Rotary vises

[Ray Kunz]

I just sent this in as a comment on "rests for bobbin holders". I'd really like to start it as a new thread,

While a great number of us have rotary vises it would be interesting to learn how many of us use the feature consistently. I have a Peak and a Renzetti. They are very nice but the only time I use the rotary feature is to look at the far side of the fly while in process. I especially don't get involved in rotary stuff when leading classes because most newbies have non-rotaries. All the neat rotary methods are novel but I guess I'm just too set in my ways to accept the changes.
I bet I'm not alone. Thanks for your comments.

[TyroneFly]

When using my Nor-Vice I use rotary tying at some point or another on all flies even if it is just to lay down a thread base. I really like using rotary for dubbing and hackling flies. It just make the process so much easier and faster. I also like to use it when I apply ribbing or wrapping the shank with say tinsel. It really speeds up applying wire on flies like a copper John or adding lead or non-lead weight to the shank of the hook. These are just a few things I regularly do when using my rotary vise.

[namekagon]

New to my rotary but yeah,,,have been using it for tinsel bodies and ribbing and it's great.

[Bob Widmaier]

I am with TyroneFly on this one. I have a Norvise and use it for lots of fly body work. It is really good for wrapping biot bodies.

Bob W

[AlanB]

Rotary tying is something I use when I feel I need it, which isn't that often on smaller flies. I have, in fact I still am, considering adding a Nor Vice to my set up. The only reason for this is speed. As a production tier I have reached a point where any improvement in speed is becoming very small and takes a lot of work. The Nor Vice may offer me an increase in speed. For most people that isn't a factor. For me it is a huge one. What I am debating is whether the learning curve is going to be worth it. I don't want to buy an expensive "white elephant".

Maybe this comment belongs on the other thread but my bobbin rest has remained in my fly tying chest since I last moved home, which was two years ago this month. Thats a measure of how much I currently use rotary techniques.

Cheers,
A.

[James Smith]

When I used to tie on a DynaKing Baraccuda vise, I mainly used the rotary feature to check the "back" side of the fly but since I switched over to the Norvise, (about 10 years ago) I use the rotary feature on my vise for just about every fly I tie.

Jim Smith

[johnstoeckel]

I've used a Peak for the last several years, but perhaps more significantly I tied on a stationary Thompson vise for about 20 years prior to acquiring the Peak vise. So I mostly tie in a stationary fashion as that is how I learned and what I'm used to.

I do use the rotary for accessing or turning the fly -- eg, tying in a beard hackle. I also use the rotary feature for certain body materials on some flies -- eg, wrapping a coarse dubbing loop on a scud.

I didn't buy my Peak specifically for hte rotary feature. It just seems like most all of the higher quality vises are rotary now days.

[herefishy]

I use my rotary when wrapping a big hook, or with really small material - whatever takes a lot of turns. But I'm thinking of using it more for hackling, which I have trouble getting on straight, or other materials that I don't want to twist as I lay them on.

[Uncle Jesse]

I like to use the rotary feature for hackling because I do not think I break as many feathers because the tip of the feather is moved very little and it's also easier to keep the orientation of the feather as desired. I think the segments formed using a rotary are probably more consisent than with a stationary vise, again less of a tendency to break the wire.

[lee s]

If you first learn on a rotary, it should be a breeze. If, like me, it was re-training, it will take more conscious effort as our brains need time to convert to rotary thinking. We tie on a Nor-vise and would never give it up. Whatever any other vise can do, a Nor-vise will do that and a little bit more.
....lee s