Guest Report post Posted August 11, 2003 CHEAP STUFF NO TYING DESK SHOULD BE WITHOUT 1. PENCIL/GUM ERASERS Erasers provide you with a quick and easy way to strip quills, remove stains on your tying surface, and a place to stab and hold your bodkin, needles, etc. An eraser's use are varied and many, and it sure is handy to have one around. 2. TOOTHPICKS Toothpicks are great for adding glue to a fly, pick out dubbing, or anyother light job that you would normally use your ten dollar bodkin to do. The great thing about toothpicks is that the are extremely cheap and can be used countless times before being discarded. 3. EMORY BOARD That's right, an emory board. They are great for shaping denser foam, cork for poppers or underbodies, sharpening toothpicks/bodkins for a finer tip, cleaner gunk build up from other tying tools, and honing needles, etc. Raid the little lady's things and grab a few for the desk. 4. TRANSPARENT TAPE Transparent tape is a great tool on the bench. It can be used to form tent style wings, and when lacquered, is almost indestructable. 5. POST A NOTE PAD These great little inventions are great to have around to make notes on, holding materials such as hackle and legs, to hold small flies to dry, marking containers, and leaving yourself a reminder to check the Flytying Forum for the new "Tip of the Day". Now granted, there are countless applications you can use with any of these materials, but this is just a short list to let you know that anything, and I mean anything, has a place and purpose on the tying bench. you are limited simply by your own imagination........ Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted August 11, 2003 QUOTE 3. EMORY BOARD That's right, an emory board. They are great for shaping denser foam, cork for poppers or underbodies, sharpening toothpicks/bodkins for a finer tip, cleaner gunk build up from other tying tools, and honing needles, etc. Raid the little lady's things and grab a few for the desk. You could also find some in Big Daddy Hubbard's purse. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted August 12, 2003 didn't I leave that at your house, baby doll?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted August 13, 2003 Two other items you can add to the list that are very handy for anyone who likes to paint eyes on their flies are wooden dowel sections & finishing nails. Both work extremely well for painting eyes & are available in various sizes. Both are readily available at any hardware store, and are very inexpensive. I have a "set" that I have used for many years, with the smallest being a finishing brad, mounted in the end of a 5" section of 1/4" dowel (as a handle) for painting the centers on very small eyes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Report post Posted August 13, 2003 oh, yes, Jim...great tip...have used the same method for painting eyes on cork poppers and love it!!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
artimus 0 Report post Posted May 16, 2004 Another use that I have for the emery board is to 'file' off those little tags of skin on my finger tips. Due to the work that I do, my fingers get pretty rough and there is nothing more annoying then my thread getting hungup. Another tip is to grab one of those promo magnets off of the fridge and place on your desk for hooks. Just dump all the hooks that you are going to tie on the magnet and thier not going anywhere. Art Share this post Link to post Share on other sites