Comments on: Nothing makes the fur fly like using the wife’s coffee grinder

By: What Materials do you use to make Dubbing - Page 2 - The North American Fly Fishing Forum

Thu, 05 May 2011 14:57:47 +0000

[...] color in about 96 hours. He's also got a pretty cool article on the initial stages of dubbing: Nothing makes the fur fly like using the wife’s coffee grinder | Singlebarbed He basically says to use a filler (cheap material for body), a wrapper (thicker guard hairs or [...]

By: KBarton10

KBarton10 — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 02:45:03 +0000

Baxter,

The proportions of filler, binder, and wrapper may differ based on what kind of dubbing you’re making. A heavy coarse fur for big stonefly nymphs would be a different proportion of the three than a blend for small nymphs.

Binder = increase when you wish blends for small flies or smooth flies

Filler = increase for medium sized flies or to make a short haired nap (fuzzy fly)

Wrapper = increase for big flies and when you want gaurd hairs sticking out all over.

2) The blender is done visually. Remove the fur and inspect until happy. I typically like incomplete blends as it leaves small bits of color in the result.

You can only blend what will spin. If you fur is not spinning freely in the grinder then it’s not mixing.

Yes, There may be a sequence when you’re mixing colors of fur. Mix the colors first to achieve the finished color, then add all other components.

By: Baxter Rhodes

Baxter Rhodes — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 02:32:40 +0000

Good article 1. I need more guidance on the proportion of filler, to binder to wrapper 2. More explicit directions on the use of the coffee bean blender, how long, how many times , how much material to load into the mix each time, is there a sequence of what is added if multiple spin sessions are used ?

By: Fat Bluegill

Fat Bluegill — Fri, 21 May 2010 18:50:55 +0000

Another option for fur is http://www.moscowhideandfur.com ALOT of fur option both raw and tanned. They have feathers and other things as well. They have a small order handling fee if you order under $30. But I have never had a problem finding at least $30 worth of stuff. They also have australian possum.

By: Anatomy of a spectral blend | Singlebarbed

Anatomy of a spectral blend | Singlebarbed — Mon, 03 May 2010 07:05:03 +0000

[...] I built both a spectral color and it’s a filler fiber, all I need is binder and wrapper in Olive to make my final [...]

By: Big on Yarn but even bigger on frugal | Singlebarbed

Big on Yarn but even bigger on frugal | Singlebarbed — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 07:05:02 +0000

[...] use a lot of mohair because it’s a cheap and plentiful “filler” for dubbing blends. Lots of sparkle and plenty of spike – important qualities for big nymphs and steelhead [...]

By: River Monkey

River Monkey — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:09:17 +0000

I use a butter dish to mix my dubbing. You drill very small holes in the lid so that it has holes like the face of a clock. you drill a slightly larger hole in the center. In the center hole you insert a straw, I tape mine in place. All you have to do then is put the fur in the plastic margarine tub, put the lid on top, and blow into the straw. It creates a cyclone effect inside the plastic butter tub thus mixing your dubbing. WARNING…Do not suck. Fur does not taste good. You can also trade the straw out for an old aquarium air pump and tubing if you do not want to blow into the dish constantly. Good luck, and happy fishing to all.

By: Benjamin Rioux

Benjamin Rioux — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:09:49 +0000

Man am I sure glad I don’t have this “wife” figure you all speak of. I do have a grinder though.Great post.

By: kbarton10

kbarton10 — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:21:52 +0000

Doug,

Use a quart mayonnaise jar half filled with water. It’ll slow you down a bit because the fur has to dry before use – but a vigourous shake will blend the fur really nicely.

When the fur dries it will be felt. It’ll be matted down in a compact and dense manner. You’ll need to pull it apart to return it back to the lighter fluffy stuff – but it’ll still work.

I actually use both methods – unfortunately to return the “felt” to loose fur, I’ll use the coffee grinder – it’s much simpler to add air that way.

Coffee grinders are $15 at most stores. Always remember to cut the filaments short if you’re using yarn or mohair – about 1.5″ is all you can go … otherwise the fibers wrap around the center spindle of the grinder and will have to be cut free.

Feel free to contact me if you need assistance.

By: Jean-Paul Lipton

Jean-Paul Lipton — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:20:19 +0000

you can buy a grinder for $20. best money ever spent