Build Your Own Evergreen Hand

 This information is shared freely, with no conditions other than no part of this invention or its modifications may be sold commercially, and that you agree that any modifications that you design and find useful will be freely shared with all the tying community.

	Base (click for plans)
	General Material Holder (click for plans)
	Hair Stacker (click for Plans)
	Hair Grabber (click for plans)
	Wire Handler part 1 (click for plans) part 2 (click for plans) part 3 (click for plans)
	Test Clip Tool (click for plans)
	Thread Positioner? (click for plans)
	Vert+ Hand Parts (Click for plans)
	Hackle Guard (Click for plans)
	Eye Tool (Click for plans)

The basic design of the Evergreen Hand has been as faithfully followed in concept and design. The differences with this design are few, mainly what we have brought forward is simple and basic dimensioning making it easier to build. The dimensions we provide are suggestions, and of course they can be modified as suitable to the builder. However, one still needs to do a layout to ensure that all the components will still work together.

Our experience is that a metal bottom to the base makes it easier to transport and maintain the various tools, keeping all the tools together. This can be accomplished by following the design provided or by gluing (Epoxy) some 2” wide metal strips to the bottom of the base if a wooden bottom were used. The 1/8” steel bottom makes the unit quite heavy which improves its stability on a smooth table top. On the other hand if it were to be a lap top unit, it might be considered too heavy, a consideration that needs to be taken into account when building one of these units.

Another of our findings was that it is a lot easier for the tier to have all of the tools on magnets terminate at the same height from the base of the magnet. The functioning part of the tools then are the same distance from where they are placed on the Adjustable Vertical Plate. This reduces the amount of adjusting of the plate the tier needs to make to position the material over the hook. We chose 3 ¼” mainly because it worked out with the test clips.

We found that if the test clip tool is fabricated so that the test clip is just a snug fit (easily removed with one hand) into the base that is epoxied to the magnet, it allows the tier to remove the test clip and use it as a Hackle Plier and lets the tier drop the hackle/clip on the far side of the fly without breaking to hackle. (With the magnet and base the weight is such that the hackle breaks.)

The Ken’s Hair Grabber was an outgrowth of several attempts to grab and handle hair. It was designed so that anyone with simple tools could make it. It really is a easily modified clothes pin. The brass parts can be fabricated with shears and some delicate filing. However, we have found that the brass is delicate (it will work fine but care is required) so we have arranged to have some stainless steel HAIR HOOK & HAIR STOP parts made. We wish we could do it for less, but they cost a lot to make. We have gone through all this to make it convenient for you. They are available at $7.50/set + postage; contact Ken Brunskill at: streamnstrout at comcast dot net.