Occasionally some one asks for ideas on furling jigs / boards. Thought a thread devoted to various models would be useful, or at least interesting.
Mine is pretty much cobbled together with stuff from Home Depot. The table is simply a plywood sheet rested on a couple collapsible sawhorses. The wings on the far ( left side in photo ) side let me extend the two boards in my basic jig to 14’ and let me furl lines / leaders up to about 12’ long for Tenkara rods.
The sliding carriage at the tip end is connected to a tension device and allows for reduction and relaxation of the leader during twisting and furling. On my original jig, a tension devise was the most difficult problem to solve. The carriage was the only solution I came up with. The tension devise is a length of stretch cord and a box end wrench of the appropriate weight. The fish hook on the post facilitates incorporating a tip ring before furling begins.
The posts or pegs are dowells set at spacing 40% of the distance from the butt to the tip on one side and 70% of that distance on the other side. This results in a configuration of 40% butt section, 30% mid section, and 30% tip section. Changing the spacing / configution would require a couple seconds with a drill to relocate the posts anywhere along the board. I chose the 40-30-30 configuration after reading a number of articles on leader construction. There may be better configurations, but this one works for me.
The gear system consists of two driven gears turning hooks for twisting / furling and a driving gear at a 5:1 ratio. Found the gears on an internet site. They were the most expensive component of the jig, but should last for quite a while.
Power by Ryobi as in a low end variable speed reversible drill. Since I use formulas for making leaders rather than using the “reduction” or “pig tailing” approaches, a lower speed drill is necessary so I can count revolutions / twists. Since I power furl rather than let the twisted leader material relax under tension, the reversible feature is essential to my system.
John
P.S. I just happened to clean up my work area yesterday after furling several leaders. Otherwise I would never have taken photos of my set up and started this thread. :roll:
Thanks for the post ,John.
Just a thought…as I’m sure you have things down pat…but if you knew the rpms would it be easier to time the twisting and use a stop watch…I know it is for me.
I read that somewhere else also, seems appropriate. Nice start to what I hope is a good thread as I am starting to consider furled leaders myself.Thanks John
My furling jig.
Head stock - hand held mixer, $2.00, Goodwill. Brazed two cup hooks in centerdrilled mixer shafts.
Tail - Lead weighted slider, rubberband to take up sleck during furling, removed at point of relaxation.
Mid post - showing slit pencil eraser.
Proceedure 1- Makeup each of two lays, whatever formula, IE: 7-5-4, 9-7-6, 5-3-2…, Insert tag end into eraser, buildup loops at station 1, 2 and 3, tie off at tag end in eraser. Repeat for second lay. In each lay the pegs are stagered for taper.
I use 10% usually but tweek at my whim. I ain’t takin’ 'em to the fair.
R
Since it was requested and I feel it is a great request, I will submit photos of my furling board.
I use a 1" X 8" X 8’ board that has been cut in half so that it is easy to store in my fly tying room closet plus easier to haul in a vehicle. I have 2 alum. channels fastened to the end of one half so that the other half can be slid into the channels and then locked together with a double-hung window latch as in this picture:
So that I can easily make different lengths of furled leaders, I have installed alum. channels on my board marked where the pegs need to be for the different lengths. This would have been a lot easier to do if I owned a router, but, I did not, so I used the 1/2" channels screwed down to the board and spaced so the head of a carriage bolt could be slid up and down the channels. The carriage bolts are fastened in the ends of the wooden dowels by a threaded insert in the dowel rod. To move the peg you just loosen the peg and slide it where you want it and tighten.
In this picture the 2 metal pieces at the left on the end of the board is the starting and ending points for the lay out. The peg with the cup hook is the 10% reduction points for each furled leader. You just insert the peg in the corresponding hole based on what length furled leader you are making and my board will make a 4’, 5’, 6’ and 7’ furled leader.
I only use either fluorocarbon or mono for my use and have made a few thread leaders upon request. For twisting each leg to the 10% reduction peg, I use a cup hook locked in a Dremel Tool. I have discovered that I do not have to hang my leaders to allow them to furl. I decided that the only reason for the weight is to keep tension on each leg while they furl together so they do not kink up, so, I just rigged up a snap swivel on a wire inserted into a wooden peg for a handle and once each leg is twisted, I just hook the snap swivel onto the twisted leader at the tippet peg, pull back to maintain tension and slowly come forward to allow the legs to furl together. A drop of oil every once in a while on the snap swivel keeps everything in good working condition. I do this with thread and have had no problems with it furling together. The 2 legs twisted together is a lot of energy and they will furl.
I know there are better ways, but, this works for me and is rather simple which I like.
