Cork and foam cylinder source??

I have spring fever in the worst way and want to tie some poppers for the pond. Does anyone know a good source for cork and foam in cylinder form?? Wally World?? Craft stores??
Thanks in advance,
bd

Ah, wine corks. ' course the cylinders are way too large, so ya gotta cut 'em down with a razor, file and sand hopefully more off the cork than your fingers, and half of them don't work because of holes and grit. But after a couple of hours you get about 3 poppers-worth, and knowing that you made them from discard. And knowing that you won't do that again for awhile. Sure was fun havin' the gills go crazy on them, though.

Rainey's has the foam in various sizes, and the late Al Campbell used to make his own foam bodies from household caulking. There's instructions on that someone in his columns I think.

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LadyFisher, Publisher of
FAOL

This isn't Al's but it's good: [url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/051004fotw.html:e2bb4]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/051004fotw.html[/url:e2bb4]



[This message has been edited by LadyFisher (edited 03 February 2006).]

Al's directions are in intermediate tying part 40: Wiggle Frog.

Adam

Thanks to all, I'm on slow dial-up so I didn't do a search. I will definitely check out the late Al Campbell's instructions and the Rainey's stuff sounds like what I was looking for.
bd

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"Life is tough. Life is tougher if
you're stupid"-
John Wayne

Hey Bonedog,

If you havn't yet read it, check out the
article on dremel bugs. [url=http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/082205fotw.html:c9a92]http://www.flyanglersonline.com/flytying/fotw2/082205fotw.html[/url:c9a92]

You can pick up a cheap set of hollow
core punches for under $10. Some of the
smaller sets I've seen for under $5. Spin
them in a drill motor or small drill press
and you can punch out dozens of foam plugs
in a few minutes from flip flops, foam
kneeling pads, or kids foam puzzles. Every
color of the rainbow and various diameters.
All your choice. Once you have your plugs,
you might want to check out the article and
set up a dremel lathe to turn them on. Adds
a lot of choices for sure. You can even do
segmented bodies with thorax and head built
in.*G* Warm regards, Jim

I make my own plugs using a drill press and some slotted brass tubes (purchased at the hobby store, or use the metal tubes in an old telescoping radio antenna.)

I find that balsa wood (hobby store) is much easier to shape than cork, and it doesn't have as many voids so it takes paint better. Buy a 3/8" square strip and round the corners with some sand paper and a hand plane to make it into a round dowel. A pencil sharperner will quickly taper the ends. Use a fine hack saw or exacto saw to cross cut the beveled face of a popper or slider.

I made my plug cutters from old bullet casings. I drilled out the primer, insert a 1/8 bolt so that the head of the bolt is inside the bullet casing and tighten a nut on the back. I now have a plug cutter with a shaft that fits into any drill or drill press. I have these in several calibers from 22 upto 50 cal. Easy to make, VERY cheap and they work great.

Jim Smith

Hey Gents,

Here is an example of the hollow core
punches from Harbor Freight. The advantage
to these is that the foam plugs are self
extracting. You can chuck them in your
drill press and start punching through foam
and the finished plugs pop out the side of
the punch. You don't have to stop the drill
press, remove the punch and stick something
through it to remove them. Warm regards,
Jim [url=http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=3838:7905b]http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=3838[/url:7905b]

[This message has been edited by Jim Hatch (edited 04 February 2006).]

I do this:

[url=http://www.warmwaterflyfisher.com/tyingtechniques/Foamsandalpopperplugs.htm:5b9b3]Making Foam Plugs for the Foam Sandal Popper[/url:5b9b3]

For this:

[url=http://www.warmwaterflyfisher.com/flymonth/FOTM012002.htm:5b9b3]CLP Cheap Little Popper[/url:5b9b3]

[url=http://www.warmwaterflyfisher.com/jarsofflies/Bluegill/jarsofflies_CLP.htm:5b9b3]CLP (Cleap Little Popper)[/url:5b9b3]

Other than the CLP, I do use the Dremel for special shaping of the foam for Dremel bugs. My sources of closed cell foam include mainly flip-flop foam sandals, foam kneeling pads, and 2mm foam sheets from craft and dollar stores and from Wal-Mart or K-Mart.

For hard bodied poppers, I use balsa from craft and hardware stores.

Jim Smith, Great idea http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/biggrin.gif.

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Robert B. McCorquodale
Sebring, FL

"Flip a fly"

[This message has been edited by dixieangler (edited 04 February 2006).]

Thanks so much to all. My questions always get wonderful and insightful responses here.
Much appreciated,
bd

I think you would look in the obvious place..... the automotive section of Canadian Tire. They have corks in the "little bulk parts" drawers, all tapered and in two sizes that fit perfectly on a Mustad bass hook #10 and #6. They are I think 29 cents each, all you got to do is put them on the hook and paint and then finish how you like, no cutting, sanding, drilling or anything, definitely speeds up the process. I found them there when I went to get an O-ring for my Renzetti for 15 cents

Dwight.

Chaulk backer rod...comes in different sizes...and available at hardware stores...Lowes..Home Depot..

Just made one up using soft ear plugs.works really good.