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Re: Doug Does Dubbing

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 10:17 pm
by DOUGSDEN
Thanks John! I am in amazement at the many "zones" on a hares mask and the differences of each! Then, one can mix and match them to get exponentially more varieties! Wouldn't that be something if some wiser heads came up with recipes for zone mixings? Now, let's toss in the various dyed colors available today! Wow, this could get out of control in a hurry! But, what sweet misery it is when it involves something you love to do or create!
I recently mixed cottontail rabbit body fur. That stuff is super soft and if you toss in the guard hairs (to varying degrees), it's quite attractive as a dubbing! Dark but attractive!
Yours from my warm and cozy den,
Dougsden

Re: Doug Does Dubbing

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 11:04 pm
by Bazzer69
Doug, great thread you started, thanks.
What is that vise you are using? It looks like you have a big extension on the head, what’s the thinking behind it?
Barry

Re: Doug Does Dubbing

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2019 9:25 pm
by DOUGSDEN
Hi Barry,
I am glad you noticed my unique vice! Did you catch all the junk on my desk and bulletin board as well? I am not one for paying attention to the background on my pictures!
The vice is a Thompson brand and I believe the series is called "360" as in 360 degree rotation. It is not however a true rotary vice. The center of axis is different. For me, this is perfectly o.k. I love it because it fits my tying style to a tee! I can make the vice a true rotary by adjusting the upper portion to horizontal but I never cared for this.
I bought the vice back in the early to mid-90's just after I had made a career change and could afford such a beast! I have made some modifications to the original design. The vice is rather tall standing at thirteen inches. As I note other, more expensive vices out there on the market, none of them are nearly that tall. This height allows me to look at a pattern straight on as I tie rather than looking down upon it! This has its advantages. As I set at my desk in my den, I can look at a pattern square on or at eye level. This is personal preference and may not be for everyone!
The modifications are small but important at least to me. The first one is....the head of the vice (where the black shaft meets the brass about 3/4 of the way up) was allowed to spin 360 degrees in the shaft. Very annoying. So, I drilled and tapped the shaft and threaded a small thumb screw. This keeps everything from spinning out of control. The second modification is the installation of a brass bar about three inches long to serve as a gate to keep my bobbin still. This is a pet peeve of mine and this gate was installed to alleviate this spin. The brown box sitting on the pedestal base is my tool box. It keeps all my stuff from winding up in other rooms of the house! The little brown blob near the brass shaft holder is a small hunk of Bill Shucks tying wax. It is used constantly as I play a little tune on the tying thread with wax here but not there as the pattern comes together.
My vice came with two different jaws. One is rather large in hook holding area say for streamer or bass bug hooks. The other is a more narrow and finely tapered and works well for smaller wets and flymphs and yes, even the occasional dry fly! I use the narrow one the most but each is very easy to change!
Ray and William and Bill got to see this monster in use at Roscoe #1 back in 2012 as we tied and talked and laughed together. I should take a better photo of this and post it soon! Thanks for your interest in my personalized vice! I would be interested to see all the other vices that are out there! Everyone send in your pics soon. Let's do this on another thread! Someone start it up!
Doug
Doug

Re: Doug Does Dubbing

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2019 9:51 pm
by DOUGSDEN
Some vice photos......
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Re: Doug Does Dubbing

Posted: Wed Jan 16, 2019 9:53 pm
by DOUGSDEN
I obviously need some editing help.....please make them vertical!

Re: Doug Does Dubbing

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 8:02 am
by daringduffer
Doug, adapting a vice to ones preferences is rewarding. I do it all the time since these preferences seem to change.
I used a cable tie on the stand rod to stop the bobbin holder from spinning when that annoyed me. I could sweep it away when not needed. Willowhead asked me about this and said 'uhu' or something like that when I explained. If I had a problem with 360 degree rotation I would put some plastic between the end of the thumb screw and the stand rod to control the friction.

Since your flies are so good, that must be an awesome vice! :D :lol:

dd

Re: Doug Does Dubbing

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 8:08 am
by ronr
Doug... do you use a dubbing rake when trying to remove just a small amount of dubbing from a hide or do you just clip it off with scissors....if using a rake.. what brand?

Re: Doug Does Dubbing

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 1:11 pm
by letumgo
Doug - I will fix (rotate) the photos soon. You must have been tying at the equator again. (friendly humor/kidding)

Re: Doug Does Dubbing

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 9:12 pm
by DOUGSDEN
Hi guys!
Daringduffer, a great story about the late Willowhead (I miss him a bunch!). Also interesting is your using the cable tie the way you did! I understand about sweeping the piece when not needed! Mine simply sweeps downward and out of the way! I appreciate your comments about my tying! It's nothing spectacular. A lot of beauty can be had when you curry the marabou and apply it just right! I will post a picture of some of the streamers I have been working on lately....if that is allowed on the Flymph Forum?
Ray, thank you for fixing my pictures! I thought the equator comment was very funny! When I look out the window and see the snow stacking up, I am about as far away from the center line (weather wise) as a fellow can get!
Ronr, I usually just clip off a small amount of fur right from the hide. I don't even own a rake! It sounds like a great idea! Does the rake cut the fur away at the same time you pull it thru the fur? When I cut the fur away from the hides, I used the long, red handled Thompson scissors (those by the way were the first decent scissors I owned and they were, and are, marvelous especially for close trimming on skins and hides) to neatly trim away the fur close! These furs were prime (very well furred out) and a joy to work with. It did not take long to make generous piles of fur!
Dougsden
Long shanked "Pinkies" for the ladies!
Long shanked "Pinkies" for the ladies!
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Adding to the stock box!
Adding to the stock box!
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Variations!
Variations!
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Re: Doug Does Dubbing

Posted: Thu Jan 17, 2019 9:34 pm
by Bazzer69
ronr wrote: Thu Jan 17, 2019 8:08 am Doug... do you use a dubbing rake when trying to remove just a small amount of dubbing from a hide or do you just clip it off with scissors....if using a rake.. what brand?
The best dubbin rake was a ceramic one that came from Lawrence Waldron, I had one but my ex wife took care of it. I’ve never seen it again. I would love to buy another but I’ve looked and looked and haven’t been able to find one. Some people use a small section of hacksaw blade, I haven’t tried it but it probably works.