Vice stem sizes, Can I ask a favour.

[Crackaig 0]

Vicrider, Your Wings are facing forward! Wally wings face to the sides, or at least the originals did.

With the pealed edge to the front, for strength while casting. From the angle yours are facing it looks like you are not folding the feather but laying it in flat.

Though a different colour scheme my avatar is two Wulff flies tied with Wally wings, similar to what you have tied, but with the wings facing sideways not forward.

If you want to get them sideways you have to fold the feather. Try making the fold in hand and you will quickly see what the tool is for.

Here is a SbS for the original shape of wing. Try it you will see a big difference.

http://smg.photobucket.com/user/AlanBithell/slideshow/story_23793

With the wing facing sideways you can open them more to form spent wings like these.

Using the tool enabled me to even double up on them for my Willow Fly.

It may be possible to fold two feathers at once by hand but I found I couldn't do it "in hand".

Cheers,

C.

[portlyjoe 0]

They are a tool for making the fold for Wally Wings. The ones I am doing just now are in acrylic material. My prototype is wooden. You can see photos of it and how it's used here.

 

Thanks for taking the time guys.

Cheers,

C.

Crackaig: that "wing thing" is awesome!!!. I'd like to see a vid on how to use it. Got one?

[Crackaig 0]

As yet I haven't done one. Having had a quick look for one I have found this. It may help you but I couldn't recommend you follow it exactly. He uses 14 turns of thread he doesn't need just tying the tail in. I do very few videos as they all just get lost in the cacophony of ones showing you poor technique.

At the end of the video. When he turns the vice toward the camera, and hides what he is doing with his fingers. He is taking the first two or three loose fibres from above the wing and pealing them down to split the wing.

 

I do have plans to do one soon, as I intend to put a QR code on the packaging for it. When I get it done I'll post it.

 

Cheers,

C.

 

[oldtrout58 0]

I'm interested in the tool.

Will you be shipping across the pond?

[Crackaig 0]

Maybe! I might ask a friend who has a fly shop there is he would be interested in stocking them. I'll let you know. This is the first batch I'm making up for sale. I'll see how they go. I've also just got access to a lathe so there may be other things to follow.

 

Cheers,

C.

[vicrider 0]

You're right Crackaig, I've been tying them on flat. It was the first way I got one and the first video I watched. Now I see what you're doing. I've had trouble twisting them to give the proper spent look but it was because I was starting wrong. The women I've sent them two in the past didn't even fish them anyway, just left them in the box looking pretty. I always include another pattern to be fished, like small bugger or streamer or nymph.

 

Thanx for pointing out why mine were to forward facing. Now I'll have to play with that some before my next batch and see if I can get or let us know when your tool is some magazine for sale.

[Crackaig 0]

No problem, I am just finishing off the first batch of 30. Having no workshop facilities makes doing things like this difficult. Some people on here have larger tying rooms than my home, so you will understand how tight space is.

 

These are for me to take to a show at Roadford Devon this weekend. They are not something that will sell by people just seeing them. It will be a demonstration thing. My plan is to use two for the demo. One where it usually is on my vice stem will not be visible to anyone watching. I will have a second one on the stem of the clamp for my fur comb that is visible. If someone asks how I did something I can be reasonably sure they will watch the demo.

 

Anyway that aside. I have taught a friend how to make them, so he can produce them for me. There will be another batch in production fairly soon. The ones done so far have been a learning experience as it is a new process and new material. Here's some done.

 

My plan is to sell the tool with a pack of feathers to make the wings from.

 

These are goose body feathers which make a great wing but all white. You can of course use any even feather. The Willow Fly I posted used partridge feathers.

 

Today I really need to get a video done of using the tool. Just one of the many tasks to be done before I set out tomorrow.

 

If there are any left after my trip I will let you know.

 

Cheers,

C.

 

 

 

[flytire 0]

how does the tool split the feather stem to make the wally wing?

 

what are we missing?

[vicrider 0]

I'm going to stick my neck out here flytire but having tied a lot of side face wally wings I'm thinking this will just get you the fold that I'm finding out is so hard by hand and you will still have to peel the stems to separate the wings. If I'm wrong I'll apologize to Crackaig but this is what I'm thinking it works for.

[Crackaig 0]

Yes Vicrider, you are correct but pealing them is the easy part, it is even quite fun.Getting them folded correctly is a real pain. If you look at the "Story" link on Photobucket I posted earlier you'll see this is for the fold. It results in a folded feather, held in the right grip to to tie on, without the need for a third hand.

 

Cheers,

C.

[vicrider 0]

When you have some to market I'm probably in for one dependent on whether the price is reasonable or you're looking for instant wealth on each sale. I'm looking at something like that and thinking a price point in the +-10.00 would be reasonable for a specialty item few would use on a regular basis.

[Crackaig 0]

When I list them I am looking at a price of about £5 + shipping. That is about $7 - 8. That's retail. I hope someone there will stock them. If they do it would help all round. With the cost of the tooling and time I need to do that as retail so I can offer a trade price for quantity.

 

Cheers,

C.

[Simon Lidster 0]

The stem is 11mm on my CAE vise.

 

Definitely very interested in any tool that makes Wally wings easier! Getting the fold right and tying in is an absolute pain!

 

Let us know when you're in production

 

Simon