RonT - I have a question on the electric mixer. If you hook each leg of the leader onto the hooks on the mixer and turn it on won’t the mixer be twisting each leg in opposite directions? I have always been taught to twist each leg in the same direction so they will furl together. Just curious and nothing more…
I build up each side of the two lays on one hook, then furle both together on the other. During furling there is ~2% relaxation (note rubber band, no rearward movement) then tension to ~10%.
R
First, an overall view. I have routed slots in the board so any configuration up to about 8 feet can be made. This view is looking down the board from the power head.
The next view is the far end of the board showing the weight system. This controls the reduction and tightness of the furl.
This is the pulley that goes from the tip hook to the weight system.
The next shot shows the power head and motor assembly. I am currently using a sewing machine motor for power. With this set up, both shafts turn the same direction.
Another shot of the power head with the cover on and showing the hooks.
A shot of the tippet end post. This post is also completely adjustable to allow for any leader length.
When I was thinking about building a new jig, I actually looked at power mixers and ended up buying a hand cranked mixer. I worked it down to a useable form - just the crank and gears and shafts - and THEN it occurred to me that the shafts turned in opposite directions. Since I twist both legs at the same time, that mixer wasn’t going to fit my system.
Certainly an interesting approach, as long as you are going to twist each leg separately. Thanks for posting it here.
John
P.S. Jack Hise uses a system identical to Warren’s, which is why he hasn’t posted it here.
I considered all kinds of options and possibilities before I built my current jig. If I could have found a constant speed motor that was suitable for my basic system, I would have considered either the stop watch method, a built in rev counter, or a built in timer.
However, being good with ideas and terrible with execution, I ended up cobbling together something close to my old jig, but powered by Ryobi, that works for me. And actually, the “powered by Ryobi” thing is the result of poor execution on another part of the jig.
I have been making my own FL and fishing them for over 10 years now. My board is auto with a geared motor set up.
Not wanting to be confused with percentages, etc, I feel a FL should be of a tightness of just before it breaks. So, I rope up my thread on my pegs for each material I use. run the motor with a stop watch running, until it breaks. Look at the time it took until breakage, then subtract 5 seconds. This is the time I will twist this material for my FL. Yes, I scrap one mess of thread for each different material. I have found that different materials get to the breaking point at different times. For me this is just a simple method for control. I do not care how many turns or what weight it needs or what percentage it shrinks.
I only make and fish two different FL. I use 6/0 uni for my dry fly fishing with a wt fwd line and 3 to 5 ft of tippet. I do grease the FL w/red mucilin. (only to keep it from sprinkling droplets of water when casting to a rise.)
When fishing my lakes with a Nymph, I use a Rio Lake line Intermediate, that sinks at a specific rate. Nothing I did would sink at the same rate until I used Berkley Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon, 2 lb which is .006" dia. It is a bit pricey but does sink at the same rate as my line and I find it works quite well for me. (Note: I have never found Vantage in 2 lb. I tried Vantage 4 lb and do not like it.
My first experience was watching Hans flurl a leader by pinning (safety pin) thread to the motel room carpet. Twisted with a battery powered drill motor.
There are many different ways to make your own. Nothing is graven in stone. I suggest being inventive like many have posted. Enjoy the making of your own FL. I will never go back to any other leaders. Now I know some prefer other leaders. So be it. Just go fishin and have fun.
Given that most of us furl with the layout going around a tip-end peg, i.e., in a “V” lay out configuration, a false illusion is created. In reality, if you mentally envision the one hook at the other end of a linear layout, the ends are, in reality, twisting in opposite directions; even though at the butt-hook end they do turn in the same direction.
Okay the following is a link to some pictures of my board. It is made to make three stranded leaders, and line. My board is made of Oak and peg board. The posts are metal posts with a handle that screws them in on the bottom of the board. It has three sections with the middle third section being interchangeable depending on how long of a leader I am making. Since it is capable of making three stranded leaders it has three hooks rotating in the same direction, and one to go in opposite direction to give me a power furl. I hope it is up to par here, and the liking of the forum. It works wonderfully, and goes very fast with the 7,000 rpm sewing machine motor. The light switch is my reostat and does a very good job as well.
I’d say it’s up to par …in fact at least a birdie or even an eagle:cool:.
I’d like to see pictures of the under surface…wondering exactly how you suspended the pegboard…and also pictures of an individual peg to show construction of the fastening mechanism.
Duckster asked for some different pictures of my board and posts so here they are. We cut a groove in the Oak to slide the pegboard in and then glued it in nice and tight. We added the cross beam for added support as my board is longer to help keep its shape. The posts just screw in with the handle for quick and easy changing of peg placement. I do have washers on both sides of the board to give some added support. I will be making a new board that is two pieces and 24 feet long so I can make some monster long Tenkara leaders.
