http://www.frankenfly.com/making-dubbing-101-a-step-by-step-by-doug-korn/
Nice SBS from Doug on making/blending your own dubbing. Rabbits, beavers, possums, et al are all breathing a collective sigh of relief.
Regards,
Scott
ps - it’s on his website, too http://55onthefly.blogspot.com/
I use it on pink Clackas, cinnamon ants, and will be using it on many more this year. Good stuff.
Has “wet blending” as I was taught decades ago completely out of date now? It works very well with guaranteed complete mixing.
Here is some seal fur I dyed and mixed with my coffee grinder using this technique. 
The video gives a good concept insofar as a measuring ratio and how to use it. However, there is one important point left out of the narrative and instructions. The directions say to run the grinder for 20 seconds. Well, depending on the material that might just melt the dubbing and ruin the grinder. Example would be if you used a yarn made with a high percentage of any of the plastics. Aunt Lydia’s Sparkle Yarn comes to mind. The heat generated by the grinder will melt and fuse the material fibers. I mix this stuff all the time and learned my lesson immediately after my first attempt years ago. When using the synthetics, just use short bursts of say 2 to 4 seconds. It may take a few bursts but I think you’ll find the results will be better then one blast lasting 20 seconds.
Allan
Allan,
Doug does mention that in the instructions - “Be careful though, too much grinding creates heat and the heat will melt and clump the yarn/dubbing.”
I agree with you, as I’ve melted some synthetics because I’ve let the grinder run too long, and found that short pulses work better.
Regards,
Scott
Scott,
Yes at the end he says to ‘be careful because too much blending can …’. However, at the beginning he said that the blender should run about 20 seconds. Way too much, IMHO. Overall he’s right on point but could have sequenced the instructions better. Again, just MHO.
As to the time in the grinder… Just check every 5-7 seconds. If not how you like it, pulse it some more.
In my opinion, the input (type of material) is the most important factor.
This can also be done with two pet brushes. Smaller amounts and not as fast.
Rick
Just as an aside. Earlier today I stopped in at a ‘Household Sale’ and picked up a brand new coffee grinder for $1.50. Now I have at least 4 for my own use and my wife has her own for - uhhh coffee, nuts, some herbs or whatever!
As another aside - static electricity builds up in and around the container causing the dubbing material to cling to it. Wipe all over occasionally with a anti-static towelette. I use one that’s gone through the dryer because it still removes the small amount of static and the anti-static powder is gone. Just leave the towelette in the grinder between uses so you don’t have to search for one.
Allan
Thanks folks for all the kind comments on my Dubbing SBS.
The points made about the heat generated by the grinder are very valid and caution should be used on blend times. When using new materials - run the grinder in short bursts and gain an understanding of the materials being used.
Here is the quote from my SBS: “Turn it on and run it for about 20 seconds. Grinding times will vary depending on your wool and the volume of yarn in the grinder.”
Just to clarify:
The “about 20 seconds” comment was for that step in the process of making that dubbing and the yarns being used in that step. Notice it says: “about”.
IMHO, I think the second sentence clearly states what should be done with other yarns/wools.
Doug, something to consider, you reference Wool, a nature fiber. Wood will not melt, if sufficient heat is generated it might burn, although it does not burn particularly well.
It’s neat, but why? Isn’t dubbing just as cheap to buy as the chenille? Actually, I think some chenilles cost more than the dubbing.
Because you can blend your own to suit your needs. Some of the commercial dubbing mixes just don’t meet the local needs. Others are just wrong. Others I/we don’t like: too bland, don’t dub well, don’t like the material, too fine, too coarse, too short, too long, etc. Besides, creating dubbing blends is part of the fun.
Allan
Oh, OK.
I was just curious. I can relate to that. I have cut up Craft Fur before, for dubbing, just because I liked the color. For some reason I thought it was being put forth as a way to save money, and I couldn’t see it, because chenille and dubbing are similarly priced. I don’t know why I thought that. Getting older, I guess…
Anyway, it is really nice-looking dubbing. Good job.
LOL, LOL - Hi Gig,
Way back when, I was told - yeah and I believed it too! - that tying flies would save money. Now with 2 rooms of tying equipment, desk, chair, lights, not to mention over 180 books, $000s in materials and more chicken, duck, deer, elk, bear, moose, and other assorted bird and mammal parts that I can’t cook but can’t get rid of I think something in that ‘saving equation’ was all wrong. Oh did I mention the 100,000 + (not an exaggeration) flies I’ve tied and that sit in large cardboard boxes downstairs or are in my vest. Yes, saving money was a great incentive, LOL. But the combined enjoyment - priceless.
Allan
You mean, I am not the only one with boxes and boxes of unsorted flies laying around? I feel much better now. I was thinking I was some sort of fly-tying mutant. I have to make the little displays with flies in picture frames to give away as gifts, and I still tie more than I can dispose of. I am thinking of listing them in batches of 25 on EBay as Grab-Bag Mystery Fly sets.
All the emphasis these days seem to involve using dry coffee grinders. This introduces the mentioned concerns about overheating, incomplete blending and static problems. What has happened to the process of using a mini wet blender like a Cuidinart Mini-Mate chopper/grinder? Or even a regular kitchen blender?
I was introduced to the WET-BLENDING technique by Eric Leiser, many decades ago, when he had his shop near Croton, NY.
This does entail a little extra work but the blending is perfect and when you drain the water by pouring the mix through a tea strainer and drying the wet “patch” of blend over a light bulb you end up with a perfect little pad of dubbing. Give it a try.
gig master, where can you get the materials to make the framed flies. ive got a number of flies that fran betters tied and i would like to frame some of them.
ray, i think the coffee grinder method came about because it eliminates the drying time/ process, plus i dont have to explain the small fur balls in my wifes frozen daquires anymore because im not using her blender.
The coffee grinder is fine and I use one, but I agree it is not necessary.Polly Rosborough used just a bowl of water with a dab of dish detergent to mixhis dubbings, and this works terrifically. Pour the results into a seive, rinse(surprisingly almost NO fibres will escape through the seive), and flip onto apaper towel to try. In about an hour you will have a handy little felt ofdubbing that is easy to put in any container or mini zip-lock. Great for smallbatches.