Tying workstation

CAMBYSES..(aka, "Bob"!),
Sorry to hear about the "cat and the jungle gym", but I'd personally inform that cat; "You're NOW, legal fodder for a dubbing source!!"
Also, since you are starting over, as you said, I forgot to mention that instead of using the brush on Spar Urethane, they also make some really good "spray on", clear finishes as well.
I've used them often, when ANY chance of a brush stroke would ruin the looks of a project, even if using the foam brushes,which leave no brush strokes, but CAN leave micro-sized air bubbles behind if you're not careful!
The spray on clear, plastic, finishes dry just as quickly as the brush on Spar finishes do. Of course be careful, in an enclosed area of your "over spray".............. What a shame, it would be, to have to end up with a "plastic coated mischievous cat"!?!
Good Luck! Paul
 
I like the dubbing source... I wonder of it would work? and the spray on sounds great. I think I will start working on this again this weekend. I was so close to being done...oh well live and learn


Bob
 
I use a roll top desk. You can close the top and lock if necessary.

Joe E
 
I would love the room for an actual desk and I really like the roll top idea, but my apartment just wont allow for something like that right now, maybe in a few years when the fiancee gets out of law school and we get a house.
 
Have you look at those desk top tying stations...my step fater made me one once and I used it for years. Had dowels along hte back for thread and other spools...and holes along he one side to stick tools into. Had a large flat arm on the right side to attach my vice to. I added a larger hole to put a film canister with steel wool in to clean my bodkin and another to fit a bottle of head cement without being able to knock it over. I also added white contact paper to the bottom for better contrast. It was nice because I also had a small apartment and could lust put it wherever I needed to but had a prepared desktop to tie on. Now that I think about it one of those would save me some set up time now...If you are handy you could make one yourself.

Kind of like this:

Fly tying desk
 
That is what I am making now... that is what my cat destroyed and I am trying to rebuild
 
Cool, post a pic when you are done! Based on their posts, I think some others may have also thought you meant a regular desk...I know I did.
 
Yeah, I thought you meant something like this. This is the Cabellas desk with their storage cabinet and spool caddy. My Renzetti is mounted on one of heir stations with a Stone Fly magnifier that has eight leds surrounding the lens. Works very well for me.
 
Thats awesome!! That is what I would like, but can't afford nor find a place for!!! maybe one day. Thanks for the pic it gave me a few ideas
 
OBVIOUSLY................. those very nice pictures, supplied by Mediclimber, of his tying area, are either FAKE, or taken only a few seconds after initial set up!??
How can ANYONE, properly tie flies, and have THAT neat of a tying station? No, "marabou floating above the lamp"? No, "spilled cement bottle stains"? No, coffee cup/beer bottle "wet rings" on any of the wood surfaces" Not a SINGLE..... "piece of half eaten meal, that became stale, while working on a new pattern"!?
WHERE'S the deer hair, (in several, different dyed shades), that SHOULD BE clinging to the drawers, vice shaft and desk top.........even though he hasn't tied with it for over a month??
Sorry, but anyone that can keep a tying station as neat as the one pictured, I don't feel should rightfully be trusted!?!
 
flybinder wrote:
OBVIOUSLY................. those very nice pictures, supplied by Mediclimber, of his tying area, are either FAKE, or taken only a few seconds after initial set up!??
How can ANYONE, properly tie flies, and have THAT neat of a tying station? No, "marabou floating above the lamp"? No, "spilled cement bottle stains"? No, coffee cup/beer bottle "wet rings" on any of the wood surfaces" Not a SINGLE..... "piece of half eaten meal, that became stale, while working on a new pattern"!?
WHERE'S the deer hair, (in several, different dyed shades), that SHOULD BE clinging to the drawers, vice shaft and desk top.........even though he hasn't tied with it for over a month??
Sorry, but anyone that can keep a tying station as neat as the one pictured, I don't feel should rightfully be trusted!?!

Well, those pics are from a couple of months ago, but I do try and keep it neat. I'm sure others would say I'm a clean freak, but they can't be trusted as they don't fish. The half eaten food doesn't last long with two Rotweillers around. Beer bottle ring? Nope, maybe a mark from a glass of Glenmorangie or Jamesons, but no beer. Then again, I use old copies of Fur-Fish and Game as coasters. And of course I can be trusted, I'm a fly fisherman. :-D
 
I am actually blessed to have a woodworking father-in-law (who by the way I taught how to fly fish a few weeks ago). He hand made me a fly tying table that is about 2 feet deep, has shelves on both sides and just enough room to fit in a chair. I keep a few baskets with my feathers, hair etc separated in them and some containers on top of the table for hooks, thread, tools etc. Its perfect for everything I need. I used to tie on fold out tv table and let me tell you, that was a pain. Do yourself a favor and find a corner of your house that your wife will let you take over and devote it to tying. If you have your own area, it will help you become more organized (or just give you more of an excuse to buy more supplies to fill the empty spots) and your tying will get better. Mainly because its easier to do, that set it up every time you tie. My thanks to my father in law is about 75 hand tied flies for christmas. Still working on those though.


P.S. Went out to this private lake with him today... landed 21 largemouth in 2.5 hours. Love that place!!!
 
