Fly Tying Desk - Ideas needed

[Sparetime]

Has anyone built a fly tying desk?  I'm looking for some ideas on what to include on the desk.  I'd like it to be the type that sits on top of a table or another desk, so that it can be put away.  I'm not very concerned about taking it with me, I don't plan to tie while on a trip or anything.  Spilling head cement on the fly tying desk vs. the oak table is preferred by other less understanding members of my household.  

I'll be using a pedestal type vise.  

Appreciate any input you may have.  Pictures would be great.  

Have a great day.

[TomFromStLouis]

A quick Google Image search came up with maybe a bazillion ideas. Seems like your put-away-ability is the twist you need to figure out. What a cool project!

[Steve N]

No pic, but I grew up next to a Pa transplant to Ohio, and he was a serious fly fisherman. All I remember of his work spot was a LOT of small drawers. He had them going down along both sides of his legs x 2 wide, and had a top on the back of the desk like an old store desk, and it was just flush with drawers, kinda small ones, but in today's age of plastic containers for tool, and  hardware storage you could make larger drawers, and stack 2 or 3 of them inside. With their smallish divisions you could have a little of this feather, a little of that. Possibly look at a sewing center for a thread bank. He seemed to use spools about the same size as for sewing.


For small stuff to keep it separate


For your thread/line

[Ninefingers_grapes]

[attachment=1725]not a portable but a idea

[Guest]

I did a Google image search and saw quite a few table top fly tying stations. It wouldn't be difficult to reverse engineer one if you wanted.

[Sparetime]

Thank you for the ideas.  I did a google search as well and came up with a lot of ideas.  Just curious what works well and what doesn't.  Also, ease of construction.  Getting the holes evenly spaced and looking decent will be a challenge.  Probably need some way to index the holes to each other like you would with a cribbage board.

[Scoony]

I made one years ago, but haven't tied flies since 1996. I looked at some of the commercial ones and figured out what materials and tools I used most and designed it with that in mind. Mine was oak, but I would lay down plain printing paper as a mat to see better and make clean up easier.

[robert146]

Over the years I've built a bunch of fly tying desks, from basic plain vanilla to elaborate, a place for everything, ones. You need the basic. A piece of plywood with melamine glued to the working surface will get the job done, but you won't have any holders for your tools. I generally add a three inch piece of 3/4 stock dadoed into the back with a bunch of 1/2" holes drilled to hold tools. As long as you only use a pedestal vice that will do the job. Your real problem is material storage, and I've got a wall full of plastic boxes holding materials. In fact, the simple table you need would fit in any one of them.

But, if you are a serious tyer, the real answer is a tying room where all family members, especially the wife, are prohibited. That way you can build a real tying desk that will accommodate all your needs, and solve your material storage problems as well. If you go about it carefully it will take you as much as three weeks to get it cluttered enough to the point that no one will want to enter it. Sorry, I don't do pics, but if I did they would scare you.

And I almost forgot; I didn't mention hook storage. That takes about half a book case.

[Scoony]

On a side note, never leave a hares mask unsealed in your main fly tying box for over 10 years untouched and expect it to be intact.
Actually leaves a very nasty mess to deal with.

Now that I am thinking about it, I probably should vacuum seal all the furs and feathers that are still usable.

[Steve N]

At least zip lock bag everything, especially if they are in a common area.