80 replies to this topic

[br_fly]

Hello fly tying aficionado,

I am new to fly fishing and looking to support the newest of hobbies. I have been looking into the idea of building fly tying benches as a way for my son and I to spend some off season quality time together. We had this idea while we were looking over some unique hardwood stock that I have from other projects. Before we get to deep into a project like this with getting plans drawn and our shop set up I would appreciate some feedback on the poll questions I have posted here.

Your input is greatly appreciated.

[Piker20]

I notice you have put NA for using a bench, believe me even if you sit at the dining room table it will be 'your bench' for the duration and the mess you will leave annoys the wife no end.

If you can have a seperate table, desk, area just for your tying it will make it all a lot easier.

Also in the 'would you buy a desk' question, I guess I was rolling in reddies and someone built a perfect desk I would buy one regardless of cost. But making your own and continuing to tweak it, as I am currently doing seems to add that extra something.

It is a great thing to get into though and all of a sudden there will be a lot of new 'friends' wanting to test your creations.

[lostnwilderness]

FWIW, I am an avid life long fisherman but a VERY new tier. I picked up a old (cheap - craigslist) bench this week for $50. An hour worth of sanding, ripped and drilled out cedar 2x4, more sanding then the poly/sand/poly/sand/poly sand sequence and I have a very small, functional bench that will suit my needs for a few years to see a) am I still tying with enthusiasm b)have I out grown my space c)I can build a bench exactly how I want it (since I do not even know the answer to that at this point). PM me if you want to see some pics.

Dont know if this helps!

[petelangevin]

I was given a computer armoire by the mrs. I mounted my nor-vise to a scrap piece of black granite. Cost overall free. But it works none the less.

[riffleriversteelheadslayer]

I use a roll top desk I got off of craigs list and to hold my vice I have a board I made that doubles as my travel bench

[Rocco]

I do not see how anyone can make a profit building tying benches out of wood these days. Raw materials are sky high. Shipping costs alone are staggering. And everyone wants custom touches w/o the costs entailed of course. Making them for yourself and friends could be fun as you can tailor them to your needs and wants. I did it with some mixed results and maybe some errors you might find of interest.

I built my own fly tying table/bench years -- no decades -- ago with two dominant issues in mind. I hated tying flies hunched over a vice with my legs all cramped up in a shortish chair undernaeth the tying surface. So I made mine fairly larger than most, out of planed white oak stock, and, after hard use, it is still strong, well built, thanks to some expert tutelage and good to my back.

It is 38" inches tall which allows me to sit straight backed and tie --- ty? -- at about chin level while seated in one of those drafting chairs that adjust upward from normal chair level as high as I want. (I also made a higher pedestal for the vice itself to get to the right height.) I can extend my legs to the floor easily or rest them on the chair's bar at normal sitting position. I made the thing about 24" deep to allow for materials to spread out on a good sized work surface and then my plan went sour. I only made it 38 " wide in the expectation that other wood working projects to follow would provide storage for materials, tools, gadgets, adhesives, dubbing machines, etc... that would be ready to hand when needed.

Then my woodworking expert pal with all the right machinery moved and phase II never happened.

Now, that work surface is just too small and cramped. Migod how the stuff has accumulated, not to mention the hair,feathers hooks, and now, dammit, synthetics that crowd the storage space. The surrounding horde of plastic containers -- I count 40 of them -- makes for an unsightly and grossly inefficient warehousing 'system' -- all crammed into a corner of the "family room". Finding just what I want is often as time consuming as the tying and getting it all back where it should be for the next time.... don't ask! Keeping the dogs out of it?

I still love to tie at that table. No pinched back muscles, leg cramps, or eye strain. But starting over again, I would have a room of my own with rods and reels, waders, on one wall and another wall dedicated to a serious fly tying and storage area. The third wall would be a floor to ceiling gun case for my Ruger #1 collection. No puter , no TV, no phone... DVD player with my music. Dogs by invite only.

Sorry, I started to babble there...

Rocco

[notenuftoys]

I looked to buy for a while, and looked and looked and looked. Besides the prices, which were all high, I just never found any I liked. They were all too small - no work area. So I started scribbling some ideas, finally got some measurements down, and took it to my Dad who has a woodshop. We spent the better part of a day cutting, glueing and drilling and came up with this.



I have since changed the back to have two rows of spool holders.

[Piker20]

Great looking area. Like the walking material storage bottom left

[streamcaddis]

My tying bench is the old kitchen table. Dee got a tying bench that fits on top of the the table with thread post and bobbin wholes and storage for the rest of my tools.It really works well. I also have spool storage on the side. have it posted on the fly tying bench database under the name of " streamcaddis".

[perchjerker]

I made my tying table out of a six-drawer (side drawers) treadle Singer sewing machine. I made a "false" top for it that not only increases the table area, but also solved the problem of the machine cover that creates an elevated area over much of the top, when closed. This 'top' simply sits on the machine top either side of the problematic lid. It can be simply lifted off should I ever decide to use the sewing machine. The drawers provide a certain amount of materials storage space, but they are soon "overflowing". Though I still have 'key' materials in the drawers, I now use plastic storage boxes and have them stored in a closet.

[flytire]

if i were to buy another tying bench it would have to be from someone who could translate my design into a finished product and not from someones else's design who thinks they know where to place pegs for thread spools. holes for placing bobbin holders and so on.

i definitely know what i want in a tying bench and someday before i die i'll find that woodworker who will build me one

i have an oasis tying bench. pretty woods but lousy ergonomics

[boutdoors]

I built one years ago the first time I tried to learn how to tie my own flies. Now I feel as if I need to make a new one to better reflect my changing attitude on tying

[milo3]

great bench, please give us sizes ! milo

[Johnwvan]

I am guessing the height of a tying table would be about 26 t0 29 inches to the top?
Would love to make my own but I no longer have my house or shop in the cellar. I would
also consider buying one. I also would love a wood chest to keep my tools and material
in. My brother is a machinist and has a beautiful wood chest with felt lined drawers for
his micrometers and verniers. I have seen a lot of fly tying chests which look a lot
like that.I definitely need something for my new Peak. Here's my current storage box,
an old Plano tackle box for hooks,tools and material and an old Tupperware bread box
for my feathers.---John

[Crackaig]

About a year ago I finally took the plunge and made myself one. The problems I had was that I had no workshop space and am very restricted in tying space. Hardwood is difficult to get hold of so I had to use what I could get my hands on easily. About two weeks after finishing it I managed to source oak. It would have cost about 10 UKP more to build it in oak. I wish I had known this earlier! Still at some point there will be a Mk. 2.

Lots of lessons learned in making this one. The next one will be very different. Though if I could find one of the large roll top desks favoured by doctors, at a price I can afford, I'd modify that. Should I gain access to some workshop space then I will build one that will be a corner unit with a curved edge.

Cheers,
C.