Recommendations for a GOOD tube fly vise

Bought a tube fly head for my Renzetti and I'm not a happy camper.
The Rezentti uses a mandrel with collet to hold the tube in place plus
a small threaded collar that is tightened against the end of the tube
to hold it in place. It doesn't. Pull on some thread to tighten down
and the whole affair spins. The little collar only holds it tight for
a short while. I spend too much time fighting against a spinning fly
(and no, I'm not using deehair).

Definitely need a better one -- thinking about HMH.

Peter

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This may not be the way YOU want to do it.
But I make tube flies a different way, with
18 guage TEFLON tubing, that I buy in 100 foot
rolls. I use the same tubing for dispensing super glue.
100 feet is a lifetime supply, but it doesn't cost much,
so what the hell.

http://www.action-electronics.com/teflontube.htm

To make tube flies I cut a length of tubing, rough it up
with 220 sand paper, slip it onto
a thin needle and then pinch both the needle AND the
tubing in a standard fly tying vise.

Then I wrap on any feathers hair flashabou, crystal flash
I need, add a drop or two of CA glue (which holds well
now, because I roughed up the tubing with sand paper).
And then voila, the fly is done.

18 gauge tubing is substantially smaller and thinner
than most of the pre-manufactured tubes sold at fly
tying stores. I think it makes a better tube fly.

TEFLON tubing for dispensing CA glue:
http://montana-riverboats.com/Pages/...ue_step_3.html

Tube flies made from TEFLON tubing
http://montana-riverboats.com/Pages/...e/Gootube.html


Two non-squitur links:
http://montana-riverboats.com/Pages/...e/Twinkie.html
http://montana-riverboats.com/Pages/...s/Leeches.html

Sandy: very timely, I was just starting to gear up for tube flies.
Just to be clear, 18 gauge means 18 AWG, .042 inner diameter (not the
..018 inner diameter 26 AWG) ? Thanks for the method here, I think it
will be great (I own both Renzetti and HMH vises and was just pondering
which to use).

Tony M.

"Tony M" wrote in news:1136244243.710066.208990
@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:

Sandy: very timely, I was just starting to gear up for tube flies.
Just to be clear, 18 gauge means 18 AWG, .042 inner diameter (not the
.018 inner diameter 26 AWG) ? Thanks for the method here, I think it
will be great (I own both Renzetti and HMH vises and was just pondering
which to use).

Tony M.



Unless you're going to be doing this ALOT, I'd recommend going with one of
the HMH kits that you clamp into your everyday vise. Don't worry about
what's in the kit, so long as it has this vise attachment.

I have a kit, and it clamps fine in the Renzetti traveler


--
Scott
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Yes, 18 guage means the 18 AWG
I use 18 guage for tube flies, and for dispensing ZapAGap
For the thinner ZapCA glue, I use 24 AWG tubing.

On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 16:06:26 -0700, "G.E.M. Sandy"
wrote:


TEFLON tubing for dispensing CA glue:
http://montana-riverboats.com/Pages/...ue_step_3.html

Tube flies made from TEFLON tubing
http://montana-riverboats.com/Pages/...e/Gootube.html


Two non-squitur links:
http://montana-riverboats.com/Pages/...e/Twinkie.html
http://montana-riverboats.com/Pages/...s/Leeches.html


Interesting stuff. Like the Sleech

Did basically the same thing as you using plastic pushrod tube for R/C
aircraft but that mandrel method only works for plastics, not
aluminum, brass, and copper. I need a vise that'll let me handle
metal tubing reliably.

Here's examples on plastic, brass and aluminum.

http://www.mountaincable.net/~pcharles/tubeflies.jpg

Right now I'm using masking tape to try and keep the collar from
loosening.

Peter

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On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 16:06:26 -0700, "G.E.M. Sandy"
wrote:


TEFLON tubing for dispensing CA glue:
http://montana-riverboats.com/Pages/...ue_step_3.html

Tube flies made from TEFLON tubing
http://montana-riverboats.com/Pages/...e/Gootube.html


Two non-squitur links:
http://montana-riverboats.com/Pages/...e/Twinkie.html
http://montana-riverboats.com/Pages/...s/Leeches.html


Sounds like the 20 guage stuff would be perfect to use as liners for
3/32" copper tubes. Does this tubing melt and curl back when exposed
to flame? Normally liners have to be melted back to grip the metal
tube.

Peter

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Sounds like the 20 guage stuff would be perfect to use as liners for
3/32" copper tubes. Does this tubing melt and curl back when exposed
to flame? Normally liners have to be melted back to grip the metal
tube.

Peter


No, I wish it did (melt and flare back).

I've only used it (Teflon tubing) for trout-sized tube flies.
.....although some of my trout flies do tend to look
like someone else's bass bugs. Anyway, even for a
3-4" long fly you still only need a #2 or #4 short-shank hook
at the rear end of the tube. And the eye of a #4
hook won't go into the center of the tube. So I'm not sure
why the tubing needs to flare at all.

On Mon, 02 Jan 2006 20:35:45 -0700, "G.E.M. Sandy"
wrote:



Sounds like the 20 guage stuff would be perfect to use as liners for
3/32" copper tubes. Does this tubing melt and curl back when exposed
to flame? Normally liners have to be melted back to grip the metal
tube.

Peter


No, I wish it did (melt and flare back).

I've only used it (Teflon tubing) for trout-sized tube flies.
....although some of my trout flies do tend to look
like someone else's bass bugs. Anyway, even for a
3-4" long fly you still only need a #2 or #4 short-shank hook
at the rear end of the tube. And the eye of a #4
hook won't go into the center of the tube. So I'm not sure
why the tubing needs to flare at all.



I'm tying steelhead flies on tubes so they can get large. When using
metal tubes, there has to be a liner to prevent chaffing. The flaring
both holds the liner in place plus it acts to prevent contact between
the line and the metal tube. We then use a junction tube to mate the
tube with the hook. In the top fy in the picture, there's a junction
tube but it's missing in the bottom one.

Peter

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