Since I started tying Hacklestackers, I tried a bunch of different ways to hold the post loop while wrapping the hackle (never did get the hang of the mono loop on the finger like Mr. Quigley tied it). Didn’t feel like buying a gallows so I tried everything from bent coat-hangers to rubber bands on the Ott light that hangs over my vise. Rooting through the bins at Home Depot for another project, I found some nylon spacers that fit the vise shaft and figured they’d work as the base; just needed the right material for the hook part. Coat hangers are a bit thick and really don’t have that much spring to them, same with all the spooled wire I could find. Thought about stuff like 304 spring steel wire, music wire, etc, then remembered the wire on those cheapy marker flags might work (grabbed one from the neighbor’s yard - I’m sure they won’t have any trouble finding those buried cables they’re going to start digging around). The stuff is perfect - flexible, doesn’t seem to have much memory, provides the right amount of tension, and is long enough that when it’s bent and attached to the post loop, there’s plenty of room to wrap the hackle without banging into it.
base - nylon spacer 3/8" I.D. x 1" x 3/8"
arm - 1/16" wire (from marker flag)
glue - 5 min epoxy
spacer; drill 1/16" hole
flag (pull the flag off and clean up the wire with a little steel wool)
You really have to be a first class scourge to have this, but there is a stainless steel strip of metal in a windshield wiper blade that would be just about perfect for the job described, about 3/32" wide about 0.0030 thick, you would need to heat the end to insert in the nylon spacer, they are flexible and springy.
Scott, My first job was a fire protection / prevention consultant (frequent interpreted as “Inspector”.) with approximately 150 clients I visited at least once a year, some more frequently. These were industrial manufacturing for the most part and most were scrounge friendly. I still have a section of a rejected biopsy needle, 1/16" surgical garde stainless steel. It was scourge heaven, having to be careful to compromise doing your job.
Man, I must like in a spacer impaired area! I tried my local hardware store and they had nothing like it. So, the search is on. I may try one of the wires that you pout between joists to hold up fiberglass insulation. May work.
Mike
Where did you find the bushing? In the Special Fittings/fasteners drawers in Home Depot? I may have to head over there today, and will see if they have them here.
That’s where they were. You may want to check online at your local store to see if they have them in stock (not all do). My neighborhood HD didn’t but one a few miles away did; apparently I appear to live in Home Improvement Alley.
Ralph, here in the north metro Atlanta area if you want something like that you go to the Ace Hardware Store. There are several good ones with multiple boxes of hard to find hardware. A good True Value would likely have the same.
If you can’t find the nylon spacers, you could also:
A. cut a 1" dowel into sections, drill out the center with a 3/8" bit (or whatever your vise shaft diameter is)
B. bend the butt end of the wire 90 degrees and attach it to the vise shaft with a hose clamp
C. wrap the butt end of the wire a few times around the shaft
someone on another site fond a steel collar with similar dimensions (had a set screw which would make it simple to keep it in position); just took a little more effort to drill the hole for the wire
Regards,
Scott
ps - for odd stuff like the spacer, Ace is often The Place; the one in Whitefish has stuff I can never find in the big box stores
Thank you Scott for the length of the wire. For any of you guys that don’t want to borrow a flag from your neighbors you can get them at Lincoln contractor supply or a store that sells surveying supplies. They cost around $8 for 100. Other uses other then a gallows tool is to Mark new plantings in the yard so that you don’t cut them off when you’re on auto pilot cutting the grass thinking about going fishing Fishin’Jimmy
