Looking for info on shadow box displays for flies

[gobrock]

Looking for information or links where I can learn about building and framing flies in shadow boxes. Much appreciated and HNY to all!

[hap]

I turn lots of them on the lathe from both solid wood and glued-up blocks. I can turn almost 20" diameter boxes on my lathe... most home shop lathes are limited to 12" or so.

Framing in square frames is easy and lots of frames are available, though most are pretty cheesy. If your wood working skills can get you to a good tight miter joint you should be able to make a deeper frame... I have done some huge displays that way, but prefer the smaller round ones these days.

Do not have time right now to show the process, but I will soon. I know I have some decent pictures...
art

[hap]

Here is a fly mounted on the background and a bit fuzzy because it was taken through the glass. Note the bugle beads used to mount it.



Bugle beads are glass tubes that come in a huge range of lengths and colors. I usually use clear glass, but have used many different varieties of bugles. Monofilament of 5-10# test is used to hold the flies to the beads and the whole to the background.

Do not use flurocarbon because it shreds terribly on the sharp bead ends. I have never had a problem with mono and have never been able to get fluro to work... it shaves off leaving long strings almost every time the line is tightened or drawn.

This fly was mouonted in a shadowbox presented to Norm Norlander by the AK Chapter of Project Healing Waters for all he does for them. One of their strongest volunteers/supporters presenting it.


Closer in...


Composition is critical and if you lay out the flies on the background inside the box without glass you can find a lay-out that works. Do not be ashamed to ask for help from an artsy-fartsy sort as they lay-out will make or break the effect you want. Photographers usually have a pretty good eye for such things. With the flies laying in place make a tiny dot with a pencil right behind the eye of the hook and as far away as possible, down on the bend of the hook. Mark all of them at the beginning. Take a quick picture before moving them so you will have a reference to get them arranged the right way again, if you have a lot of flies laid out.

Mono is strung through holes punched in the backing by a tapered awl. Do not make the holes as big as the bugle beads, just make sure the mono can be pushed through the backing easily. I use a heavy awl for the first poke and a thin bodkin to guarantee the line can be pushed through.

Lace the beads and flies in place by starting from the back side of the backing (usually matt board or matt with a cover of cork contact paper) and run through the backing, bead, hook eye, and then back through the bead and backing. Do not worry about pulling it real tight yet. Run one end of the mono through the next hole, bead, then around the hook shank and back through the bead and backing.

Usually the mono between the two holes is loose. To tighten it carefully pull the fly off the bead while keeping modest tension on the mono. Usually it will cinch into place easily. Use a surgeons' knot to tie the two mono ends together. I normally tie three or four flies at a time with one piece of mono and knot each fly separately.

Do not worry if the beads are pointing all over the place and the flies are impinging on others due to crooked beads... Just get them all laced in and then fix the issues after the fact.

There is bound to be a loose piece of mono showing on the back side. Tighten it by using one of the tag ends of mono and running around the loose section and pulling it at a strong angle away from the loose piece.

One by one straighten the flies and beads and then put a tiny drop of Superglue on the backing at the hole where each bead is laced in. Do NOT put the drops in straight from the bottle or you will overfill the bead and it will be visible. Instead, dip from a puddle of glue with a fine bodkin and place the drops carefully. The glue level can be seen in the bugle beads when viewed from the side, usually.

Then cover the back with tape to hold the mono in place and protect it.

I mount the glass in frame after carefully cleaning it by running a very tiny bead of clear silicone sealant/caulk around the edge. There are other options.

Then the flies attached to the backing are mounted in the frame. There is no need to worry about smaller shadowboxes, but on big ones I mount the backing into the rabbet turned for it with small nails.

Then glue a piece of Kraft paper on the back with white or yellow glue and let it dry. Do not worry about the paper being too big, let it hang over the edge all the way around. When the glue is dry wet the paper backing and then dry it with a hair drier on hot. The paper will shrink, pulling out all the wrinkles and putting a truly professional look on it.

Using medium grit sandpaper sand the rim all the way around the back of the frame to remove the excess paper. Check often to see when the paper is loose at each section. Hold the sandpaper about 45* or so to the backing to minimize touching the finished side of the frame. It comes off neatly and any fuzz can be sanded off easily.

[hap]

Here is a shadowbox I made for my son's girlfriend. She had asked me to tie a fly "just for her" and this is what she got.



And a little farther back.

[gobrock]

Hap thanks for the pics and info, certainly took some time to gather and I appreciate that very much. Fine work indeed.

[hap]

We use some big flies to catch bait here, too!

The biggest shown are 3/0, but I tie a lot of articulated stuff that is very big... some as much as 18" long.