I have been looking around the apartment and I have possibly found a place to set-up a small desk. I do all of my tying on the kitchen table or a fold out tv tray (when football is on) In my kitchen I have a 10gal. Aquarium that I could either move or sell and put the desk in its place. That would give me roughly 36"W x 18"D and I can make it as high as I want given the kitchen has 12' ceilings.

I'll have to see what I can get the fiancee to agree to. Maybe if I clean up the place real nice while she is out of town she will over look my obsession and fall for what ever half assed logic I feed her.

Crossing fingers
Bob
 
Well, MEDICLIMBER, I think ya' "hung yer self", on that one, because anyone I KNOW that can afford to fly fish "seriously", in no way, can afford any booze with names I can't even pronounce!! And, that includes the doctors/vets,(same guys, two, handy professions), that I often fish with!
BOB........ on your tying station location and your future Mrs.
One, (of thousands), excuses you COULD start with, is the "Cost effective-versus cost lost-theory. To whit........ "Dear Pookie, you see, I loose about 125 flies a year, fishing. At $2.25ea, @ the fly shop, that's $281.25!!! BUT! If I have a place, where I can tie my own.... say, at .18cents ea. that's only $22.50!!
By allowing me this tying area, I'm MAKING US MONEY, to the tune of $258.75 a year!"
You might, also, remind her that "you've also been helpful in platicizing the cat, so there's already less loose hair around the place". But, watch the "Pookie" stuff, too much and you may have to take up knitting, instead of fly tying.
Good Luck!
 
Here you go Flybinder. Now you know it's true, and tasty too I might add. I'm just a lowly paramedic, but I do alright. Did I mention the ice climbing and kayaking I do also?
 
Flybinder, absolutely genius!! way better than the crap I was gonna try!

Mediclimber, I will agree with the drinking the "good stuff" I do drink beer but I also have a full bar stocked with well over 50 bottles. I happen to have a bottle of Walker blue label that I haven't opened yet.

Do you fish from your yak? and which yak do you have.

I have a Liquid Logic Manta Ray 10 outfitted for fishing with 4 rod holders and a fish finder with an anchor trolley system.

Bob
 
CAMBYSES, don't mention it, glad I could help! Some of my ideas and ALL my scars, come from dealing with the opposite, not always softer, sex. Now, I never said "my GOOD IDEAS", I simply said; "SOME of my ideas".
However, I have to be boring here, and repeat my earlier post with YOU now included, evidently..................
"Anyone, that can afford expensive booze, (let alone, much of anything expensive), that seriously fly fishes...... I don't know about trusting them very far. Now, to find out, instead of the bottle of " 'Ol Sloppy Face", that I was sure you had hidden away, Bob, you admit you've got a Blue Label bottle of Walker!!??
Heck, I thought I was really rolling high, here a while back, when after a club meeting I invited a few guys over to help me crack open and devour my secretly hidden bottle.
I was very proud of that bottle of spirits and wanted to share it with friends. The label has been freshly printed, and the handwriting was very, very, fancy....for a felt marker job, I thought. The date was right, too, "October 10th, 3:00PM", well aged.
I guess, I don't rank up there with you 2, "elitist"...... since I don't own a "Butt Boat" and all the ice I care about, goes into my well aged, (almost 3 weeks now and counting), Scotch after dinner drink.
Maybe, I'm not doing this fly fishing thing, "right"!!?
I stopped buying rods, (almost), when I hit 25 of them and haven't purchased a reel, since I got my 29th. one. My "tying table" does take up an entire 23' X 24' room, but even though, too small, I'm not greedy and live with it.
 
My kayak is a Perception Acadia 10 footer outfitted for extended camping trips. I haven't added any rod holders yet since I've only used her for extended camping trips like a nice five day four night Delaware trip the other year.
Now Flybinder, you should put the bottle in the fridge so you don't dilute the goodness with ice. And, yes, I do fish seriously and can be trusted. I only have four rods and four reels, sorry, but that seems to be enough for me right now. Now, next year, that's another story. I take it you make your own spirits? That's actually something I wouldn't mind trying. My grandfather used to operate a still but that was way before my time and he has long since passed on.
 
Its not that I am a "elitist" I happen to be very lucky with a great job that over pays me, and a fiancee that is in law school on a full ride and that pays for my apartment!( The school)
I happen to enjoy being drunk and unfortunately for me get really bad hang overs and use that as an excuse to buy more expensive alcohol with the logic that the better stuff is more pure and thus has less toxins to give the hang overs. That may or may not be true, also it is important to point out that my entire bar is not top shelf, most of it is cheap stuff, I only keep a few good bottles around and of course a few bottles of Jagermeister in the freezer!!!!
I also have a "butt boat" but out of convenience and economics. I can't afford a truck and a boat so I went for the next best thing, and it only cost me $400.00

I also think I can be trusted as I am an avid fisher with both fly and spinning tackle and I fish at least 5 days a week.

Did I mention I have no kids!!! lol

I hope this post is taken as I wrote it....WITH A LIGHT HEART

and keep it coming flybinder you had me in stitches on your last post!

Bob
 
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