Wing burners - Printable Version +- Fishing Forum (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum) +-- Forum: Fly Fishing Forum (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=399) +--- Forum: Tying & using freshwater flies (https://bigfishtackle.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?fid=158) +--- Thread: Wing burners (/showthread.php?tid=443803)

Wing burners - Dryrod - 09-22-2008 [font "Garamond"][#008000][size 4]We started talking about wing burners on another thread and some how got side tracked. I have a set of the brass burners which work well, but I really prefer the Life Cycle plastic stencil set. They work particularly well with the swiss straw material. It is not very practical to cut out various shapes from feathers. [/size][/#008000][/font] [center][inline lcw.jpg] [signature] Re: [Dryrod] Wing burners - macfly55 - 09-22-2008 here is a term that caused my confusion and ultimately interest in how thes wing burners work.. "Wing: Mottled Gray Web Wing Sheet, cut to shape" ... this is from the tying directions for a Barrs Web Wing Caddis... ...so my question would be .. what is a web wing sheet (what is it made of).. and how does the tyer use the burners or the stencils to create the wings ..?? MacFly [cool] [signature] Re: [macfly55] Wing burners - Dryrod - 09-22-2008 [font "Garamond"][#008000][size 4]Web wing is a commercial name for a transparent or translucent material available in several colors. You could use the stencil to trace the wing of choice, then cut to shape with a pair of sharp scissors. You could also use a punch die tool but they are rather expensive to own a complete set. I believe the material is made from some type of polymere material or acetate. Thats just a guess.[/size][/#008000][/font] [signature] Re: [Dryrod] Wing burners - macfly55 - 09-22-2008 so a "burner" would not work properly on this type of material?.. again I ask this mainly because I am not 100% sure how wing burners work... [:p] MacFly [cool] [signature] Re: [macfly55] Wing burners - Dryrod - 09-22-2008 [font "Garamond"][#008000][size 4]A section of feather is placed between the two pieces of brass [see arrow] and then squeezed closed to hold the feather in place. Then with the flame of a lighter all exposed parts of the feather are burned away. What you then have left is a piece of the feather shaped like pointed end of the brass head material.[/size][/#008000][/font] [inline wb4.jpg] [signature] Re: [Dryrod] Wing burners - macfly55 - 09-22-2008 ahh... now that kind of makes sense.. lol.. I thought maybe you heated it up first and then pressed it on the feather or material.. or.. as a alternative.. held the feather and then pass a heated piece of wire or knife blade around it to cut off the excess feather..(as used to be done with feathers that were being shaped for use as fletches on arrows)... MacFly [cool] [signature] Re: [macfly55] Wing burners - flygoddess - 09-22-2008 The ones DR posted are the ones I have. They will work with ANY material. You grip the material and run a flame around the pliers, you don't HEAT the pliers. You can get a really nice effect with the plastic wing material as illustrated in on of my Fishing mags. Gives a nice little rolled edge. There is also a fiber wing material out there, plus the Swiss Straw and even the foam sheets for packing like computers. [signature] Re: [flygoddess] Wing burners - macfly55 - 09-23-2008 okay... so just about any heat source.. would that include a heat gun.. or a hair dryer (like shrink tubing).. is the wing "cut" just at the pointy tip of that tool?... and lastly.. is that one wing or a set of wings ? as usual.. lots of questions.. but that is the spice of my life.. LOL.. MacFly [cool] [signature] Re: [macfly55] Wing burners - flygoddess - 09-23-2008 Flame. Lighter, candle, etc. No scissors, razor, etc. NO CUTTING, that is why they are called burner. Feathers, you place a feather in the pliers, trying to put the vain either in the middle or off to one side. Hold it with the burner and run a flame around the outside. You end up with a perfect wing, and yes in pairs. With man made material the placement is not important, just don't let it move once in the pliers. The stencil or the ones that are cut are WING CUTTERS [signature] Re: [flygoddess] Wing burners - macfly55 - 09-23-2008 so wing cutters and wing burners do the same thing (give you a set of wings to tie with) but in different ways.. which is better to use or do each have their pros and cons? the instructions for the fly I mentioned earlier with that sythetic materal said to cut the wings free hand ... I have to assume that using burners or stencils give you a more consistent (size and shape) set of wing to work with than free hand ones... MacFly [cool] [signature] Re: [macfly55] Wing burners - Dryrod - 09-23-2008 [font "Garamond"][#008000][size 4]The purpose of the flame is to burn the feathers around the brass holder. A heat gun or mama's curling iron won't work. LOL The portion before the red line is the shape of an entire wing. The brass holder is similar in design as a tweezers except it's shape is more exotic. I also use Thin Skin by Waspi. They make some neat colors with cool designs.[/size][/#008000][/font] [center][inline swb.jpg] [signature] Re: [Dryrod] Wing burners - macfly55 - 09-23-2008 okay... so you clamp the tool thingy over the material and then burn it with some sort of flame (or a heated wire maybe).. and whats left is the wing .. but.. (ya'll knew it was coming) at that red line would be flat.. do you do any typy of shaping on that end or just leave it flat? the reason I ask that is that the stencils look more realistic in as much as that area of the wing is not left flat.. I have heard of that thin skin material (isnt that often used to simulate minnows and such as well as wings..).. MacFly [cool] [signature] Re: [macfly55] Wing burners - flygoddess - 09-23-2008 I don't know about Pros and cons of one over the other. I like the burners cause they make reshaping FEATHERS easier. Either way, to get a full set is pricie, so it is nice you can pick just the size and not a whole kit. I would like to get the mayfly burners some day. [signature] Re: [flygoddess] Wing burners - macfly55 - 09-23-2008 maybe Santa will be nice to you this year.. [cool] but back to the one question I had .. from the looks of it the one edge on the burned wing would be flat across.. do you shape that after you burn the wing ?.. or does it make a difference in the long run? MacFly [cool] [signature] Re: [flygoddess] Wing burners - macfly55 - 09-23-2008 who makes this set of burners?? MacFly [cool] [signature] Re: [macfly55] Wing burners - flygoddess - 09-23-2008 I am not sure who made the burners, but I guess I will have to take some pictures of how it works. [signature] Re: [flygoddess] Wing burners - macfly55 - 09-23-2008 well I did some checking on line and the big name that comes up is renzetti.. maybe DR will let us know for sure.. I also found an article that shows how to make your own burners.. and how to use them.. but... lol... looking at the article that showed how to use them I am seeing one wing burned at a time.. is that correct.. ?? reason I ask this is in the tying video for the web wing caddis I was looking at it appeared they cut the set of wings at one time and then tied it on as one piece.. these wings were not burned.. MacFly [cool] [signature] Re: [macfly55] Wing burners - flygoddess - 09-23-2008 It probably was cut. Maybe it is very flamable and would turn in to a puff of smoke. I have made a post on the burner. [signature] Re: [flygoddess] Wing burners - macfly55 - 09-23-2008 the material being used in that demo was the mottled wing material.. and as DR pointed out it is a synthetic material so Im betting it would either do a "flame on" thing or just melt to a point where it could not be used.. and on the demo since it was one piece it was tied in as one piece.. Ill pm you the link so maybe it will make a little sense (since I am confusing myself .. lol.. ).. I saw your demo post.. awesome.. MacFly [cool] [signature] Re: [macfly55] Wing burners - flygoddess - 09-23-2008 One piece wings would be easier to just HAND cut, just the ones you need two identical. I have tons of Capes that have no tips left on them, but with a burner you don't need the tip. And I think you are right on them being Renzetti, cause I ordered them the same time I ordered the cam jaws for my traveler. [signature]