ALLIGATOR CLIP TOOL

MATERIALS - ALLIGATOR CLIP TOOL

One alligator clip (shown before and after modification)
one 3/4" diameter wooden dowel 3/4" long
One brass screw and washer
One magnet, 3/4"

The camping tools are held at right angles to the plate by magnets, but the tier has a lot of freedom in moving them around. Their total length should be kept short so that the weight of the tying material does not overcome the magnets. Experience has shown that 1/2" magnets are not quite strong enough, 3/4" works great. If the magnet is not strong enough, the tool can tip over. [As the saying goes, you just can't have a "tippy tie-in tool and tier too!"]  The alligator clip is used for softer materials and will work better if the teeth are ground off a bit and padded by filling them with Goop. (Thin foam sheet wears away with use.) A Dremel tool with a disc works well to grind away the jaw teeth and also cut away the rear portion of the clamp. This portion needs to be fairly smooth so that the clip can be rotated in relation to the wood screw. A thin brass washer under the wood screw helps the clip move smoothly, yet hold a desired position. The magnet is glued to the dowel. A piece of playing card glued to the other end of the magnet is thin enough that the magnet still sticks but it won’t scratch the metal plate.

TEST LEAD TOOL

MATERIALS - LEAD TEST TOOL

One electrical lead test clip
One cork
One magnet

Mini-lead test clips at available at Radio Shack and work well because they have a longer base. This gives more support when glued into a cork base. A cork base because it is light and has a bigger surface to grasp. Drill the hole with a small hole saw. A drill bit tends to split the cork as you drill into it. Glue on the magnet and put some padding such as the piece of playing card on the bottom, as with the alligator clip. The cliping wire is curved 180 degrees and embeds itself into the end of the clamp. This is great for wire, but it really puts a kink in feathers or tinsel. Gently bend the clamping wire so it has only 90 degrees of bend.

 

TIE-IN TOOL

MATERIALS - TIE IN TOOL

One 1/16" diameter metal rod
One 1/8" brass tube
One 1/8" bead head
One 3/4" wooden dowel 1/2" long
One magnet

Start with a 3 1/2" length of 1/16 wire. Begin the bend about 3/4 from the end. Complete the bend so the far end if the bend is about 1 3/8 from the end of the wire. This leaves about 1 1/2 remaining for the brass tube and the bead.
Cut a 1 1/4 piece of the 1/8 tube. Cut a slot in it about 1/8 long and fit it to the curved wire so it slides smoothly in and out of the bend. I grind the slot with a Dremel disc.

The tool is formed by a 2" long piece of wire, with "fingers" at each ends. Remember the ends of the fingers have to be smooth so the tying thread will slide off. To do this put the wire in a drill and spin it while shaping it with a fine file and finally sand paper. Next bend each end of the wire 90 degrees to form the fingers. One can use a piece of wood with a 1/16 hole 1/2 deep. Stick the wire in the hole to bend it. If one end is pointing up (12 o’clock), the other finger would point to the 9 o’clock position or 3 o’clock for a left handed tyer.

Next I assemble the curved wire to the wooden base. I drill the base on center, slide the wire through the hole. I then flatten about 1/16 of the end and bend it 90 degrees to prevent it from rotating. I cut a small notch in the base so this bent portion doesn’t interfere protrude. I think epoxy would hold it as well, but I haven’t tried it. Now you can slide the brass tube onto the curved wire and wrap the fingers onto the brass tube. I use rod building thread or Nymo. The completed assembly gives you something to grip while you wrap the wire to the tube and also allows you to position the finger in relationship to the curved wire. If the curved portion is facing down when the thread finger is horizontal it is easy for the tyer to see how much tube is engaging the curved wire.

Super glue the metal bead to the end of the curved wire. You may have to drill the hole a little to get a good fit. Finally, glue on the magnet and pad it.

 

DEER HAIR TOOL

MATERIALS - DEER HAIR TOOL

One rubber band
One straw or plastic tube (the rubber band should be a bit snug in the tube)
One loop of backing or a split O ring

Thread the rubber band through the straw or plastic tube, using a loop of string, some old backing, or your threader tool. The fit should be snug between the straw and the rubber band. The loop of backing will help you to pull the rubber band back out if you pull too hard. A split O ring would do about the same. You are done! Tough enough? Instructions for using the Deer Hair Tool are here.

NOTES

Most of the material is available at a local hardware store (Lowe’s). I buy the 1/16 diameter stainless steel wire and the 3/16 brass rod at a welding shop. The 1/8 tube is available in model hobby shops and the metal bead is in fly shops.
Once again the total length of the tools should be short enough that they don’t over power the magnet and yet long enough to allow them to be out of the way of the tyer. Another consideration is storage of the magnetic tools. If you keep their total length under about 3.5 inches they will fit on the back side of the metal plate between the flanges. I fold the metal plate alongside the wooden block and stick the tools inside the back of the plate.

I purchased a pair of wire bending pliers from Sears and they work great. Another option is to make a bending block. To do this I took a piece of the oak block and cut a notch vertically in the end just the shape of the desired bend. Then I cut a horizontal grove in the end of the block. I lay the wire in the grove, place the block in a vise endwise, lay a drill bit in the vise so that when I close the vise the drill bit will force the wire into the notch and form the desired bend.

The pictured vise is a Cabelas Super II vise which sells for under $20. Notice it has a release lever so you can rotate the barrel 360 degrees if desired. This is the vise we use in our tool kits at the hospital.

Questions? I would love to talk to you. Call me, Jesse Scott at (425) 745-6092. I live on the West Coast in Edmonds, Washington about 20 miles North of Seattle.