Hi Folks,

A recent thread on this forum indicated
that some new dremel buggers were having
problems getting foam to properly seat on
the needles being used as a mandrel on thier
dremels. As a result, I made a trip to
Walmart to see what their current inventory
of needles looked like. They no longer
carried the "upholstery" needles I had
recommended but did have a package of 7
"Yarn Darners" which appeared identical to
the Upholstery needles I purchased there
over 3 years ago. I purchased several packs
@ $.72. The needles are thicker than normal
and range from 2 1/4" to 3" in length. They
all work well as a mandrel in the dremel by
using a 1/16" dremel collet (also available
at Walmart in a pack of 4 assortment @ $6.97
for the package).

I sent a package of the needles as well
as an assortment of foam plugs to Diane and
Dixieangler to try. I heard from Diane this
a.m. and she assures me the problem was
resolved with the needles and that she can
now turn out problem free dremel bugs in
mere seconds.*G* I have not yet heard from
Dixieangler but am confident his results will be similar.

Ggmiller had indicated similar problems
with his new dremel lathe of which he had
posted a picture. Nice looking setup but no
indication as yet of favorable results. GG,
I have another package of the needles here
on my bench as well as an assortment of foam
plugs if you'd care to have them. I could
not correspond as you have no e-mail addy
posted. Drop me an email and a snail addy
if your interested. Anyone else having any
problems feel free to email me or post here
and I'll do all I can to figure out the
problem. Dremel bugs are a real hoot to
make and probably "the last great frontier"
in flytying.*G*

Tips:
1. Half speed or perhaps a notch less on
the dremel works best for me on most foams.
2. Start off with smaller bugs. 3/8 to 1/2" are easier to turn. You can quickly
turn them down to very small diameter bugs
if desired. I have gone down to #20 with
good detail.
3. Use the smallest emeryboards you can find. The cheaper "Trim" brand at Walmart
has worked well for me. The larger Revelon
brand they carry often quickly delaminate
from the heat of friction.
4. The cheapest flip flops at Walmart have
proven to be the best material. At about
$1.87 (or similar) a pair, you can make 200
or more gill poppers or medium to small bugs
from each pair. Less that $.01 each for
your basic bug bodies.*G*
5. The flipflops can be found at
Walmart in a rainbow of colors. Use the
basic color you desire and add trim with
Sharpie Markers or similar. Also, a scale
effect is easy to do by spritzing a wee bit
of spray acrylic or enamal through a piece
of sheer curtain fabric. You can get a
lifetime supply of the fabric at Walmart for
half a buck a foot in most patterns in very
wide widths. The 2 Ton epoxy from Walmart
(under $3) has proven to be a good coating
material where a slick shiney finish is
desired. A single epoxy kit will do over 100 bugs. I put a toothpick up the butt of
my bug and paint the epoxy on with a cheap
watercolor brush. I get them from the
dollar store for about a nickel each. The
2 ton epoxy is slow enough that I can easily
paint a dozen or more bodies with a single
brush before the set up begins. When coated
with the epoxy, I stick the toothpick
straight up in a piece of styrofoam to dry.
It is not necessary to spin them. When
completely dry, I score around the base of
the bug with a cutoff wheel on the dremel
to remove the toothpick.
White flip flops make good minnow bodies. White
green, chartruese, woodgrain, and black make
the most effective bug bodies and poppers
for my waters. Just a little effort will
produce bugs that look far better than any
I've found in the shops and the variety is
limited only by your imagination.*G*
6. A very light touch with the emery board
on the foam is recommended. It works better
if you take the material from the bottom of
the plug and keep the emery board
90 degrees to the mandrel.

Hope this helps someone. If you need
any help, email or post here. If you figure
out a neat effect or a better way to do
something, share it with us. We'll do the
same. Main focus, have fun, catch fish, and
be safe. Warm regards, Jim