Warmwater Fly Tying Techniques

CREATING PLUGS FOR THE FOAM SANDAL POPPER

 

DON'T throw away those foam sandals, I said to my daughter. They are fly tying materials. A look and an "Oh Dad". Sometimes, we do not have access to ready made foam cylinders in order to make foam poppers. Or we may have to add more to the order from our favorite mail fly shop to get what we need. There is limitless sources for making foam poppers. One source is foam sandals that we use for going to the beach, swimming pool, or just to go someplace. The come in a endless number of colors and combination of colors. I have picked mine up from the local Wagreens Drug store for under $2.00. I have seen the sandals in a variety of stores.

Items that you need to make foam sandal poppers:

¼ power drill
Brass tubing (you can find at a hardware store, or hobby/craft store)
Hand File
Tube Cutter (you can find at a hardware store, or hobby/craft store)
Piece of wood
Long piece of a wooden dowel or something similar

(Click on picture to enlarge)

INSTRUCTIONS
Step 1: Items need for making a foam sandal popper.

Step 2: Mark off about 3 inches of the brass tube and take you tube cutter and cut off a piece of tube.

 

Step 3: Sharpen the end of the tube that is not the end where the cutter cut the tube. One way is to place the file on a flat surface, Place the tube on the file at approximately a 45 degree angle.

Step: 4: Turn the tube in a circular action on the file until you have a sharp edge on the tube.
Step 5: One method of getting the foam plug from the sandal is to press the tube against the foam sandal and start turning the tube inward into the foam until the tube comes out the end.

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Step: 6: Is the more desirable method. You place the unsharpened end into the drill and tighten the drill chuck enough to secure the tube. NOT too tight or else you will crush the tube. Place the foam sandal on top of a piece of wood. Slowly drill out a foam plug

 

Left Plug is from using the drill to make the plug. (Step 6).

Right Plug is from manually pushing and turning the tube throw the foam sandal (Step 5).

Notice that the drilled plug is more smoother that the manually pushed plug