way of making that comparison without trying the amadou
myself.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

"Wolfgang" wrote...
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote...
Tim J. wrote:

The minimum order is three sheets at $50.25 CHF + $30 CHF for
shipping (about
$62 USD total). I've never used the stuff before, mainly because
of the $20
Orvis price for a tiny patch you mention in another post. If 1/3
of a sheet is a
year or greater supply, this would be about a 10 year supply. How
long does this
stuff keep its properties?

Amadou starts out very smooth on both sides. Eventually, as you use
it,
it starts to shred. It works better smooth, but will continue to
work
until it just falls apart. I've kept ragged pieces as small as a
quarter.
To answer your question, if you keep it in the package and don't use
it, I assume it will keep its properties in perpetuity, if you use
it
it will eventually fall apart. I get a season or more out of a piece
that measures about 2"X4".

Amadou is simply a fungus. Leave it in the package and it will
eventually oxidize and crumble.

It's the "eventually" part I'd like to have clarified.

A piece of chamois works as well, is
a lot cheaper and much more readily available. The sleeve of a well
worn cotton shirt is better in every respect......except, of course,
for cachet among elitist idiots.

All that said, I have no way of making that comparison without trying the amadou
myself.
--
TL,
Tim
------------------------
http://css.sbcma.com/timj

Tim J. wrote:
"Wolfgang" wrote...
Amadou is simply a fungus. Leave it in the package and it will
eventually oxidize and crumble.

It's the "eventually" part I'd like to have clarified.

Think geologic time. I've had pieces out of the package for over
ten years that don't look, or perform, any different than they
did the day they arrived.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Tim J. wrote:
"Wolfgang" wrote...
Amadou is simply a fungus. Leave it in the package and it will
eventually oxidize and crumble.

It's the "eventually" part I'd like to have clarified.

Think geologic time. I've had pieces out of the package for over
ten years that don't look, or perform, any different than they
did the day they arrived.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Wolfgang wrote:

The sleeve of a well
worn cotton shirt is better

The _best_ reason to stick with plain ol' 100% cotton tees...

Jon.

"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
m...
Wolfgang wrote:
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote:
Amadou starts out very smooth on both sides. ...

Amadou is simply a fungus. Leave it in the package and it will
eventually oxidize and crumble. A piece of chamois works as well, is
a lot cheaper and much more readily available. The sleeve of a well
worn cotton shirt is better in every respect......except, of course,
for cachet among elitist idiots.

Always nice to hear the knee-jerk nasty contingent weighing in.

A small piece of chamois will de-slime a fly a few times, a small
piece of cotton will not de-slime a fly at all. Amadou is the way
to go.

Horse****. Amadou does exactly what chamois or cotton.....or a paper towel,
for that matter...do. It absorbs water. It doesn't remove slime. If it
did, we wouldn't have in our presence a piece of slime who uses his daughter
as bait.

Wolfgang

"Tim J." wrote in message
...

"Wolfgang" wrote...
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote...
Tim J. wrote:

The minimum order is three sheets at $50.25 CHF + $30 CHF for
shipping (about
$62 USD total). I've never used the stuff before, mainly because
of the $20
Orvis price for a tiny patch you mention in another post. If 1/3
of a sheet is a
year or greater supply, this would be about a 10 year supply. How
long does this
stuff keep its properties?

Amadou starts out very smooth on both sides. Eventually, as you use
it,
it starts to shred. It works better smooth, but will continue to
work
until it just falls apart. I've kept ragged pieces as small as a
quarter.
To answer your question, if you keep it in the package and don't use
it, I assume it will keep its properties in perpetuity, if you use
it
it will eventually fall apart. I get a season or more out of a piece
that measures about 2"X4".

Amadou is simply a fungus. Leave it in the package and it will
eventually oxidize and crumble.

It's the "eventually" part I'd like to have clarified.

Considerably less than in "perpetuity". How long it will last depends on
storage conditions. Drier is better. An oxygen free atmosphere is better
yet. Under normal conditions.....lying somewhere in the back of a drawer or
closet.....it's probably o.k. for a few years.

A piece of chamois works as well, is
a lot cheaper and much more readily available. The sleeve of a well
worn cotton shirt is better in every respect......except, of course,
for cachet among elitist idiots.

All that said, I have no way of making that comparison without trying the
amadou
myself.

Try it. It's good stuff.

Wolfgang

Wolfgang wrote:
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote:
...
A small piece of chamois will de-slime a fly a few times, a small
piece of cotton will not de-slime a fly at all. Amadou is the way
to go.

Horse****. Amadou does exactly what chamois or cotton.....or a paper towel,
for that matter...do. It absorbs water. It doesn't remove slime. If it
did, we wouldn't have in our presence ...

Well, that was uncalled for, not to mention nasty. But then nasty
is your forte.

As to the question at hand, you're wrong. Amadou removes the water
AND the slime and using an Amadou prepares the fly for the next
application of Frog Fanny better than anything I've ever used.
And that includes a cotton T-shirt, a piece of auto chamois, and
a piece of Cabela's Samadou.

--
Ken Fortenberry