Mine is a Black & Decker, Smart Grind. Works perfect every time. John
i’m prolly going to K Mart tonight. I went on there website and found a couple fairly cheap
http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_1010 … ee+grinder
http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_1010 … 33916001P?
I haven’t ever blended dubbing, so those of you that have, which one do you think would be better?
Thanks Again
Don’t overload it and only blend it in short pulses. If you blend it for too long some materials will tend to form little balls and almost look like lint. Some synthetics with long fibers will also tend to wrap around the blades and cause a mess.
Joe
Mine is almost the same as the second one you posted. It works fine for me, but I can say that it is a little fiddly to turn on the way that you have to line up the catch and press in to operate. More so when pulsing and checking and pulsing etc, other than that it’s fine. Some have a dedicated switch on the side which would be easier.
To do hares ear dubbing I think you have to buy it on the mask, I have not seen an acceptable substitute pre-made. I trim it off the ears with scissors as close to the skin as I can then just blend it all in the coffee grinder, and toss into a labelled bag. You will find that the fur on the face will be too long or fluffy for the dubbing so stick with just the ears. If you want to make it easier to dub you can mix it with a little synthetic dubbing but I find it works well enough with a tiny smear of wax on the thread to help hold it, then away you go.
It is a little harder to do than commercial dubbing but you will get used to it after a few and nothing compares with it.
I have some people scrambling over each other to get some more of my hares ear nymphs, and all they consist of is hares ear fur as above with a fine rib on a #14 or #16, with a bead head and a little lead weight, and a couple of really fine rubber legs tossed under the dubbing. They are absolute killers - so go for it.
It’s nice if you get a grinder you can easily see into…clear cover…
I use a coffe grinder to fluff and blend small amounts of dubbing. I found one at a yard sale for $2. I have also used a blender to mix large batches of dubbing like hare’s ear. I take a whole mask and shave it with a beard and mustach trimmer. I use the same one I use for my face. I then put it all in a blender and add water to cover. I pulse a few times to give a real good mix up. I then pour it out onto a fine mesh screen I framed for just such a purpose. I set it out to dry then bag it up and lable it. When I tie, I take a pinch, fluff it and there you go. I do the same for a few special blends that I use.
Also, only blend short fibre dubbings. I have never had any luck blending or fluffing long strand synthetic dubbings. I just end up with a ball. Hope this helps a bit.
I guess I am in the minority since I prefer wet blending when I want to blend any quantity of fur. I just put the stuff in a pint size jar; add water and shake. I have always obtained excellent results and any long fibers I may be hoping use to my advantage in the fly pattern are preserved and not chopped up as they sometimes can be in a blender or coffee “grinder”.
Wet blending also gives me the opportunity to see how the dubbing will look wet and since I typically only use blended real fur on wets & nymphs; it is a great way to see how the fly REALLY will look when fished. I also have found that wet blending really shines when you try to blend weird combos of materials like fur, Antron, Angora and other fibers.
As far as drying out the wet fur; I usually blend WELL in advance of any tying sessions requiring my creation but if I need it quick; a hair dryer works nicely.
If I need a small amount of blending dubbing in a pinch; I’ll just do the 'pick and pull" finger blending method.
I was shown how to wet-blend many years ago and am perfectly satisfied.
This way there is less chance for little bits and pieces to get airborne.
After the blending I pour the mix into a screen strainer to drain and then onto a paper towel to dry in the microwave. The resulting “mat” will be very easy to store and handle.
Wet blending presents no static problem but you obviously must avoid using long strands of synthetics as they will wrap around the shaft.
First let me apologize for hijacking this thread, but, for those who wet blend, have you ever tried using your blended dubbing while it was still damp? Just something that came across my mind as I read your posts and sounds like something I would have tired if I wet blended my material.
Thanks
No, probably because I do a batch way ahead of when I need it unlike EVERYTHING else I do regarding fly tying.
Al Beatty uses some anti-static spray whenever he ties with hair. Makes it easier to clean out the underfur and helps in stacking. The same stuff would probably work just fine for dubbing.
REE