Tiny Beads on Tiny Hooks

[Foxgap239]

Anybody got any tips for doing this before I drive myself nuts? I lost half dozen beads as they flew across the room out of my tweezers. 16 and bigger I'm good on, 18 and smaller and I need Jack to calm my nerves. Speak to me oh wise and wonderful wizards!

 

[jayL]

Smash the barbs first, if you aren't already.

Otherwise, I recommend a shot or two, or better yet, an adderall.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

This.

 

[jayL]

That there is a $9 unitasker that I'm going to buy.

 

[gfen]

eh?
put bead on hand, hole side up.
push hook point into hole.
invert, move up shank.
tie.

 

[Foxgap239]

Those do look helpful, so let me see if got this right. Buy new tweezers, drink shot of Jack, pinch barb down, drink another shot of Jack, grab bead, look at it and say F this, give me another shot of Jack. That about right?

 

[jayL]

You're on the path to enlightenment.

 

[barrybarry]

Put the bead on your dubbing wax and push it around until it's positioned correctly. Push the hook though and put it in your vise.

 

[Foxgap239]

Great idea, That one never crossed my mind!!!!!!!!!!!! I can still have the jack though, right?

 

[RLeep2]

You trying to do this with the naked, unaided eye?

If so and you're a relatively young guy who doesn't need glasses, break down and get a $5.00 pair of Wally World 3.5X (or whatever the highest power they have is) reading glasses and use them to do it. Do it with a lot of light and it'll be like securing a grappling hook in a 18" diameter hole in a 4 foot diameter brass sphere.

Cheaper than a bottle of Jack and better for your liver too...

 

[FrequentTyer]

I bought a piece of beading mat from the craft store. It is a soft foam-ish material that the beads sink into a bit and because of that they stay put. I then just role them until I see the hole, and then spear the hole with the hook point. So I'm actually lifting the bead with the hook. The smashed barbs and bourbon are standard for any pattern I'm tying.

 

[barrybarry]

Always keep your dubbing wax in an empty shot glass. (Stabile dubbing wax cannot be over emphasized)

 

[troutpoop]

Foxgap, I just brought in a new supply of "Tying Assistor" for next week's trip to Penns I forgot the hooks and feathers and thread and hair.....aw crap. Pretty much I got liquor.

 

[StaggerLee]

Foxgap239 wrote:
Anybody got any tips for doing this before I drive myself nuts? I lost half dozen beads as they flew across the room out of my tweezers. 16 and bigger I'm good on, 18 and smaller and I need Jack to calm my nerves. Speak to me oh wise and wonderful wizards!

If your having a hard time getting it in the hole. Just give up guy!

Or use the hand method someone explained above. It will get the job done for you 100% leaving you less frustrated in the end.

 

[JohnnyUtah]

I do the method that Gfen explained. Its easy and you dont get wax on anything. You can still have the jack.... although the jack will lessen your hole finding abilities. Well bead hole that is...........

 

[upinak]

I bought a $9 Beadzer from Orvis. Worth it's weight in gold for these old eyes. I also use a lighted magnifier, but that's pretty much for everything on the vise after 30 years. The beadzer really is a VERY handy tool. It's a reverse tweezer. Press the sides, jaws open and wrap around the bead. Simply slide the hoodpoint right through the bead hole, press the handles together again and your all set. I thread 6 or 12 or whatever amount I'm tying and set them out ready to tie. Slick!

 

[dubthethorax]

or put your hook in the vise upside down and clamp it right behind the eye of the hook. that gives you two hands to slide the bead on. I do this on tiny midges.

 

[Leteras]

Go to a craft store and get a bead reamer iif you are using glass beads. You can ream the hole out bigger if you want to keep the barb.

 

[quillfly]

use cheap beads . the cheaper the better as the cheapos i have are way oversized . i can get a size ten hook through a 7/32 bead

 

[1wt]

[color=993300]Put the bead on your dubbing wax and push it around until it's positioned correctly. Push the hook though and put it in your vise.[/color]

Excellent idea!! I think that it's so much better than tweezers..... no matter what type.
I have a fly tying magnifying lamp and I put the Wapsi dub wax with the tiny bead on the side and....... no more beads slipping out of the tweezers and flying across the room!!