tying desk customization?

[troutdynamite 0]

Well, I've been doing this tying stuff only since January first, and my wife is already close to beating me. The kitchen table is full of hooks, wrappers, fur, feathers...you get the idea.

 

So, I've decided to build a copy the fly tying desk that orvis sells. I have already decided on a few modifications. One being a pullout hook storage area which is basically a board with small recesses milled into it to hold the hooks. I will epoxy a rare earth magnet in the bottom of each recess to keep the hooks in place. For any of you that have not used these magnets, check them out...they're tiny and super strong. I currently use an old hook box and glue a magnet to the bottom of each portion. The hooks in each area all ball up to each other, which makes them easy to grab, and the magnets are so strong that you could drop the box with the lid off and the hooks wouldn't go anywhere.

 

So, any tips that I should think about incorporating into this desk?

 

Thanks in advance.

[utyer 0]

To start with, I would make it bigger. My tying surface is 48" wide, and 24" deep. It slides out of an old built in TV cabinet. Under my surface I have 7 large plastic drawers and several smaller boxes that all hold materials. My vise is mounted on a raised plaform that holds three hook boxes underneath. Even with the three hook boxes, I have 15 more boxes of hooks along the back of the desk. These boxes were old computer tape boxes, and they measure 4x4x1". Also along the back of the desk area are 32 more boxes with thread, floss, tinsel, wire, yarn, and foam. I use magnets salvaged from old computer hard drives to hold tools against the sides of the area. Your rare earth magnets should work for tool hanging too.

 

For me storage is the big problem. I still have several more cabinet units full of materials. The pictures show what it looked like last year. Its not that clean any longer. This whole thing is upstairs and out of the way. I know its time to clean up when materials start "migrating" down the stairs.

[MowestFlyfisher 0]

Awesome set ups i would suggest a large work area available on your table and a good source for storing your materials, if that means building some shelving or other source of storing your materials then that is what you need to do, but for the table i would include a tool holder of some sort, a place for your vice and the materials that you are working with and other than that its up to you how you want it to be done.

[Shima 0]

 

After same "wife" problem I'm build up a closet setup.Now I can end all tying and pack myself for 2 min if some frend call me on beer! :yahoo:

 

 

[oatka 0]

A few years ago when I was setting up my desk I was searching the internet for pictures to get ideas from. I posted all those pictures on my website. Here's a link to it, sit back and enjoy and get some ideas!

 

http://www.guysfliesandpies.com/desks.shtml

 

[Curtis Fry 0]

Well, I've been doing this tying stuff only since January first, and my wife is already close to beating me. The kitchen table is full of hooks, wrappers, fur, feathers...you get the idea.

 

So, I've decided to build a copy the fly tying desk that orvis sells. I have already decided on a few modifications. One being a pullout hook storage area which is basically a board with small recesses milled into it to hold the hooks. I will epoxy a rare earth magnet in the bottom of each recess to keep the hooks in place. For any of you that have not used these magnets, check them out...they're tiny and super strong. I currently use an old hook box and glue a magnet to the bottom of each portion. The hooks in each area all ball up to each other, which makes them easy to grab, and the magnets are so strong that you could drop the box with the lid off and the hooks wouldn't go anywhere.

 

So, any tips that I should think about incorporating into this desk?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Just my two cents, hooks and most materials typically fare better in portable containers so you can take them with you when you go to a tying party or a show or whatever. I'm also a big fan of a more modular setup. I tried the modified desk thing, but quickly found I was always finding better/different ways to store things and also the desk wasn't as expandable. I ended up buying three cheap tables at IKEA and put them into a "U" shape in my tying room. Then everything on the tables are either just rubbermaid stuff or non-permanent shelves, etc. Then I can change things around as I go. Pretty flexible. Also, the magnetic thing sounds cool, but it might be a pain if you ever want to take those with you somewhere. After a lot of trial and error, I found I like the craftmate containers. They have about 14 compartments, which open individually and lock. I have about 12 of those that cover most hook sizes and types I tie with.

