How do you use your rotary vise?

[Rochester 0]

How do those of you who own a rotary vise use the rotary feature? What types of things are more easily done with the rotary vise? What things could not be done without the rotary feature? Any real cool things? Do you half-hitch before using the rotary feature? Even though I just started fly tying recently, I ended up with two vises, a Danvise and a Griffin Superior 2A. I bought the Danvise first, but I couldn't pass up the Griffin for the price (it had been sitting on the shelf for a while). So far, I haven't been able to find anything about how to use the rotary feature on any rotary vise, Danvise or otherwise, so I ordered a DVD from Al Beatty (Rotary Tying Techniques). It seems that if I'm not going to use the rotary feature, I'd be better off with the simplicity of the Griffin. I'm thinking I might even sell the Danvise, but I'd like to know more about how I might benefit from using a rotary vise before doing something rash like putting it on Ebay.

[fcflyguy 0]

Rochester

I bought a griffin mongoose about 7 months ago , and just used the rotary to put stuff on bottom of flys and did not use it to it fullist intill I got to the woolybugger swap and I needed to tie 20 somebugger what atime saver used to spin on the chinnile and hackle. just give it a try for spining on stuff like that. I have a bad habit in turn it the wrong way because it turns backwards campare to doing it by hand. fcflyguy

[tdeyette 0]

I'm also new to the rotary vise and am learning as I go.

 

Application of head cement is 100 times easier....I just hold the applicator (AKA nail polish brush) and rotate the fly....neat 360deg application....and no spots missed.

 

Another place where it came in handy was on the recent feather wing streamer swap. I could apply the cheeks and eye to the side as I'm accustom too, then rotate the fly a little to tie in the other cheek and eye.

 

It's a feature I think I can really get use to and not want to go back to tying on a stationary vise.

 

Tom

[kschu 0]

Rochester

 

I have not seen it myself, but I am sure that DVD will prove to be a great investment. I have a Renzetti Traveler vise and I use the rotary feature all the time. I find it helps my do a much neater job when palmering hackle or if I'm putting on a ribbing and want to be sure it is evenly spaced. I find I can keep a much more even tension on dubbing when I am wrapping that onto a hook shank.

 

Lately I have also found it handy when putting the hair wing on an Elk Hair Caddis or a Stimulator. When I did my first few of these, I found that as I tightened the thread wraps, I would end up rotating the wing off the top and around the back side of the fly. Using the rotary it was much easier to check my work and rotate the wing back on top before I really tightened everything down.

 

I was at the big Fly Show in Tinley Park (SW of Chicago) earlier this month. I was there representing the IL Smallmouth Alliance and the space with our assigned table was across an isle from Norman and his Nor-Vise booth. I got to see him tie so many things using his very very rotary vise. He could knock down a woolly bugger so very quickly. I saw how he would wrap lead onto a hook by spinning his vise. I found that I can do this in a similar way (not as quickly) on my rotary. I did a couple woolly buggers just yesterday and it was so much easier after seeing how Norman did those on his vise.

 

I was lucky when I bought my Renzetti. The shop manager was very good with the rotary feature on a vise. He had some custom made German vise that was just remarkable. Anyway, he took the time to show me some of the things I could do with my rotary. This boys and girls is why I shop in that store. Mail order is a wonderful thing and I have gotten good customer service from many a mail order shop. But none of them can demonstrate a fine product like Geroge did for me when I bought my Renzetti. My shop does not carry 100 packs of Diaichi hooks. Those I will order mail order.

 

More later,

Ken S.

[pacres 0]

I use it on flies that have a floss body. It makes floss application very easy. Then you can come along with your ribbing afterwards. The rotary function makes it easy to get even wraps of tinsel.

 

 

I also use it on tinsel bodied flies, same as above.

[mgj 0]

I don't use the rotary function much for many of its applications, but I do use it to swing the fly this way or that and it really helps in material application that way.

 

I've tried it for chenille/ribs, palmered hackle, floss, lead and the like, but don't do it often for two reasons. I find it cumbersome to half hitch prior to spinning the vise and I HATE bobbin cradles.

 

there's a good on line tutorial at global flyfisher. I've linked it somewhere in the atchives here when someone asked a similar question and it's a good start.

 

I've heard nothing but good things about the danvise. I'd learn to use it before I'd consider selling it.

 

mgj

[conehead 0]

Bought a Thompson Ultra in 1968 and have used it until Christmas 2004. For 35 years I was very comfortable with a non rotary. I have been tying with a Dyna-King rotary for two months and don't know how I lived without it.

 

Yes it took many hours to get used to the feel. But I use the rotary feature to view the fly 360 degrees. It great for inverting a nymph and tying legs on the bottom. Great for turning the fly on its side to attach anything you want to lay on the side and have it stay until you tie it in.

 

Most of all it wraps dubbing with out any disturbance to the dubbing, unlike wrapping and moving the thread around the hook. For wrapping anything from floss, tinsel, hackle or anything it is very fast and gives you an overall better job.

 

Stick with it; give it 30-60 hours to get the feel. You won't be disappointed.

 

Conehead

 

[conehead 0]

One more thing, I never half-hitch. I let the bobbin weight hold everything until I finish, then Whipfinish the head.

 

It is rare that material falls out of my flies. I usually stick em in tree branches first.

 

Conehead

[Alex C. 0]

Stick with the Danvise, I don't know if I am experienced enough to give sound advice on this subject yet but here's my 2 cents. You can't take advantage of a feature you don't have. From my experience the more options you have for adjustment the better. If you're not gonna use the rotary feature just tightrn the rotary knob down and it's now a regular vice, then if you ever want to use the rotary feature just loosen it up to where you need it. I have mine set tight enough so that it won't turn unless I turn it

[jbenenson 0]

I can't imagine tying without a rotary vise. I've been using one for about a decade (a Renzetti Presentation 4000) and recently added a Danvise for use in my office.

 

Here are some of the advantages (not necessarily in order)...

 

Most important IMHO: you can tie and view the fly 360 degrees. 1) In a conventional vise you can't see the far side of the fly. 2) trout see dry flies from underneath; you view them from the side with a conventional vise.

 

Wrapping anything along the shank goes much more smoothly (uniformity and tension) using a rotary than by hand. This is particularly important when wrapping conventional and palmered hackle.

 

Tying properly-positioned material anywhere on the shank is easier (top, bottom, sides, in-between).

 

Wrapping the base of divided wings and posts is a cinch: rotate the wing/post to the top position and wrap with ease.

 

Spinning material "ropes" (including dubbing loops) is easy. Half-hitch first (important!) then hold the materail and thread out over the eye and twist away, pull everything 90 degs downward, then continue twisting to wrap the material. This is nicely shown on Beatty's video.

 

Trimming spun deer hair is easily done while the fly is still in the vise.

 

Once you get proficient, wrapping and tying goes much faster with a rotary. Stick with it and you'll never go back, IMHO.

[bentflyrod 0]

I have tied with both and love the rotary feature!

 

BFR

[Guest]

Depends really on what you tie. I tie alot of salmon/steelhead patterns that call for chenille and floss bodies. This is where the vise shines (especially on larger flies). You just crank that thing up and lay the materials on like a lathe. Now, if you're tying small flies or full dressed atlantics, I can see where it's overkill. I just enjoy my rotary though. I know I've sat down at friends house to help them tie (usually on a whim) and try to use their stationary vises. It's hard to revert back.