Does anyone notice a difference in the ability of dubbing wax to adhere to unwaxed thread verses prewaxed thread? With the different types of dubbing available, I sometimes find that even pre waxed thread needs a little help to stick the material to the thread long enough to get it wrapped. I can’t always get an even layer of wax to stick to the prewaxed. Should I just use unwaxed. Thanks for any answers. kev
Kev,
Remember that the ‘purpose’ of the wax is just to get the dubbing onto the thread easier and/or neater and just long enough for you to wrap it onto the fly. The wax doesn’t ‘hold’ the material in place, the thread wraps do that.
Rather than fight with trying to get some type of dubbing wax onto whichever type of therad you choose, why not try another method first.
Rub your ‘dubbing fingers’ (for me that is the right forefinger and thumb) gently accross the dubbing wax. You should get just enough on there to be just able to ‘feel’ it.
Try dubbing this way, and you won’t have to concern yourself about what type of thread you have. It even works well on monofilament.
Works better, wax lasts longer, and is less messy and much faster than trying to ger an even coat of wax onto the thread.
Just a thought. Can’t claim it as my own, though. I read about in a book about fly tying written by A. K. Best.
Good Luck!
Buddy
kgilroy,
I used to coat thread with various types of waxes with mixed results. Then at a sports show a tyer taught me to just put the wax (ever so slight) on my forefinger and thumb as Buddy described. My dubbing goes on so much better these days. Give Buddy’s suggestion a try. I think you’ll be happy with the results.
Some great tips offered. Originally wax was used to strengthen tying silk and for it’s adhesive qualities. A very popular wax used by early ties was a pine resin based wax, which is extremely sticky, when applied . It also is extremely adhesive as well. Using such wax , without the assistance of a bobbin holder, one can make 3 wraps on a hook shank and let go, it may unwind a 1/3 of a turn, may. With the advent of the bobbin holder and it’s widespread use, wax has become somewhat less necessary in the construction of flies. I firmly believe a fly tied with the old resin based wax to be more durable than one tied without it, unless of course, you use some sort of glue after each tying sequence.
The problem I have with the “toilet bowl seal” wax so popular today is when fishing cold water it will “chalk up” and loose it’s translucency.
Instead of using wax on the finger tips, water will work. Just moisten your fingers and roll on the dubbing.
Hope this helps.
Jim Slattery
Or you could try my method. Get the super tacky version of wax, load up the length of thread you think you want to cover with way too much dubbing… cover an inch more than that… apply way too much dubbing , wrap. let’s just say the flies come out “buggy.” :roll:
Instead of using wax on the finger tips, water will work. Just moisten your fingers and roll on the dubbing.
Ditto, Jim :). I have not used wax in years.
will try the water, i’ve never heard of that before
Hi Kev,
I am the last one in the world to offer advise as I am a rookie, newby, beginner whatever you want to call it. Dubbing is my nemesis, however, the person who has been teaching me to tie has expressed the importance of being able to dub properly and I see the practice beginning to pay off. I have really had to work with developing a technique that would work for me, whether it was with a different wax, how I applied it to the thread or maybe how I prepared it before I applied it to the thread.
I know this isn’t advise but it seems there is no substitute for practice. I am just now learning to taper hare dubbing and get it to look like a taper.
I promise there is hope,
Not only is the water helpful for dubbing, but it should always be used in lieu of “licking” your fingers. So many of our tying materials have dyes and chemicals on them, that you could be asking for trouble if you are sensitive to these introduced chemicals (just look at your fingers after working with black marabou or black chenille). The best thing I’ve seen is to get your fingers wet is a small piece of sponge in a spent votive candle cup. Small size does not add to the clutter we sometimes have on our tying benches, and a small amount of water will keep it wet for most of the day.
Sorry if this highjacks the thread. Thought it might be helpful.
Joe
On the subject of using water; has anyone tried one of those finger moistening thingies that they sell in office supply stores; you know, the one that bank tellers use when counting money. Not the sponge in a bowl, but the stuff that comes in a small container that looks like an over-sized Mucilin tin.
I still have 80% of a 20 year old tube of Overton’s that I use when dubbing coarse stuff. I like wax on my thread, maybe I’m just old school but that’s the way I’ve always done it.
I recently switched thread brands and the Gudebrod I now use has a much tackier wax on it then the old brand I used previously which had wax on it that sometimes dried out and got powdery.
Thanks to all who answered. I do use the moistened finger method with a lot of the dubbings. Some of the life cycle dubbing seems not to be suitable for this and hence the wax question. Tried applying it to my fingers instead of right off the stick and it does work a bit better.
Diane, I have admired your sense of humor for some time on this board. Keep it up! kev
You’re welcome to the humor, Kev.
If you want an excellent, and probably serious, response that will actually help your tying, get in touch with Allan Podell. He’s the one who showed me touch dubbing in the first place and he would quite likely tell you to go with a bit of wax and a tiny amount of material. Unfortunately, he’s no longer allowed to post here.
I’ve looked into the finger moistening things. The label said it was “hydrophilic”, meaning it absorbs water. This made me think they were not a good idea, at least for dry flies.
When I have tried wax on my fingers it has just caused the dubbing to stick to my fingers. I opt for a small amount of wax on the thread and slightly moistened fingers as needed.