Fly Tying Station

Having a fly tying station really helps with keeping tables, desks, and couches clean of materials. It's also very handy to have all materials and tools in one portable place, making tying more efficient. Nice ones cost a fortune, while making them is better, cheaper, simple and more personalized. I've made a few of these for friends, mentors and myself, so I've documented this most recent one I've created for a buddy. Hope this gives you a few ideas for your station.

Step 1: Wood

Walnut, aspen and excess 1/4 inch plywood (or 1/4 inch planed wood). This project cost me about $70 with enough wood for 2 stations. (About $35 each)

Step 2: Glue

Cut to length and width and glue together.

Step 3: Sand

Scrape glue and sand top. 60, 150, 220, 400 grit sandpaper.

Step 4: Layout

Draw blueprint of the tying station desired. Sketch wood burning designs.

Step 5: Putting It Together

Cut pieces, drill holes and glue together

Step 6: Top It Off

Add top pieces. Overhang edges for clamp-on vice mounting. Drill holes for tools(right side for right handed). Drill holes to add dowels/metal rods for spools in back (not shown).

Step 7: Router

Router top and sand all edges up to 400 grit sandpaper. Wipe with wet rag to pull up wood fibers and sand with 400 grit one more time before poly.

Step 8: Woodburn Desired Design

I wood burned a trout and an Old English font "D. E." For my buddy's initials.

Step 9: Poly

I used semi-gloss Polyurethane. 3 coats. Lightly sand with 320+ (I used 400 grit) between coats.

Step 10: Complete

Let last coat of poly dry, sand one more time and tie! Having a material station as this has increased my efficiency drastically. Make your station custom and personalized. Find magnetic strips, cork, alligator clips, foam squares (hair stacking), slots, and other accessories to make your tying easier. I got an amazon fire tablet for graduation, and I put a magnetic ball mount on my other station so I can You Tube different tying videos. Making a station will make tying easier, faster, and organized.

Comments

[Qubo]

Hey, I know it has been a while since you posted this, but do you have more detailed instructions? Cuts, measurements, hole sizes? I’d really like to make this but don’t know if I can figure it out just from this. Thanks

[brentzbell]

I cant say I have the measurments for it anymore. Your really have to taylor them to your material sorting, just sift through your fly tying materials packaging and see what size different spools are for dowels, diameter of the scizzors for the holes you drill, hook boxes, feathers, just get cleaver. It's all taylored to your own suit.

[brentzbell]

If you look at step 10 you can see a few other pictures of different ones i made, they all have turned out great in different shapes and sizes.

[oragamiunicorn]

I would burn in the logo before assembly, easier to access the board, and less of a disaster if the hot pen slips. Also I think a small lip on the board might help keep bits from falling off.

I don't fish, so I'll never make this as is, but I can see me making a few other boards with a similar design.

Thankyou

[brentzbell]

Yeah, if you looked at the other photos on the bottom they all have 3/4inch lips on them. I also prefer having a finished project before burning. You just gotta get good at it and learn to maneuver around obsticals.

[DIY Hacks and How Tos]

Nice setup.