I already had a lovely screw threaded 50mm "end cap" from a certain TFF member.....big big thankyou for that by the way.....but currently have been unable to source any half decent bamboo from the local DIY store as it is all cracked and split so......coincidentally.....on a recent trip into "Wilkinsons" for an inexpensive picture frame and I passed the kitchen utensil section.....Hmmmm.....that might do I thought......a bit of "fettling" perhaps....
Here it is.....at the grand unit cost of only £ 2.50....a rather delightful and basic wooden rolling pin......approx 50 mm diameter....pull apart the two wooden handles to reveal a metal shaft and a small bore aperture that runs through the wooden rolling pin.....I then simply sawed off a couple of inches from the wood body to better suit the floats I have made.....drilled out a 5 mm deep rebate from one end to take the base cap....then...and this is the slightly tricky bit for those of us without a decently equipped workshop or wood turning capability.....secured the wooden rolling pin horizontally in a "WorkMate" and put a 38mm wood drill bit into a decent drill and slowly and carefully just let the wood drill bit rotate and bit by bit it cut a reasonable circular hole all the way through the rolling pin. The "Workmate" does need to be secure though and you do need to take a firm grip of the drill and ensure it is cutting into the wood without an angle...
The inside of the "pin" after drilling through was a little rough but no matter....simply then cut an oblong piece of very thin plastic card to the length of the "pin" and roll it into a tube and slide this into the just drilled aperture and...hey presto...a circular and protective "inner" in which to take the floats....if you run the wood drill bit in and out a little you can achieve an internal bore diameter of approx. 40 mm leaving approx 5mm internal wall sides to the "float tube" - a 40 mm internal bore allows me to take upto 8 Avon and Wagglers easily....next fettle a slight "bevel" to the other end of the wood tube and secure the other (screw threaded) end cap in place then badly whip ! (Pipers Silk Nos 3). Two coats of a light oak stain finish to the wood and over the next few days....apply generous amounts of the varnish of your choice to in part cover the appalling standard of whipping I have just undertaken.....
There you have it....not exactly artistically creative or talented but an alternative use for a cheap wooden rolling pin available from a retail outlet near you......I should add that the bamboo tubes I have made previously are much lighter and I have simply used large cork bungs as the stopper and the bamboo "node" as the end "cap".....but if you can't source decent bamboo at the moment...then maybe the Rolling Pin Float Tube approach will work....seems pretty traditional on at least two fronts really and I think it could be used as a multi tool to roll out the pastry when the fishing is a little slow !
If you haven't a beautiful threaded "end cap" then the cork bungs are absolutely great and functional - inexpensive and easy - but I think I might decorate the next one with a scene from "Confessions....."
Barbulus
Not sure whether these photographs will be sufficiently clear of the inside but hopefully it will give a sense of the result of boring out the rolling pin with the wood drill bit - the rolled up plastic protective inner protects the floats from the rough wood inside and still allows approx 8 good size floats.....
