Question on making home made dubbing brushes

[aceubanks 0]

I recently constructed a jig for making dubbing brushes. Can anyone tell me what the best wire is for making dubbing brushes? I tried 32 gauge steel wire however, it doesn't seem to be quite fine enough. Also, can dubbing brushes be used for surface flies or are they reserved strictly for subsurface applications due to the weight? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[KeithS 0]

While I haven't made many brushes as of yet, what I did for wire is I went to Wally and bought a twenty foot extension cord and stripped the insulation. That will provide hundreds of feet of fine copper wire that works quite well.

[rockworm 0]

aceubanks

 

Dubbing brushes can be used for dry flies. If made with wire, they will increase the weight of the fly. However, the many spiky tips produced by a dubbing brush can contribute to the fly's buoyancy (especially if floatant is used.)

 

You don't describe your jig, but if it is similar to Dick Clark's spinning block you may be able to use thread in place if wire. Prespun bodies on thread are nearly indestructable and work as well on dry flies as on wet.

 

 

 

 

[utyer 0]

I use #38 copper wire for most of my brushes. I got a one pound spool from my fishing/tying buddy. I usually spinn my brushes up using my Nor-Vise.

[Dale 0]

aceubanks: I'd stay away from steel; it rusts after the first cast if not before. I've had some steel wire rust on my fly desk before I even used it.

Also, after a week or two in a fly box, I've had un-coated copper wire brushes get that greenish copper oxide staining on it that shows through the fur in the brush.

I like to use coated copper wire for my brushes. It's coated with clear or tinted varnish-like stuff that protects it from oxidation. I usually get it from small electric motor windings (9v. DC motors seem to have the best, thin diameter wire). It comes in lots of colors and it's usually available in every motorized toy that your kids can break!! My friends save them for me too. I tell them that I recycle all the parts and use the wire for 'art'. They know I'm lieing because the only 'art' I'm associated with has an 'f' in front of it. . . . . .

[TxEngr 0]

Once good source is speaker wire. It has a lot of very fine strands of wire in it. Just cut it to the length you want, then strip it out. It's either copper or tin plated copper so you normally get both colors on one piece. Ten feet of this stuff will last a long time.

 

You can also see if you know anyone who is a HVAC electrician or other electrician that has access to industrial relays. They have fine wire in them (sometimes too fine) that has an insulating enamel coating on it with a rusty brown color.

 

If you know someone who works around cranes or other industrial situations, sometimes you can get your hands on some festoon cable. This is even finer than speaker wire when you break out the strands and makes very fine dubbing brushes.

 

Lastly, Wally World has some very fine wire that I think is stainless steel in the jewelry making section of crafts that is very fine and darn near impossible to break. Unlike copper, you have to finally just decide to quite twisting and remove it from the jig.

 

I hope this helps.

 

TxEngr

[longears 0]

Stainless Steel .050 or .060 wire works best for me. My brushes turn out great using this stuff and they haven't rusted yet. The other wire that I use is Neutroloy 137 Premium light enamel wash .005 wire that is gold in color. It's not as strong as the stainless steel but, it will wind tighter and make a finer brush. I don't think that the fish will bite through it very well as it gets doubled when you make your brushes. It's for this reason I would stick to the thinnest wire that you can find.

Good luck and feel free to emaoil me if you have any questions

Randy

[DancesWithHeadCement 0]

I use adhesive backed "male" velcro. I wrapped it around a bodkin shaft so that I can get it into the tight places. Big flies can use a chunk attached to a popsicle stick, it all depends on how much combing you need to do and whether you need to get into the area above the hook point and shank.