Motorized dubbing brush maker

[Byron haugh]

Could you guys do me a favor?
Please post pics of flies you have tied with the brushes you make?
I tried a commercially made one years ago and it was too "fat" for the flies I tie.
I use dubbing loops quite often, and would like to see the results of your brushes on flies you tie.
Thanks,
Byron

Hoping for a photo.

[ducksterman]

AlanB is correct.

I was bored last year and needed a project so I dicided I wanted to make a dubbing machine so that the platform would swing out of the way and then I could more easily make shaggier brushes. If the material stays in contact with the platform a more narrow and tighter brush is created.So those you see are prototypes I concocted out of materials I had around the garage.I wasn't very pleased with any of them and in talking to James Smith he shared with me one he built with a nice cam system so the platform would drop out of the way. Not being a wood worker like Jim I made one that works the same way and can be made very simply.

It is the one just above the drill in the picture. The base has two holes drilled in it that accepts two pegs that are attached to the under surface of the platform. That block is placed under the platform holding it at the correct level....material placed and trapped ...the block is pulled out and the platform drops down and twisting continued... I usually twist to breakage.

I may modify my original Jim Smith machine to do that.

BTW the one with the black platform is copied from the Nor Vise one.....not sure why I did that except I had material that would work.....I don't even have a Nor Vise.

[ducksterman]

Here are what I have in photobucket. Bryon.

You can make more delicate brushes than these by using minimal material and twisting on the platform and also by squeezing between your fingers.

[Buddy Sanders]

Duckster,

Would I do that?

Here's how I dealt with getting 'shaggier' brushes.

After trapping the material between the wires, which takes just a couple of revolutions, I just lift my drill up. The incipient brush leaves the 'table' and I can spin to completion without it thinning itself down as it would if it was left in contact with the table. This also allows them to be sparser if you want.

Byron,

The 'fullness' of commercially made brushes is why I started making my own. It's hard to believe how little material you really need to make a brush correctly. Took some practice to get myself to the right place with these.

I use these brushes on only few patterns, and none of them are anything I ever photograph. Primarily leeches and such. The beauty of the brush for me is in speeding up the process. You don't have to have them, it just lets you tie really durable simple flies very quickly. I also will play with color mixing in these in a way I won't attempt with a dubbing loop. A little pre planning and you can get graduated color changes that look very natural.

Buddy

[ducksterman]

Does anyone recall the Roots Dubbing Machine? I didn't get on with the machine, but they produced some great materials. Can't seem to find any trace of the company these days.

Cheers,
A.[/QUOTE]

Alan, here is a quote from another forum from a guy responding to someone who just purchased one ...2013 post

"If its like mine it will be jerky as all hell. The hook does not run no where near true. It's a nice concept but fails miserably in practice, probably why the guy is out of business. "