| You can make your own tools if you like. It's not much cheaper
then buying but it will give you a good feeling to know that you can build
almost anything you need.
Bobbins.
I make my bobbins with two sizes of thin wall hobby tubing, coat hanger
wire and large plastic beads. I cut the smaller tube to length.
Cut two pieced of wire to length, put them in a vice and bend to shape.
I cut about a 1 in. length of the larger hobby tubing (about 7/32 in or
1/4 in. depending on the size of your coat hanger wire) and put it in the
vice. I stick the smaller tubing in and mash the larger tubing flat
against it. then I insert the two coat hanger wires on each side
and (keeping everything lined up) press the whole thing in the vice until
it's tight. I insert some toothpicks in the gaps between the outer
tube and the wire as shims. When they're tight I cut off the excess
and put a little super glue on them. I ream out the end
of the small tube so it won't catch the thread. Then I put a "lip"
of super glue around the opening and place it in the vice with the tube
pointing down, like a "Y." Super glue is very hard and will
dry around the edge of the lip, cushioning the thread. I drill out
the beads, fit them over the ends of the wire and super glue in place.
Building one will cost you more in materials then buying an inexpensive
bobbin, but once you have the materials, you can build all you want.
Bodkin.
A Bodkin is easily made by sticking a needle
in a piece of dowel. The problems are how to stick the back end of
a needle into the dowel, how to center it and how to hold it in place once
it's centered. If you have a hand drill and a vice you
can put the needle horizontally POINT OUT in the vice, the dowel in the
drill chuck and place the other end against the needle. Take a slow
turn and look at the dowel. If it's off center, you'll be able to
see it easily. Don't worry about getting EXACTLY centered.
Most dowels have grain in the exact center. Once you've got the dowel
centered drill like you normally would. After you've got the dowel
drilled about 1/4 to 1/2 in. deep back the dowel off the needle.
Take the needle out of the vice and snap off the eye. Now put the
needle back in the vice, POINT IN and place the end of the needle into
the hole you drilled. a few turns of the drill will seat the needle
where you want it. Take the tool out of both the vice and drill chuck
and put a drop of super glue on the end that holds the needle.
Let it dry and you're ready to go.
Dubbing Twister.
My dubbing twister is make of a piece of 80 lb.
stainless steel fishing leader, doubled over, bent to shape and put in
an aluminum handle. I shim with toothpicks and use super glue to
hold it together.
Hackle pliers.
You can make hackle pliers out of a length of
coat hanger wire, a broom stick handle, a pair of pliers and a file..
Cut about 9 to 11 in. of coat hanger wire, wrap it once or twice
around the brook stick handle so that both ends are pointing in the same
direction. Bend the two ends toward each other so that the overlap about
1 in. Next bend the ends so they're parallel. Bend them over
each other. Trim the two ends to the same length. Put a small
file between the ends and file them flat. Adjust the tension
and you're ready to go.
Half-Hitch tool.
You can make a half hitch tool out of the barrel
of a ball point pin. I made mine out of a 2 1/2x1/4 in piece of hobby
plastic tubing. I stuck a small piece of aluminum in one end and
sanded the other end down. I made sure the aluminum that sticks out
of the one end is smooth and won't catch the thread. I use
either end, depending on the size hook.
Punches.
The white Spider calls for a round foam body.
You can punch out the foam with an empty pistol casing. a .45 works
well for #10, while a . 357 works just as well for a #12. If
you don't have access to spent pistol casings, you can use thin wall hobby
copper tubing, available at most hobby shops. Cut about 1 1/2 in
long and wrap one end with masking tape for padding. (let the tape lap
over the edge and then turn it into the center of the tube.)
Which ever one you use, sharpen the cutting
edge with a 1/2 in countersink.
take any burr off the outside with a little sandpaper.
I have yet to make my own scissors. I'm
not saying you couldn't make them if you like (I have thought about it.)
It just seems like much more trouble then it's worth. Who knows?
Maybe someday I will.
I hope this page gives you some ideas about tools
you can make for yourself. |