How to Blend Dubbing Material With a Coffee Grinder

Dubbing is used to create the body of an artificial fly for fly fishing. Dubbing can be an artificial or natural material. Artificial dubbing is composed of nylon and found in a wide array of sparkling and neon colors. Natural dubbing is composed of any kind of animal fur; rabbit and beaver are favorites, but even dog fur gathered while grooming can be used. These natural dubbings are dyed to imitate the target insect's color. An important characteristic of dubbing is its randomness and fluffiness. This can be achieved by hand mixing but is much faster to do with a coffee grinder.

Things You'll Need

  • Scissors
  • Dryer sheet
  • Mixing spatula
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut dubbing material into 1/2-inch lengths with scissors. Dubbing material can be yarn, various furs, feathers or even interesting dryer lint.

    • 2

      Rub the inside of the coffee grinder with a dryer sheet to remove static.

    • 3

      Place the dubbing into the coffee grinder. A little dubbing goes a long way, but you can make any amount that the coffee grinder allows, as dubbing doesn't go bad and can be used for years.

    • 4

      Pulse the grinder off and on to prevent overheating. Observe the dubbing frequently to ensure that it isn't wrapping around the blades.

    • 5

      Scrape the sides of the grinder with the spatula frequently while the grinder is off.

    • 6

      Pulse for a total of 2 to 5 minutes. Remove the dubbing.