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Flyter 12

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I bought some Spool Hands off of Ebay and they work real good but 5 bucks for 5 of them a little expensive so i thought i'd try making them .They can't be that hard just a plastic bead ,elastic band ,shrink tube and crazy glue The black one is the one i bought off of Ebay and the white one is mine .I got 33 out of one package of elastic band .post-45102-0-95269600-1350841730_thumb.jpgpost-45102-0-27848000-1350841776_thumb.jpgpost-45102-0-00262800-1350841818_thumb.jpg

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Neat!I saw my first ones about three years ago and came home and made a bunch. I really like them. I have even made larger ones for some leader spools that have no way to secure the material ends, and for my large spools of 50# mono that I often use on some of my flies. Make the loop of elastic large enough, and they can be made for about anything on spool.

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If you go to Hancock's Fabrics, or JoAnn's, they have the elastic on large rolls and will cut any length you want. There likely other places to get it where it is sold this way, but both of these stores are close and convenient for me.

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The cheapest and easiest way to keep thread spools from unwinding is to use "plastic binding combs" from manuals or the handouts I get at meetings. Remove the plastic binding combs before throwing the old manual away.

 

For regular thread spools, cut the combs to the width of the spool so two arms go around the spool. For thinner spools like the one on a Norbobbin, use just one arm cut to the correct width. For sewing machine bobbins use a smaller binding comb. Plastic binding comes come in different sizes as in the photo below. You can get then at print shops.

 

Plastic-Comb-Binding.jpg

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The idea for the tippet spools is neat so is the binder one great ideas and so cheap you got to love it .

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even cheaper and easier is to use the slit thats already been cut into the spool to hold your material when not in use. make one with a utility knife if the slit isnt there! B)

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Unfortunately, not every thread spool has a slit cut in the rim. Over my tying career, I have encountered numerous plastic spools with no slit in the rim. Also, some materials that come spooled do not lend themselves to being held in a slit in the rim; i.e., tinsels, wires, floss,etc. Furthermore, in the case of wooden spools (yes, some of us who have been around for awhile still have materials on wooden spools) the region of the spool rim directly above the slit has a very nasty habit of breaking out; eliminating the slit. Hence, the value of such devices.

 

Also, especially in the case of thread, one runs the risk of cutting through several layers of the material adjacent to the rim if cutting is done on a new spool. Trying to tie with thread pieces, or any other material, that has been pre-cut into pieces maybe only a couple of inches long has absolutely no appeal to me.

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Fortunately most spools of thread, tinsel, floss, wire that I have come with the slit in the spool. Adding a slit in the spool is really easy if you simply take your time. After all you are not using a machete to make the slit. There is a generous amount of spool rim to cut into without damaging the material.

 

i do realize that older tyers will most likely have wooden spools in their tying colection of materials but even with wooden spools a slit can be added if one is careful. if not simply use a small rubber band. And when that dries out and rots use another one

 

Every single spool of Danville thread and flood that I own has a slit in the rim.

 

Ultra wire and many other spools have a cap on one end to wrap the wire around to keep it from unraveling

 

Uni thread spools have a slit

 

i'm guessing that folks who need to add a slit will use a little common sense doing it and NOT cut into the material on the spool. the slit does not need to be very deep to hold the material.

 

This is not very complicated to accomplish

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You have been fortunate if you have never encountered a spool without a slit. Wish I could say the same.

 

I can only speak to Danville threads, as that is all that I use, but I have, and have had, numerous spools that when new are filled to the rim with thread, leaving less than a mm of clearance for making a cut. All it takes is a miniscule slip to damage the spool contents is the point I am trying to make. And, in my experience, utility knives are not the sharpest instrument for cutting. Anyone with any extensive experience with knives of any kind will tell you that a dull knife will 'slip' during a cut faster than a sharp one.

 

There is a rational explanation for this.

 

Cheers!

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never said i have not encountered a spool without a slit

 

i have ultra wire, utc tinsel, gudebrod tying thread, hook & hackle thread spools without a slit. they have a cap on one end of the spool to wrap whatever material around it. i even have some wooden spools of wire without a slit. doesnt mean that a slit cant be put into any one of them.

 

Obviously one slip of ANY knife will cause a disaster if not careful.

 

The "utility knife" was simply an example of what could be used to create a slit. i really dont care what kind of knife/blade is used

 

I have to give credit that most folks will use common sense when using whatever sharp implement of their choice.

 

1/32 to 1/16 inch deep slit is all that is required to hold a material

 

Disclaimer: please use common sense when adding a slit to any spool

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