Home made tying tools

[Stippled Popper 0]

I made on my popper painting tool kit

 

 

And when my bodkin broke, I decided to make myself three of

different diameters from needles left over from painting kits

I'd made for classes. The smallest is used to apply head

cement. The other two are used to pick out dubbing, hackle,

and clear out clogged hook eyes.

 

[Foamation 0]

I have made them up to one inch at the largest all the way down to 1/4.

 

 

 

Um, how do you go about throwing a 1" diameter hopper on a fly rod . . . ?

 

 

You move into that water that tastes funny...Saltwater. LOL! and make poppers for about anything that swims....Its a great idea!!! I used to make one out of copper pipe and make popper bodies out of found Lobstah pot buoys....great for feeding the blues and ya save a TON of money!

 

Thanks funny about the 1 inch hopper, What I do is cut different angles for poppers, divers and then wings for hoppers and such. I think I have it all covered with everything from smallies to muskies and saltwater fishing,

[dayhut 0]

Dubbing brushes - velcro on a stick

Bodkin - needle is a dowel

Threader - Looped mono in a dowel

Tool holder - block of EPV foam

Stripping blade - Single edge razor blade set in a slotted dowel

 

Dowels and velcro WERE harmed in th emaking of some tools.

[Mars Rover 0]

One of my other hobbies requires soldering for mechanical strength and appearance. I made these whip finishers from polished music wire and tubing. Two are just copies of a rotating tool. The other one is a modified brass half hitch tool, which I prefer. It is held and used just like the rotating ones except it rotates in your fingers instead of rotating in a tube and I think it offers better control. A source for chrome plated brass tubing is a broken telescoping radio antenna.

 

[Mars Rover 0]

This bobbin cradle is fabricated from a block of plastic (probably delrin or uhmw) and a length of stainless steel wire. I like it because it uses no thumb screws. It’s held in place snugly with holes of the correct diameter. You just grab to adjust height, length or nudge to swing it out of way.

 

 

[Mars Rover 0]

Is a soft loop tool the ultimate useless and frivolous device? I think so but it has come in handy for tying flies when neatness counts. Years ago, I read the tip about using the index finger to form a soft loop then pinch materials with the thumb and middle finger. It went OK until I attempted to extract my fat finger from the loop. So I took one of my banjo finger picks and with some music wire and solder, I modified it to make a soft loop tool. With the bobbin hanging, it makes a narrow loop that will hold the winging material in place while you take a peek beneath your pinching fingers for exact positioning. Then just re-pinch and draw tight the loop. The pick is very soft steel that conforms to the finger/knuckle by bending , will not easily rotate out of place and can be worn comfortably for extended periods.

 

[Mars Rover 0]

I grew to like a gallows tool for tying parachutes but only if it rotates with the vise jaws for viewing and wrapping at various angles. This presented a problem with Regal vises because I didn’t want to modify them in any way. So I came up with this brass bracket held in place by the thumb screw. There’s a stack of rubber washers that place pressure on the bracket but compress to allow the screw to function as intended by Regal. There’s rubber tape on one side of the bracket to help it stay in place and not scratch the vise. When not in use and centered, the bracket is completely out of the way and I hardly know it’s there so it just stays on the vise. The gallows tool is just .047 music wire soldered to brass hardware and a brass bead soldered to the other end so I don’t poke my eye out.

 

[troutguy 0]

Mars Rover very interesting

[SILKHDH 0]

Here are some I made. I like making tools as much as tying flies.

[SILKHDH 0]

Some more. I got tons of this stuff.

[Guest]

Some more. I got tons of this stuff.

Man, those are absolutely awesome!

 

Dave