[Scolopax]

I am new to fly fishing and looking to start fly-tying, but the posts about the vice to get, are so confusing.  It seems to come down to personal preference and I have not had a play with any yet, so am not sure which one will suit me.
Most people seem to sell the first one they buy and I cannot afford to do that. So, I was wondering one night, how difficult it would be to make one ??

Here is the prototype (working version) of the Mk I.

It took a lot of R&D and re-thinking initial ideas.  I have sourced all the bits myself - but the prototype has been made from stuff I found in drawers and in the garage, mostly discarded.  I do not have a workshop and am not an engineer, it has all been done with a standard power drill and a vice.  I need to find someone with a lathe - if I make another one )

Tricky some bits were, but it is up and running now. The jaws are hand ground to the profile I though might be best and the material is hardened steel.  It is easy to clamp a very small midge fly, or a big salmon one, and the hook will bend before it comes loose - if you apply too much pressure to the eye!

How is it looking ??
C

[Eddie Sinclair]

Colin,
looks pretty damn good, and if it holds the hooks that you need it to securely then that is all you need.

Good effort.

Eddie. 

[Mike Barrio]

Looks really good ...... Great stuff

Best wishes
Mike

[Hamish Young]

Impressive  -sort of thing Kev should take photos of  as inspiration for the one he's 'going to make' machined from gold-pressed-unobtanium.

H

[Peter McCallum]

When do you go into production??

[Marc Fauvet]

 

[Ben Dixon]

Very impressive 

Muir, when will yours be complete (approx decade will do)?

[Will Shaw]

Oh good grief, are there no end to this man's talents?

Amazing stuff.

My one comment is that I suspect you'll find that the vertical "post" coming out of the top of the jaws (to which the gallows tool is attached) may get in the way of your hand when you're tying. I'd have the gallows tool coming from the main vice stem. I often find I rest my left hand on the vice (to hold material back for instance) and I think that post'll get in the way.

Very impressive though. Might come to you and order a new set of jaws for my vice!  

W.

[Scolopax]

When do you go into production??

?  There are a couple of things to sort out, but it can certainly be done.  As they will all be handmade, it will not be cheap - so I was trying to work out the costings and it comes out quite expensive in time.  So was wondering if there was some other way of speeding up the process - does anyone know a man with a lathe ??
Thanks in advance
Colin

[Scolopax]

Oh good grief, are there no end to this man's talents?

Amazing stuff.

My one comment is that I suspect you'll find that the vertical "post" coming out of the top of the jaws (to which the gallows tool is attached) may get in the way of your hand when you're tying. I'd have the gallows tool coming from the main vice stem. I often find I rest my left hand on the vice (to hold material back for instance) and I think that post'll get in the way.

Very impressive though. Might come to you and order a new set of jaws for my vice!  

W.

THANKS ! Will - Yes, I have found the gallows tool a bit of a pain already and I haven't tied a fly yet )  The one thing I need to sort out is that the jaws are offset from the supporting arm - so when you rotate it it isn't perfectly central - is that a real problem ??

Does anyone find that feature of the rotation - being perfectly along the axis of the hook - is crucial ?

Thanks EVERYONE for the feedback - I am very pleased with my first attempt, but sure I can improve it.
Cheers
C

[Will Shaw]

Hiya

I tie on a Renzetti (a 20yr old Presentation Series) which is rotary.

TBH I rarely use the rotary for winding stuff on, I just like the convenience of turning the fly over to exactly the right angle.

So I'd say it's not essential. But then again, If I was making one (and pigs would then fly) I'd want it to be bang on the axis!

For me the focus should be on:

1) a set of jaws that hold the hooks you want to use w/o slipping (and which are quickly set, released, and adjusted)
2) Jaw shape and vice design that allows you to get at the hook, especially the smallest sizes you are going to tie
3) Overall stability, so that nothing moves when you need to apply a bit of thread tension (esp on bigger flies)
4) Comfort (see my original comment)

There is prob. more but I can't think of anything at the moment! 

W.

[Scolopax]

Hiya

I tie on a Renzetti (a 20yr old Presentation Series) which is rotary.

There is prob. more but I can't think of anything at the moment! 

W.

Thanks Will - exactly what I was after, I guessed that was the case with the rotary thing - as an artist/designer I can see the need for it, but in terms of essentiality, I would agree with your analysis.  You can definitely 'ping' the hook and then an extra squeeze of the handle will really hold the hook in the jaws - in fact there is probably too much pressure available.  So I am worried that someone will crack the jaws by cranking the handle too much. 

In terms of stability - the central column is in Stainless steel - within a larger diameter stainless tube (for great height adjustment) and is VERY stable.  It is very rigid.

The only disadvantage I can see is that (at the moment) there is no lock of the rotation, - so if you pull from in front, for example - the jaws may turn on the axis.  Not a huge problem as there is quite a bit of friction there - even though it has PTFE washers.

[Eddie Sinclair]

Colin,
I am with Will on the rotary function. The only time I use it is to reposition a fly to dress things underneath the fly to see better and for better access. However I do like the vice to be able to stay in the position that I put in, that said id does not require a great deal of friction to achieve this.

If you can paint the way that you do and make this vice from scratch first go then fly tying will be a breeze.

Eddie.

[Hamish Young]

Colin - did you base the design of your vice on something you've seen before or is it an original piece of design
Just how did you manage to get some such a good finish on a prototype Impressive
As a matter of interest, what bits did you incorporate into the prototype Not sure you need the lathe, it appears very well engineered 

H

[Kevin Muir]

Hi Colin

As someone who dabbles with metal and wood, all I can say is superb.

To have achieved the finish on the jaws is very impressive, you must have spent some time polishing the file marks out of the jaws, (something I did not do very well on my vise) very well done.

I can see a little of the J vise in the design and that is no bad thing, it is a cracking vise.

I have assumed that there is a height adjusted screw set into the curved aluninium or steel bar on the end of the jaws, how the heck did you manage this so well?

If you incorporate an O ring between the main shaft tension handle and the main body of the vise, you should be able to micro adjust the level of friction required to rotate the main shaft to a point where the jaws will stay in place when you rotate the rear handle to see both sides of a fly.

Having mad a very rough vise that lasted for over 10 years (based on a little of the Dynaking  Sidewinder and the Renzetti Master but much rougher ), I know how much work has gone into this project, huge respect.

Like most things in life, we really only strive to be happy with what ever we make (flies, tools, painting etc, almost anything really).

I do not think I ever really reach the point where I am happy with something I make very often but the journey is a learning curve and that is what is really rewarding.

As a first attempt with hand tools, outstanding is the only real way to describe this.

Use it for a while to learn from it and you will either be happy with it for some time before trying to improve specific points you may or may not want to change.

Live with it, enjoy using it and smile everytime you use it in the knowledge that you took a box full of metal and other bits and turned out a cracking fly tying vise.

All the best

Kev.

P.S. your paintings are amazing too.