Creating a Dubbing Block:

Well after looking at prices of retail dubbing blocks online, that were to big and to complicated for something so easy, I decided to create my own. So I grabbed a piece of trim about a foot long and say 1.25" x .50". Next a carved a groove down the center (C) sanded to about 220 grit and waxed it with candle. I then screwed in to Eyelets (B&D) and a bolt at one end with two neoprene washers (A) which would be used to hold the ends of a looped wire (E) that I would spin using a home made dubbing spinner (F). The spinner is a piece of dowel a hook screw and a bottom of a incense burner I found at a local Goodwill. I drilled a hole through the brass and then screwed the hook through the hole into the end of the dowel and epoxy it all together. This took me about 15 minutes, which leaves me with allot of time then if I was to look for a good deal on the net. I would build some nice ones to sell but I would rather you figure your own out and I spend my time fishing. On to the the process of making a dubbing rope/brush.

The method below is for wire, to use thread you must remember to keep tension on the thread at all time. I have found it to be easier to just use a dubbing tool when tying then to make dubbing brushes with thread. Wire is a excellent way to give a perfect amount of weight, so I will show the wire method here.

Soon as you have a block and spinner run some wire( 28g-36g) doubled up down through the eyelets and leave about a 8"-10' past the bottom eyelet. wrap the wire between the two washers and tighten the screw/bolt or what ever way you have made to hold the ends of the wire. Hang your spinner in the loop and the use dubbing wax on the wire. In the picture I use yarn, for first timers use the lightest amount of dubbing until you get a hang of it. To much material will bulk up and to sparse will leave blank spots. You must remember that the length will shrink as you begin to spin which will compress the materials being used.

Above is before spinning and below is after.

Some people like to start spinning and add material while spinning, I find this good when doing extremely fine materials. Soon as your material is laid out against the wire begin to spin. If you spinner is balanced this will go very fast. Notice how the wire grabs a hold of material and builds from there, when adding touch up pieces remember that it will bulk up quickly so add small amounts at a time. I spin it until the wire breaks at the spinners hook.

When finished your brush should look something like the one below.

Tie it onto the hook.

Rotary vises speed up the process and make a even body.

Ta-da, nice and even.