Have you made any of your tieing tools?

[Colorado Cajun]

Have you made any of your tieing tools? If so, please share your ideas.

On the left is my bodkin cleaner. It is a film canister with a hole on top and steel wool inside. Jab it in there twice and it gets any glue or head cement right off.

The middle is my bodkin that is a little beat up but I still perfer it over my store bought one. It is the biggest sewing needle my wife had epoxed into the end of a wooden dowl. File one side of the handle flat so it don't roll off the bench and stick in your leg.

On the right is my dubbing twister. 1 paper clips, some beads from my daughter's craft kit, and a piece of dowl. Works as good as a store bought

[Fish Bones]

I made a fly drier once.... still use it today. I used a discarded electric motor from a popcorn popper, some wood, a cord from a broken iron. and some alligator clips. It dries epoxy flies really well. Most of the parts were free... I think I spent a couple dollars for the clips. I'll post a few pics later.

[Colorado Cajun]

That sounds interesting. I take it you don't use 5 minute epoxy. Does you device put off heat to assist in the drying?

[Fish Bones]

Here are some pics of the drier that I made. I use 30 min epoxy... and I still have to work fast. It puts off no heat. It works great.

[Colorado Cajun]

That's cool! You don't have to worry about flipping your flies over a couple of times before the epoxy sets. I nerver tie that many at once, then again I don't tie to many that need epoxy. I usually use 5 minute epoxy and mix a little on a piece of cardboard and put it the fly while it is still in the vice then move the fly to a piece of foam after it sets. I know, it takes longer. I like your dryer.

[Frank Whiton]

Steve,

A good setup and a lot cheaper than a commercial one. I like yours better than the ones with a foam face. A Bar-B-Q motor works also.

[lryansl]

http://users.adelphia.net/~mstatig/vise.jpg Sure it may look ugly but I can tie a fly with it. Poor mans Vise.

[Colorado Cajun]

Originally Posted by lryansl

http://users.adelphia.net/~mstatig/vise.jpg Sure it may look ugly but I can tie a fly with it. Poor mans Vise.

I bet you can! Do you have midge jaws for that vice too? *LOL* Sorry! I couldn't resist.

Is that your primary vice?

[lryansl]

Being how cheap I am I just cant bring myself yet to spend the money on a kit, but eventually I will. Yup its my primary, the smallest hook ive had in it is a size 12 I think anything smaller then that would just be impossible to tie.

[lryansl]

That fly so far has landed me 3 nice size carp on my 5 wt and Im loving it.