Storage, organization, and care of materials

[Horsefly 0]

Obviously this hobby is going to result in the accumulation of large quantities of materials of various sizes, colors, and styles. So my question to those who know is: How do you store, organize, and care for your tying materials and supplies?

 

Patrick

[Chase Creek 0]

I use plastic tubes from JoAnn Fabrics to keep most used dubbings on the tying desk. You could also use short coin tubes (Quarter size). When I run low, I refill from my main stash of dubbing located in plastic shoe boxes located on a bookshelf next to the tying desk.

For necks, deer hair, yarn, etc., I use the plastic she boxes located on said bookshelf. Most used thread is kept on bobbins in a homemade holder on the desk. Other thread in clear boxes on the bookshelf.

I keep hooks in a 3-ring binder with plastic baseball card sheets on the desk. Handy, and lets me see what I'm running low on.

EVERYTHING is labled.

 

 

 

[FlaFly 0]

It's good that you're asking now, while you aren't too far buried. This way you can look for a storage system that can be expanded as your collection grows, and not end up with a bunch of mis-matched boxes like I have. Look at the tying desks that numerous members have posted and you'll see some of their ideas. Hopefully some will respond and pass on their ideas. Who knows... even I might get inspired and start getting organized.

[Horsefly 0]

Chase Creek,

 

Those seem to all be great ways to keep things organized. I'm really impressed with the 3-ring binder for the hooks. I could also use that method for some of my non-fly tying addictions. Thanks.

 

FlaFly,

 

Thanks for your response too.

 

Patrick

[rotaryflytyingdotcom 0]

Horsefly, Chase Creek's binder idea is spot on. Hooks are a bear and the boxes normally sold for hook storage take up way too much room. You're right to be impressed with that idea. Most of my hooks are in boxes but I've been changing over from the boxes ever since I dropped a box with 21-compartments and thousands of hooks scattered all across my tying room floor. That's enough to make a grown man cry.

 

As for materials my secret is a chest of drawers stuffed with plastic bags of tying materials. That doesn't sound like much of a secret. A lot of people keep stuff in drawers. But most people don't keep everything in those drawers in plastic baggies and the plastic baggies are what makes my system work for me.

 

What the bags do is allow me to EMPTY the drawer quickly when looking for a certain material without damaging or mixing up materials by way of lack of caution when searching. The bags are labeled (another thing Chase Creek mentioned that is important - only obvious things like a bag of Peacock Herl in a see-through bag don't get labeled) and when the material I want is buried on the bottom of the drawer it takes little time to find it. I can quickly pull packages out and set them aside until I find what I want and then just stick the bags back into the drawer. Individual bags help with bug protection also.

 

But you can't keep all your material close at hand. After awhile it becomes overwhelming. That's when you start putting bulk stuff in containers and storing them away after putting a smaller amount of the material in a small baggie to tuck into your trying drawer the bulk container gets stored away with a tag identifying the contents for future use.

 

 

[wschmitt3 0]

This is my fly tying station. Its a little bit of a mess but it works. I keep desiccant packs from shoe boxes and other stuff in the drawers to keep the humidity from causing mold. I love the drawers for storage. Everything is organized by type of material and its all very easy to access. Hooks and beads are in craft containers and that works just fine for me but I can see how it could be a disaster as mentioned earlier by rotaryflytying.com.

 

I made my work station a couple months ago. Very easy and cheap. Was just a couple wooden dowels and some cheap wood from home depot its nice to be able to sit on the couch and watch tv or something while I tie flies.

[COMike 0]

Great Topic!

 

I like the plastic bag idea and the Baseball Card Holder for the hooks!!!!

 

I am going to incorporate the hook keeper card holder shortly!

 

 

Since I began this passion, my wife has been bringing me home empty dental supply containers from work. Some are small and some are large but they come in various sizes and "stackability"...my term...LOL......

 

Once I figure out a way, such as Rotary's cabinet, they are going to be placed into use!

 

Labeling is another story.....Bryon Anderson, member here, clued me into a label maker that I have yet to get....if he chimes in this would be something that ANYONE could use to label things. I used to just use my printer and Office Depot sheets of labels (read address ones) but over time they simply came off.

 

Mike

[Chase Creek 0]

COMike - I use a Brother "P-Touch" label maker.(See the pix of the dubbing tube in my post above) Was about $20 a few years ago.

Any label with an adhesive backing will start to come off after a while, so I usually put a piece of Scotch tape over it, or, if i know it will be permanent, I brush over it with Super Glue, making sure to brush a bit beyond the edges of the label.

[COMike 0]

Nice advice Chase! Superglue is a great way to "seal" the label on !!!!

 

PLUS super glue is in my med kit for similar purposes!

 

I filleted my hand two nights ago preparing some "Pho" for my wife......what was my GO TO repair? Super Glue!!!!!

 

Works like a charm and I didn't have to go to the ER for it!

 

Mike

[dazzyd 0]

I make sure all materials, even those bought from reputable dealers, are stored in zip-lock bags and then I have a series of fairy heavy-duty plastic boxes made by "really useful box co.".

 

Each box holds a particular material: quills, marabou, hair, tails, dubbing etc. and has a label so I know what box is which.

 

The boxes are strong enough to stack twelve high.

[Horsefly 0]

Lot's of great ideas here. The plastic bag, filled drawer will probably work well for some things for me and the binder with the hooks will too. I have to label everything or I will simply forget where I put things. My wife is the Queen of organized and she just shakes her head at me. If I store it away, I'm in trouble. Again, a lot of great thoughts.

 

Thanks to all

 

Patrick

[flytire 0]

 

 

[fshrmanms 0]

The bulk of my materials are sealed in ziplock bags and placed in the roll around set of bins. This is very handy since my tying area is restricted to one small area in the garage. The shelves for the bins roll easily in front of my bench to save space when not in use or to the side when I am tying. It rolls very easily I can even move it around when seated at the bench.. Also have several organizers that I put smaller items like popper bodies and items that would be hard to find in the bins like biots

[hairwing 0]

A sample of mine just to give you ideas:

 

 

I have 20 of the red topped plastic shoe style boxes.

15 sterilite pencil boxes, I bought these "end of the season" at Wally's for 10 cents a piece. They are great for my tying tools , thread and I can also pack all the materials into one pencil box for tying one fly. It's handy if you have some favorites...right there in the box ready to go !

I have 300, sz. 20DR yellow snap top plastic vials. Endless uses, hooks, dubbing, etc.

....and 50 2 oz. food dispensers with the snapping lids. You can find these in the local supermarket in the paper plate isle.

I also have an assortment of plastic zip-loc bags and will be hunting for a replacement in the style of the "slider storage bags". I find the regular zip-locs harder to reseal with repeated use.

...all of which gets packed in and out of 72 qt. storage boxes as needed.

 

 

 

[RCFetter 0]

I use this for hackle and hair. Walmart $6.99. They have many other sizes.