 

Here are some shots of the setup:

 

 

 

And here's my materials closet. I gave up on trying to put all materials on or around my tying area. I keep it all behind me in this closet and take out only what I need:

 

[BoSmith 0]

I love the peg boards I put up. Desk pushed into the corner with two walls of peg board beside and infront. To the opposite side a couple drawers for larger items/loose items.

 

Its a bit more work to pack things up to travel, but I like everything out in the open where I can see (and remember) what I have.

[gaffer 0]

This one is awesome. TV Cabinets designed for CRT TVs can be converted into great fly benches/cabinet.

 

 

 

Andrew

[petelangevin 0]

i love the rare earth magnet idea. i am going to have stock up on those. great idea

[Runarsson 0]

Well, I've been doing this tying stuff only since January first, and my wife is already close to beating me. The kitchen table is full of hooks, wrappers, fur, feathers...you get the idea. //..//

Sure do... getting nostalgic. Six years ago we always ate in the livingroom. Kitchen table was mine......

 

But a a year later her belly started to get really big and I realized that with children this wasn't going to last for long. That's when it struck me... the computer bench in the spare room, that was used for "various crap storage", didn't have to be a computer bench (or "various crap storage")... and the spare room it was standing in didn't have to be a "to be used when needed" room either. So suddenly I had both tying bench and tying room. (Still can't get why I sat in the kitchen for so long, when I had both bench and room just waiting to be mine. ) Still using that bench.

 

Pictures taken right after tidying it up, which is a rare event. The danger with a tying room is that you don't HAVE to tidy up after every session (or every week... or every month). A week ago it looked like a tornado had passed through here. Now the bench is clean as a whistle though... only the books left. Everything else are packed down in boxes on the floor. Moving is a drag, but unpacking still is a golden opportunity to re-create some order... at least for a while.

 

/Nick

[Mr. Vegas 0]

mine pretty much sucks compaired to any of these!

[troutdynamite 0]

Gaffer, I love that tying closet. That just gave me a new idea. Instead of the orvis desk, I think I'm going to head to IKEA and buy an armoire to modify. I think that will work great.

[flytyinfreak 0]

Someone somewhere installed a small shop vac with a chute in the desktop.........

[gaffer 0]

Gaffer, I love that tying closet. That just gave me a new idea. Instead of the orvis desk, I think I'm going to head to IKEA and buy an armoire to modify. I think that will work great.

 

I wish that one was mine. The Orvis desk is for sure nice, but I think there some really nice options out there. Once I have some more time to sort it out I would love to have a cabinet that I can just close the doors and the mess is gone.

 

Andrew

[rich5665 0]

Well, I've been doing this tying stuff only since January first, and my wife is already close to beating me. The kitchen table is full of hooks, wrappers, fur, feathers...you get the idea. //..//

Sure do... getting nostalgic. Six years ago we always ate in the livingroom. Kitchen table was mine......

 

But a a year later her belly started to get really big and I realized that with children this wasn't going to last for long. That's when it struck me... the computer bench in the spare room, that was used for "various crap storage", didn't have to be a computer bench (or "various crap storage")... and the spare room it was standing in didn't have to be a "to be used when needed" room either. So suddenly I had both tying bench and tying room. (Still can't get why I sat in the kitchen for so long, when I had both bench and room just waiting to be mine. ) Still using that bench.

 

Pictures taken right after tidying it up, which is a rare event. The danger with a tying room is that you don't HAVE to tidy up after every session (or every week... or every month). A week ago it looked like a tornado had passed through here. Now the bench is clean as a whistle though... only the books left. Everything else are packed down in boxes on the floor. Moving is a drag, but unpacking still is a golden opportunity to re-create some order... at least for a while.

 

/Nick

 

Is that a pink feather bola in the back ground!? :bugeyes: