FLYMPH FORUM

You can also make a dubbing block like this;

Mike,

Could you provide dimensions for that nice block, please? It would save some trial and error.

dd

daringduffer wrote:[Mike,

Could you provide dimensions for that nice block, please? It would save some trial and error.

dd

Sure, here's a quick sketch, all dimensions in millimeters;



The block is a piece of waste hardwood from 25...30 mm thick. The saw cuts need to be made with a fine saw like a hacksaw or fretsaw with a fine blade. The cuts are 3...5 mm deep and 10mm apart, depth depends on the minimum length of dubbing you want to use, as you have to grasp what is left projecting from the slit with a clip. If you make them too deep you can't grasp short fibres, so make a trial piece first with just one slit. The depth you can use is also dependent on the width of the slit. A fine slit only needs to be 2mm deep.

To use, either pull hackles in by the stem across the slit. Or, place dubbing across the slit and pull it in with thread or wire. You can also use various fibres from hackles etc.

TL
MC

The amount of fibres or dubbing etc you can use is limited by the width of the slit, so spread your dubbing out well. CDC feathers etc are used as shown in the original photo, you can also use partridge and other stuff like that, basically any fibre at all. Just pull it in with a thread. I have a similar block made of "flip-flop" ( sandals ) foam, and the slits made with a scalpel. The taper is of course to allow you to use various feather lengths, and to dub various lengths of thread with whatever fibres you use. Remember that hackle fibres are doubled when you fold the hackle in the slit, so if you are making a partridge hackle take this into account.

To make sure you can get the hackle out of the slit again, place a piece of wire or nylon etc in the bottom of the slit before you begin. If you then pull this out it pulls the hackle or whatever out with it.

You can glue a piece of "flip-flop" foam to the bottom of the block, and then slit this with a scalpel, and you then have a double-dubbing block!

TL
MC

Mark Petitjean's "MagicTool" comes to mind ...

Brilliant design, Mike. I plan to build one of these in the future. This looks perfect for the Leisenring-style dubbed silk bodies. Thanks for sharing.

Brilliant design, Mike.

Definitely love the looks of both this and the dubbing block, though I'm going to have a hard time explaining to my wife why a mitre box and a router are now essential to my flyfishing experience.

Oh you big fibber. I don't see any need for a router there. What's your wife's phone number?



Vicki

I don't see any need for a router there

And I suppose you would have me round off the edges with sandpaper? What kind of barbarian do you take me for? (FWIW, on a related note, now that I'm tying more my wife has become mightily amused by her inability to keep enough hand lotion in the house.)

on both counts!



Vicki

(funny, Jon)

My wife caught me wearing white silk gloves, as I was tying some silk bodied streamer flies. She looked at me and just started laughing, shook her head and said "I don't want to know".

It is funny what we will try for fly tying.