Tying Wax

[Old Hat]

I have all kinds of wax. I have always just stored them in small ziplock baggies. Never had any issue with just rolling a piece in my hands to warm and soften. Some takes longer than others. When tying, I do like Ron and keep it in between a couple fingers while I tie. When tying for shows I keep in my ear, so I can pull it out and use it. I love the looks on faces. Just kidding. I don't do this.

[jcwillow777]

When tying for shows I keep in my ear, so I can pull it out and use it. I love the looks on faces. Just kidding. I don't do this.

[Althehackleman]

A number of years ago a fellow tyer showed me SortKwik. This is an item they use at banks and the Post Office to make sorting papers very easy and quick. It comes in a container that has a pad on the back so it does not wander around my tying bench. I just touch it with my fingers and dubbing goes on very well and fast. And it does not go bad or harden up without use. Give it a try.

[paparex]

A number of years ago a fellow tyer showed me SortKwik. This is an item they use at banks and the Post Office to make sorting papers very easy and quick. It comes in a container that has a pad on the back so it does not wander around my tying bench. I just touch it with my fingers and dubbing goes on very well and fast. And it does not go bad or harden up without use. Give it a try.

I had a wet fly/soft hackle tier humble me at a demonstration with a one question.

What is the difference between dubbing wax and tying wax?

That sent me to the internet, fly tying books and to people like those here who are very willing to educate me.

The moisturizing finger tips with water is important with some types of dubbing but tying wax is not for dubbing Tying wax is for waxing fly tying thread and is another skill in this amazing art. I am just learning to get the vocabulary correct.

Thanks for all of the participation and information.
Rex

[wsbailey]

This article is a good discussion on wax.

https://www.rackelhanen.se/eng/10284.ht ... able%20fly.

[DUBBN]

Does wax reduce the translucency of silk?

[wsbailey]

Does wax reduce the translucency of silk?

Leisenring felt it did because on his tup’s nymph he stressed that the unwaxed buttonhole twist body be tied on a bare hook. Wax doesn’t reduce the translucency of dubbing even though the silk thread is waxed,

[DUBBN]

Does wax reduce the translucency of silk?

Leisenring felt it did because on his tup’s nymph he stressed that the untaxed buttonhole twist body be tied on a bare hook. Wax doesn’t reduce the translucency of dubbing even though the silk thread is waxed,

I never gave a thought to wax reducing a dubbings translucency. Now i am.

[Mike62]

Does wax reduce the translucency of silk?

Leisenring felt it did because on his tup’s nymph he stressed that the untaxed buttonhole twist body be tied on a bare hook. Wax doesn’t reduce the translucency of dubbing even though the silk thread is waxed,

I never gave a thought to wax reducing a dubbings translucency. Now i am.

A good segue to JW Dunne and his 'Sunshine and the Dry Fly'. Dunne painted his hook shanks white because he thought it increased translucence in his dubbing. I think he also oiled the dubbing in order to do the same, though I may be mistaken on that.

[letumgo]

Mike - You are correct. He used a “sunshine oil”. His book is available for free as a download in Kindle/pdf versions.

Instead of white paint (although I have done that too) I now use silver Mylar tinsel. The silver tinsel gives even better reflection of light back through the silk bodies. This is why I tye my POP flies with a tinsel underbody.