Making popper bodies

[Piker20 0]

Hi guys, looking at the forum I see the dremel style router being used to spin a body while a sanding medium is held and shapes the body. Is it possible to do with a hand held power screwdriver or drill? Or is the RPM too low? Sourcing the wapsi style preformed poppers in UK is difficult and have used cork and foam in the long distant past but tried to shape with knife and sanding and it didn't work how I wanted. The powertool option looks better.

Novembers swap is poppers so would like to try to have something working for that.

 

Oh and how do you attach the body to the machine? just leave it attached to the bit you made the hole for the hook?

[TheCream 0]

Hi guys, looking at the forum I see the dremel style router being used to spin a body while a sanding medium is held and shapes the body. Is it possible to do with a hand held power screwdriver or drill? Or is the RPM too low? Sourcing the wapsi style preformed poppers in UK is difficult and have used cork and foam in the long distant past but tried to shape with knife and sanding and it didn't work how I wanted. The powertool option looks better.

Novembers swap is poppers so would like to try to have something working for that.

 

Oh and how do you attach the body to the machine? just leave it attached to the bit you made the hole for the hook?

 

What I have done, I could tell you or I could just show you the video which may make more sense.

 

 

I did a 3-part video, part 1 linked above is shaping the body. For material, I use both basswood and balsa. I like the basswood when I can use it because it is easily shaped but more durable than balsa. It is a little heavier, but works great on bass sized poppers for me. I use a Dremel, I'm not sure if a drill would get a high enough RPM to make sanding easier, but I have not tried it.

[Piker20 0]

Great link cheers.

[Chefben4 0]

TheCream: Mind me asking what camera you are using? Those are some AWESOME videos you have on Vimeo. The Popper video series is probably one of the best I have seen. Good work my friend.

[TheCream 0]

TheCream: Mind me asking what camera you are using? Those are some AWESOME videos you have on Vimeo. The Popper video series is probably one of the best I have seen. Good work my friend.

 

Thanks, I use a Canon HG10 for about all of my filming.

[catmanclark 0]

I use a dremel with all my popper bodies foam, basswood, balsa etc. the adjustable speed dremel allows you to slow down 5000rpms for more detail with emory paper for smoothing or applying superglue to wood body for hardness and adds perfect straight rings when useing a sharpie..

i havent perfected my process of mounting the body to the dremel, some use a trim nail for framing, a ground down mandel etc.. i use a straightened out piece of kitchen fork and it works great.. have fun, the good thing is theres no rules to the game..

[RickZieger 0]

I use a thin screw that I have cut the head off of to hold the foam body on my Dremel.

Seems to hold better than a nail for me.

 

Rick

[Phish 0]

You bneed these tools from Steve Winters. Nothing works as well as these to turn popper bodies. As always you need to first pre drill undersize before shoving a nail or whatever you want to use.

[Kirk Dietrich 0]

A three sided Glover's Needle is what I use, see link below for image.

 

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Glover%27s+needle&view=detail&id=3B9B5E1BC05405B1BF33A612BEB90CD7F31B8416&first=1

 

The trick with turning is that you can't expect to take a lot of material off fast by applying pressure. If you use to much pressure, the stock you are turning will catch on the sandpaper and stop turning while the mandrel continues to spin. A light touch is the key word here, material will disappear before you know it.

 

Kirk

[Piker20 0]

Well I reckon I'm going to try with my drill first off on some cork and look to borrow a dremel to try that.

 

Foam, Cork or Balsa? I have heard some say cork out lasts foam, that seems a bit back to front to me.

[176319 0]

Thanks thats awesome idea catmanclark- happy tyin'

[Stippled Popper 0]

Well I reckon I'm going to try with my drill first off on some cork and look to borrow a dremel to try that.

 

Foam, Cork or Balsa? I have heard some say cork out lasts foam, that seems a bit back to front to me.

 

In my experience for the smallest sized poppers, cork is definitely not as long lasting as the hard foam

bodies. The one time I bought some, the bodies were falling apart as I tried to insert the hook shank

into the slot. It might not have been such a problem if the bodies had been made from the same cork as

the highest quality wine corks. But what I used certainly wasn't good. Too many voids.

 

Don't have enough experience to comment on the differences for larger bodies between cork and foam.

[CoachBob 0]

Why do you all insist on doing it the hard way?

Look at http://www.flytyingforum.com/pattern6910.html

The poppers shown in that pattern were created during my first year using that dremeling approach. New poppers are MUCh more "professional" in appearance.

[Piker20 0]

New poppers are MUCh more "professional" in appearance.

 

 

New meaning preformed? or using the dremel? I can't source good preforms at a cost effective price so looking to make them in a better way than my early attempts.

[Phish 0]

LOL Pre formed stuff has no heart and soul so I dont buy that stuff. There is a huge difference in quality and to turn the poppers yourself is knowing you made the entire fly not cutting corners. I want my self made poppers looking better than that. Eww!