dubbing brushes

[flybugpa]

Did we not have a thread here on building a turbo type dubbing block?

[kengore]

There are a bunch of 'how to' articles on line, such as...

http://www.talkflyfishing.com/index.php?showtopic=16333

Mine is a pretty simple affair, more utilitarian than pretty. One thing I did with mine is I made the spinning whirl loose, no bearings. It just sits in a cut out at the bottom of the block. When I'm ready to spin I crank the knob a few times to grip the fibers, then hold the block vertical so that the whirl hangs free like a pendulum. I give the knob a quick snap and it spins like a top and twists up a nice dubbing noodle in less than a second. No more cranking!

My whirl is nothing more than a stack of fender washers with a nut and bolt, I drilled a small hole in the bolt and soldered in a piano wire hook.

I also cut a small piece of cardstock about 1 1/2" wide that fits over the V groove, I glued some black felt on one side and white felt on the other. Some materials tend to slide around in the groove. Stuff like fine dubbing and CDC stick nicely to the felts, I flip sides for a contrasting background color.

[WarrenP]

Will this link help:

http://www.flyanglersonline.com/bb/s...ad.php?t=25384

[ducksterman]

Jim didn't reply to my last post on Warren's link so I will show you what I meant.

The cup hook in the whirler knob can be used hook to hook with a dremel tool or drill...in my picture I am using a BBQ brush which is an "as seen on TV" item...and not worth a darn for the BBQ but is great for powering the dubbing brush...easy to attach and cordless...the speed is ideal...dremels are too fast for me.

[Buddy Sanders]

I make a lot of dubbing brushes..but I've eschewed the power or 'spinning knob' options on the blocks I've made. Seems the first block I 'bought' was too short..so I made a longer one..then another one that was even longer...my last one is long enough.

I just use a hook made from a piece of coat hanger style wire that's about six inches long.

Spin them by hand between the fingers. Lots of control.

....if you want a power spinning option, you can always chuck the hook into a drill..I've done that, but find that the additional 'speed' isn't all that much. Those cute little knobs look cool, but you still have to control the tension from the other end, AND I find that using the knob is harder for me than just twisting the hook by hand.

To 'control' the fibers in the grove before you pick them up with the wire, try laying a smooth rod on top; metal, glass, solid plastic, all work just fine and you can usually find something laying about the house that will work. Something about 1/2 inch in diameter is ideal...holds things in place, but the wire slides around it well...once you've tightened the wire around the material, remove the rod and spin.

Buddy

[flybugpa]

Thanks guys, a little info goes a long way!

[Eight Thumbs]

Hi FBP,

As I remember, our very own Jim Smith, had a detailed article in Fly Tyer magazine within the last year (2008 Summer or 2008 Spring??) on building one of his famous dubbing brush spinners. BTW, Jim's dubbing brush flies are about as indestructible as a fishing fly can be made. 8T

[dave potts]

Yes, that was a good article in Fly Tyer with good plans for building one. I went by it to build one which works well.

Dave

[pszy22]

Boy those look nice, what is the construct of the the actual knobbed spinner portion? IS that home made or bought as an assembly?

thanks,

[James Smith]

The knobs are "homemade" from readily available materials. The materials list is as follows:

Wire hook = 3/4 inch long Stainless Steel Eye hook - the kind used in fishing plugs
Chuck/collet = Chuck and collet from a number 1, light duty xacto knife
Spinner = Bearings from roller blades - available from skateboard shop or better yet from a lightly used pair of roller blades from your local Goodwill store. That way you'll get 16 bearings for about $3.00
Knob = 10/24 female knob that fits the threads on xacto knife chuck
Spinning devise holder = padded pipe clamp available at any hardware store

To assemble, press fit the collet into the bearing. Insert the eye hook, slip the chuck into the collet and tighten the knob in place.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Jim Smith