Fly Tying Bench

[RJD31]

I recently completed this tying bench that is constructed of maple/walnut. It has 12 jars, 40 holes on the uprights, 11 larger holes, 27 pegs, and ultimately 41 spools.

[Bugsy]

Nicely done! I wish the picture was a bit larger.
If you don't mind...is this your own design, or did you build it from plans?

[Warm Water Fly Fisher]

nice bench

warm water

[Diane]

Nicely done! Dimensions look good, materials top notch, execution looks great (from what we can see!). What're your plans on vise placement? Clamping to a side piece?

Here's a suggestion for you: placing an adhesive-backed magnetic sheet at the bottom of one of those cutouts along the front of your bench will give you a place to temporarily place hooks as you're tying. Similarly, mounting a magnetic sheet on a dowel that fits into a hole in the bench gives you a hook "palette" or a place to put finished flies during a session. I got the magnetic sheets from hook packages (tiemco maybe) and from a craft store.

Nice bench!


Diane

[Warm Water Fly Fisher]

wish i could say i had one that nice.

Warm Water

[RJD31]

Thanks for the kind words. I made a base for my Traveler C-Clamp out of the same materials as utilized on the bench as well as a fly dryer.

[TyroneFly]

Very nice

[DBenner]

Hi there,

I am sitting here tonight admiring this bench picture as I tie flies on the pullout keyboard tray of the compputer desk. Some of you may ask why I am propped up here, well, I lost my fly tying desk (which was 3.5 ft long and 3 ft deep) when my wife turned the home office into a play room for the kids. Overall, this is good since the toys and kids are now in the room playing, but I miss the desk. Seeing this has me wondering (dumb questionn time)....does this thing sit on your lap while you are sitting on the couch? Is is supposed to sit on the kitchen table or some other desk type thingy? Where do you keep the rest of your material like the deer tails, squirrel tails, etc. Do you decide what 2-3 patterns you are tying, load the desk from your stash of other than the basic material and tools and then head to a corner in the house and start tying? I think this could be useful in my situation but I am wondering how I would change my style of tying?



Dwight

[JeffHamm]

Hi,
Not to side track too much, but I keep all my tying gear in a large tool box beside my chair. I have a TV dinner stand that I set up in front of me, hook the vice to the side of that, then take out of the tool box only the bits I need to tie the pattern I've decided on.

Now, in theory, things go back in the box, and new things come out, when you change patterns. And, in theory, everything goes back in the box when you are finished, and the theoretical vaccuum comes out to take care of spillage.

Theoretically, my tieing area is very clean, and I theoretically follow my own advice.

I would post a picture, but, I don't want to disprove my theory! Still, this system works well for me.

- Jeff

[Jax]

I know what you mean about the theory thing Jeff, But, I would sound a word of caution when using a Vacuum Cleaner to get things Ship Shape.

The last time I vacuumed my fly tying station surrounds. The vacuum cleaner threw a Hissy Fit because it could not suck up the hooks stuck in the carpet. It lives by the dictum "Failure is not an option". It did not know my toes are really good at picking up any dropped hooks. Being pinned to the carpet by a hook that won't let go can be rather uncomfortable and rather embarrassing when "she who must be obeyed" cuts me free. One day I will learn. Jax