Fly tying bench advice

[L. B. Fly Tyer 0]

I've been working on my own fly tying bench lately and I was thinking about placing a trash hole off to the side. I think it would be nice because I could just sweep my hand along the table and clear all of the excess fly tying materials. What do you think about this idea and do you think I should add anything else to this bench besides a fly tying tool rack and shelving (keep in mind the table is 2' by 4')?

[flytire 0]

i repurposed a take out container for a trash recepticle on my tying table and i have a small trash can under my table

 

[mikechell 0]

Like this?

 

 

 

 

[L. B. Fly Tyer 0]

Exactly like that

[mikechell 0]

I used a jigsaw to cut the opening. If you want to cap it, you can keep the piece you cut out ... but mine had the drill hole (for starting the saw) and I didn't like that. So I cut my cap out of the blue piece, from scrap from another project.

 

I lined the hole with a loop of thick plastic, from an old barrel I'd cut up to make a live well. Then I used a router to cut the relief in the cap to sit down on the plastic loop. That makes the cap flush with the table top, when it's in place.

 

I used the router to turn two pieces of 1x2 into "L" shapes, and glue/screwed them to the underside. My trash can lip slides into the L shapes, and I can remove it to dump it.

 

Another option to consider:

Someone ... on this site ... built a little vacuum opening, and installed a small "Shop Vac" type cleaner under his desk. Instead of a hole with a trash can, he's got a little scoop with vacuum. It's pretty neat, too.

[JayWirth 0]

Over the years I have considered a trash hole but decided against it since I always have materials, books, tablet, invoices, jig orders, cell phone, pens/pencils, thread, days mail, coin pile, coffee, snacks, occasional beer......in the way. What I do have is a wire frame with plastic bag that is bolted to the bottom of my bench. It rotates in when Im not at the bench and rotates out between my legs when Im tying

[mvendon 0]

I use a pedestal vise and have that sitting on a standard large sheet of 1/8" craft foam. After tying a bunch of flies or trimming deer hair, I just lift the vise up, curl the sheet slightly and dump it into the trash can that's next to my bench. I don't tie tons of flies at a time, so it's worked for me like that for years.

 

Regards,

Mark

[Philly 0]

My tying area is a FEMA disaster area. I just staple a large plastic bag on the edge of the desk under the vise. That catches most of the materials. Just remove it when it gets near full, and tack up another one. Of course, sometimes items not intended to drop in it, then I hand empty it to find the item. What doesn't make the bag and ends up getting tracked all over the house. I find hooks and stick on eyes in some strange places.

[cphubert 0]

Tried a trash hole and wasn't for me, to many things falling into it. End up with the wire mount trash bag under the bench, swings out and in out of the way, after also have a waste basket under the bench. Find what works for you just don't cut the hole in a nice bench top until your sure. My vise is bolted to a piece of 1" mdo plywood that is screwed to the bottom of my bench extending out about 9", easy to clean or replace after hard use or spilled glues and redesign ideas. That design came from narrowing the hardwood bench on the table saw to get rid of the hole. :^))

[vicrider 0]

Like cp above I would be forever digging things out of the trash I knocked in by accident. Bad enough now picking them off the floor constantly. Clean desk was never my mode of operandi even back in working years. Some keep neat desks, not me. Some keep everything in it's place. Not me. If a hole works for you great but not in my desk.

[BobHRAH 0]

I keep an empty Kleenex box nearby. Gather up the waste in my hands and push into the box. Those plastic edges in the opening keep the waste in the box; can't fly around in the breeze. And, the price is right. Have to confess; this was not my idea, but I forget where I learned about it, so can't give proper credit.

 

 

Thanks, Bob H

[rockworm 0]

My vice is mounted out over the front of my bench. So trimmed deer hair etc would fall straight to the floor if I didn't have a tin cookie box mounted beneath it. Most of my waste ends up in the cookie box and if anything else falls in (hackle pliers, scissors, wing quill, ...) I can just pluck it out. I start my tying session with a sheet of tissue in the box. When done, I just fold up the tissue and dump it.

[Chris_NH 0]

I considered a hole in desk, but since desk space is always at a premium I went with a vice mounted waste catching bag. Love it. When it fills up I go dump it. When you cut something you just let it fall and not have to do anything. Doesn't get simpler and saves me considerable time.

[vicente 0]

 

I used a jigsaw to cut the opening. If you want to cap it, you can keep the piece you cut out ... but mine had the drill hole (for starting the saw) and I didn't like that. So I cut my cap out of the blue piece, from scrap from another project. /quote]

 

You can be honest with us Mike, we know you threw the cut out away so you could put a blue spot on your desk.

[ev8d 0]

I use a pedestal vise and have that sitting on a standard large sheet of 1/8" craft foam. After tying a bunch of flies or trimming deer hair, I just lift the vise up, curl the sheet slightly and dump it into the trash can that's next to my bench. I don't tie tons of flies at a time, so it's worked for me like that for years.

 

Regards,

Mark

i do the same thing but with a sheet of paper. its great to glue on, test out marker colors before coloring a fly or actually coloring the fly instead of on the vise with your hand holding everything in place and getting colored too, paint poppers on or anything else that's messy and i don't want to get on my desk. just grab another sheet when it gets torn or glue all over it. and its easier to keep track of small materials on a white piece of paper instead of on a darker colored desk

 

i also raised my garbage can up off the floor. its just one of those small i think about 3 gallon ones so it saves my back by having it at desk level